<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter P. Snyder Q: Some of my family who are in a charismatic church tell me that the only way to be saved, or at least to be sure of my salvation, is to ask the Holy Spirit into my life and to begin speaking in tongues. I admit that I don't always feel the Spirit's presence, but is speaking in tongues necessary to have the Holy Spirit? A: Belief in Christ is what saves. Baptism and the Gospel of forgiveness are what are important. It is only unbelief which damns. "Tongues will fail," says Paul, but the love of God in Christ Jesus is forever. As for "feeling" the Spirit or anything else, be always wary; Satan can take our feelings and turn them to his advantage. Pin your hopes on what God has already done: He has taken away your sins through Jesus Christ our Lord. He sends his Spirit in Word, baptism, and Lord's Supper. Knowing that you are saved is much more secure a position than feeling that you are saved. Again, belief in Jesus Christ is what saves. Unbelief damns. Q: Edgar Cayce did some readings on prayer. He says you need to pray at two in the morning facing east. Is that true? A: Cayce missed the mark in many things. The Bible speaks of prayer without ceasing, as well as noting many times of the day and throughout life when specific prayer is appropriate. One's geographic orientation is not an essential part of prayer; instead, it is the orientation of his heart. That is, the person should believe in Jesus Christ as his Savior from sin. The same holds true for the time of day and the number of times: "Pray without ceasing," says the Apostle. In other words, a Christian's entire life is sacrificially offered to God and the believer continually asks his Father for every good thing. Q: How did God reveal himself to others for the purpose of writing the Scriptures and for the purpose of letting others know what He has planned for their lives? Thanks. A: We're not sure of the exact mechanism that God employed in using human authors to speak and write his divine Word. The biblical doctrine of "Inspiration" teaches that in some way the Holy Spirit "breathed" the thoughts that would be recorded, while allowing the authors to speak in their own languages and styles. However, there are instances where God revealed "more" of himself, as in the burning bush, on Mount Sinai, and the like. Of course, he showed himself most fully in the flesh of Jesus Christ. The Baptism of Jesus reveals the entire Trinity in the voice of the Father, the human body of the Son, and the form of the dove for the Holy Spirit. Q: I have a question about vows. If a young, unmarried woman makes a vow to remain unmarried in order to bargain with the Lord for the healing of a friend, and then years later wants to renounce that vow, can she do it without her father's involvement? Is the vow binding forever? What is the difference between an oath and a vow? A: Martin Luther had to deal with vows taken under duress or before a person was fully informed as the Reformation led him and other monks to renounce what they had sworn as priests, monks, or nuns. Luther was especially harsh on a church that had demanded people make lifelong vows of celibacy before they even understood the strength of their sexual longings. While breaking any promise is a sin, if one is unable to keep it, he or she should ask God's forgiveness and carry on. This is not to be done cavalierly or lightly, but only with the knowledge that this is a serious sin. For Luther, taking (or demanding) a vow before being fully informed is also sinful for any and all parties involved. Especially bad can be the "Let's Make a Deal" kind of promise like you mention with this young lady. Have her refer to Judges 11 (Japheth and his daughter) to see the serious consequences of initiating bargains with God. I'd say that if the young lady does not feel that she can remain emotionally stable and sexually pure, then she should speak with an understanding pastor, confess her sins, and ask God to both forgive her and to lead her away from such temptation in the future. As for the difference between oaths and vows, all oaths are vows, but not all vows are oaths. Both are promises, but the oath is uttered in the name of a deity or with some other "guarantee," such as "cross my heart and hope to die." That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1999 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.