This is from my husband:
The simplest way to explain is thus: The word rightly taught is a mark of the Holy Christian Church. The sacraments rightly administered is a mark of the Holy Christian Church. Where the word is taught incorrectly, unChristian things are being taught, things that do not come from Christ or build up the body of Christ. Where the sacraments are not rightly administered, unChristian things are being done, things that do not come from Christ or build up the body of Christ.
So the Holy Christian Church on earth is recognized by these traits: the word is rightly taught and the sacraments are rightly dministered. Any contradicting traits to not identify a church as true, but a place that teaches falsely. Often one and the same congregation displays both types of traits.
Just as an individual Christian who trusts in Jesus is surely a Christian, despite his incompatible belief (for example) that baptism is a rite the human performs rather than a miracle that God performs; so also the Christian congregation is Christian so long as it teaches Christ crucified, even if it teaches other things that are not true. Such an individual or congregation or denomination is weakened by every falsehood, and may loose the faith completely in time; but where Christ is trusted for forgiveness, salvation remains.
The Christian congregation or denomination or individual that fails to rightly teach many things, but at least teaches Christ crucified and risen for our forgiveness, has the gospel. But it also has many barriers to the gospel, and is not as useful to God in this world. It teaches unChristian things along with its Christian things. It is part of the Holy Christian Church, and it wars against the Holy Christian Church.
To answer the two example questions, a denomination that does not believe in the real presence of Christ's body and blood in the Lord's Supper has replaced a Christian belief with an unChristian belief. That mark of the Holy Christian Church is not present in them. But if they still believe that Jesus died to wash away all their sins, they are Christians. They are Christians who are weakened by false teachings.
What about those who teach the gospel incorrectly? The answer depends on what you mean. First I answer your example of the Reformed, then I answer your question directly.
The Reformed (a broad category) do have the gospel, and they teach correctly that Jesus died on the cross to pay for their sins, and he rose again to assure them that he is God and Savior. Where they teach contrary to the Christian faith is in regards to personal, subjective justification--how Jesus' merits become mine. Their answer to why some are saved, but not all, tends to depend on self righteousness in one way or another. That is an unChristian belief that does not come from Christ, nor does it build up the body of Christ, rather it is a barrier to the gospel. Yet the "happy inconsistency" often present in the individual heart is that such self-righteous false teachings do not erase the Reformed Christian person's trust in Jesus to pay for all of his sins. If on his death-bed his dependence is on only Jesus, he will see Jesus in heaven. If on his death-bed his dependence is on personal strength or feeling or decision or works, he will see his just punishment in hell for not relying on his only Savior.
What about those who teach the gospel incorrectly? The gospel is the good news that Jesus, God and Savior, died and rose again to take all my sins away. Those who disagree with this are not Christians, no matter how much they insist that they are. They don't even know what a Christian is.
The simplest way to explain is thus: The word rightly taught is a mark of the Holy Christian Church. The sacraments rightly administered is a mark of the Holy Christian Church. Where the word is taught incorrectly, unChristian things are being taught, things that do not come from Christ or build up the body of Christ. Where the sacraments are not rightly administered, unChristian things are being done, things that do not come from Christ or build up the body of Christ.
So the Holy Christian Church on earth is recognized by these traits: the word is rightly taught and the sacraments are rightly dministered. Any contradicting traits to not identify a church as true, but a place that teaches falsely. Often one and the same congregation displays both types of traits.
Just as an individual Christian who trusts in Jesus is surely a Christian, despite his incompatible belief (for example) that baptism is a rite the human performs rather than a miracle that God performs; so also the Christian congregation is Christian so long as it teaches Christ crucified, even if it teaches other things that are not true. Such an individual or congregation or denomination is weakened by every falsehood, and may loose the faith completely in time; but where Christ is trusted for forgiveness, salvation remains.
The Christian congregation or denomination or individual that fails to rightly teach many things, but at least teaches Christ crucified and risen for our forgiveness, has the gospel. But it also has many barriers to the gospel, and is not as useful to God in this world. It teaches unChristian things along with its Christian things. It is part of the Holy Christian Church, and it wars against the Holy Christian Church.
To answer the two example questions, a denomination that does not believe in the real presence of Christ's body and blood in the Lord's Supper has replaced a Christian belief with an unChristian belief. That mark of the Holy Christian Church is not present in them. But if they still believe that Jesus died to wash away all their sins, they are Christians. They are Christians who are weakened by false teachings.
What about those who teach the gospel incorrectly? The answer depends on what you mean. First I answer your example of the Reformed, then I answer your question directly.
The Reformed (a broad category) do have the gospel, and they teach correctly that Jesus died on the cross to pay for their sins, and he rose again to assure them that he is God and Savior. Where they teach contrary to the Christian faith is in regards to personal, subjective justification--how Jesus' merits become mine. Their answer to why some are saved, but not all, tends to depend on self righteousness in one way or another. That is an unChristian belief that does not come from Christ, nor does it build up the body of Christ, rather it is a barrier to the gospel. Yet the "happy inconsistency" often present in the individual heart is that such self-righteous false teachings do not erase the Reformed Christian person's trust in Jesus to pay for all of his sins. If on his death-bed his dependence is on only Jesus, he will see Jesus in heaven. If on his death-bed his dependence is on personal strength or feeling or decision or works, he will see his just punishment in hell for not relying on his only Savior.
What about those who teach the gospel incorrectly? The gospel is the good news that Jesus, God and Savior, died and rose again to take all my sins away. Those who disagree with this are not Christians, no matter how much they insist that they are. They don't even know what a Christian is.
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