Salvation The Pentecostal Way 1

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-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Clifton <woodrow_@nettaxi.com>
To: higher-fire@prairienet.org <higher-fire@prairienet.org>
Date: Friday, May 22, 1998 1:12 PM
Subject: Re: Salvation The Pentecostal Way 1
>I am not a seperationist, I beleive that becoming a religious hermit is
against Biblical priniciples, but at
>the same time if my beliefs offend people then I will not change to make
them like me. I will not compromise
>the gospel to make my Baptist friends feel more at ease around me. My wife
will not cut her hair and wear
>pants to stop her denominal friends from feeling uncomfortable, I wont ask
my co-workers over for a Super-Bowl
>party to get some fellowship in. My life is a witness and I talk to people,
I dont downgrade their beliefs,
>but I present mine as a further step (to accept salvation one must realiaze
that one is not saved and for the
>denominal world that is tough), but when asked if I think they are saved I
always replied that 1) I dont see
>but one plan of salvation and 2) that descision is in the Lord's hands.
>
>As Apostolics, as Holy Ghost filled Christians we have drawn a line that we
will not cross. Your theology
>crosses that line for most Apostolics that I know.

I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. It embraces the most important
aspect of salvation, personal responsibility. We are responsible to present
the Gospel, as best we can to those whom God brings across our path.

I have come to a different understanding of the verse "without holiness, no
man shall see the Lord" than the one I previously held and the one my former
church held.

I used to think that it referred to my personal salvation, that if I didn't
meet a standard, then I was in danger of Hell. Now there is ample scripture
in the Bible to prove the essentiality of Holiness, but I don't think that
is why this one was written.

What I think the verse is saying is that Holiness is the means through which
a man (or mankind) sees the Lord. This encompasses adornment, fruit of the
Spirit, etc.

This changes one's focus immensely. Instead of looking for a minimum to save
one's skin, instead one recognizes that greater yieldedness to holiness will
open up people's hearts to Jesus and truth.

While I recognize that it may be possible for God to extend His grace to
those beyond the scope of Acts 2:38, I cannot find enough Scripture to
reassure me that I do not need to present Acts 2:38 to those of an
"orthodox" Christian persuasion. Therefore, I must express my concerns with
Steve Starcher's attempts to reduce the gulf that exists between our two
understandings of the Word of God (Apostolics and trinitarians).

Most Apostolics believe that it was the intellectual efforts of apologists
like Justin Martyr which led to the embracing of trinitarianism. While we
must always present truth to the best of our abilities, including
intellectual, we must be careful regarding which paradigms or frames we try
to stretch Apostolic truth over. Too often this results in rips and tears to
the seamless robe of the Apostolic message and leaves gaps and holes in
understanding.

A wholehearted yieldedness to truth, holiness, and Jesus will ensure that
our message reaches those who need it most.

In Christ,

Frank Vandenburg