We could give numerous examples from the New Testament that portray clearly the association of righteous behavior with salvation. Salvation is not a profession of belief. A correct profession of belief is the basis and guide to salvation but the profession of belief is not salvation. Neither is residence in Heaven the goal of salvation. True salvation always produces righteous, holy behavior. Righteous, holy behavior brings us the most valuable reward of all, which is fellowship with God.

Christian theology is far off course. As a result sin is increasing rapidly throughout the Christian churches as well as the rest of the world. The work of demons is protected by law in the United States of America, for example. There is no standard, no plumb line. Why is there no plumb line? It is because God's people view the Christian salvation as a doctrinal position rather than the re-creation of the individual.

Two Problems That Have Resulted From Incorrect Belief

Belief is redeeming when it serves as a base and guide for the actual Divine redemption, and when its facts are accurate.

We already have referred to the fact that the sin in the society of today is resulting from the position of the Christian churches that salvation is belief. If one holds to the correct beliefs he is on his way to Heaven, it is supposed. But since faith apart from works is dead, and righteous works are not considered necessary by Christians, the churches are filled with dead faith.

It is stressed vigorously today that Christ performed a finished work of salvation and that any effort on our part to make righteous behavior a necessary aspect of salvation is an unrighteous attempt to add to the perfect work of Christ.

How Satan must rejoice over this concept! The effect of such an unscriptural concept has been to destroy nearly every bit of righteous, holy behavior from God's people. The light of good works, which is the true testimony of the Church, has been extinguished by a faulty knowledge of the new covenant.

The irony here is that not only is belief stressed in place of behavior, but the belief itself is based on an inaccurate understanding because the true knowledge of the facts of the Kingdom reveals that belief itself is not salvation.

The result of dead faith in the Christian churches is, first of all, loss of the Presence of God from the churches. The Christian churches have much to say about God and about God's plan of salvation through Christ. However, the churches are preaching about Christ rather than preaching Christ. To preach Christ is to bring the very Presence of God to people, not just a message about God and His Gospel. One can preach about God and Christ and still continue in unrighteous, unholy behavior. But one cannot bring the Presence of God and Christ apart from a righteous, holy, sternly obedient life.

The second problem resulting from the dead faith of the Christian churches is sin in the unchurched society. If the moral light goes out in the Christian churches the world has no moral light to live by.

To be continued.