Southside Oracle Archive

Vol. 49, No. 12                   SOUTHSIDE ORACLE                    May 19, 2006

The Bulletin Board

Mark your calendars for our Congregational Picnic at Root River Parkway on Sunday, June 4, after the second service.

Combined Study Groups - On the 5^th Wednesday, May 31st, all of the midweek study groups will meet together at the church building instead of at the usual locations. Daryl Miller and Monroe Hawley will deal with issues currently being raised by the publicity of the Da Vinci Code that have caused some to question whether the Biblical account of Jesus is correct.

The Mother-Daughter Banquet last Friday was attended by 85. Our thanks to all the ladies and the men who served who contributed their time and effort to make it a success.

Praise and Palate will be this Sunday at 6:00 p.m.

There will be an elders and deacons meeting at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. This will be for all of the deacons.

ATTENDANCE RECORD

(*) first service, 136; second service, 106

The annual Southside Retreat will be at Fallhall Glen Memorial Day weekend, May 26 - 29. See the sign-up sheet an the bulletin board or contact John Dickson or Bill Eppler far details.

Congratulations to Tarah Jensen on her gradation last week from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Can you help? The junior session of the Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp is in need of additional staff. See Tim Shilts who is directing the session if you can help.

Calendar of Events

May 21 - Elders/deacons meeting, 4:30 p.m.

May 21 -Praise and Palate, 6:00 p, in.

May 26 - 29 - Memorial Day Southside retreat, Fallhall Glen

May 31 - 5^th Wednesday combined midweek study groups at church, 7:00 p.m.

June 4 - Congregational picnic after 2^nd worship, Root River Parkway

June 18 - July 1- Junior session, Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp, Fallhall Glen

July 2 - 15 - Middle session, Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp, Fallhall Glen

July 12 - 19 - Mission trip to Dominican Republic

July 16 - 29 - Intermediate session, Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp, Fallhall Glen

July 30 - August 12 - Senior session, Wis. Christian Youth Camp, Fallhall Glen

The Meaning of Faith (2)

Was Martin Luther right when he concluded that sinners are saved by faith alone? On the face of it we must respond negatively. If faith alone saves, that eliminates the grace of God and the blood of Christ. Of course, Luther did not deny these elements in our salvation. He was thinking of the human response to divine grace. Even the most ardent faith only advocates will not go so far as to deny the validity of the blood of Christ or God's eternal grace.

But if we are thinking of the human response to divine grace, what does the Bible say about it? An easy answer is to quote James 2:24: "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." James was thinking of an empty faith that would not act. From that perspective he flatly states that we are not saved by faith alone.

However, more is involved than quoting a single verse. Critical to the issue is one's definition of faith. Our English words faith and belief are translated from the same Greek word. To believe is to have faith. In the New Testament faith is used in more than one sense. Sometimes it denotes historical faith - the mental act of Washington was our first president, though none of us ever saw him. We do not doubt that Julius Caesar and Napoleon were once great generals.

In this sense those who accept Jesus must acknowledge that he lives and that he is the son of God. In this sense, also, we are told of some Jewish leaders of his time, "Nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42,43). While they believed in Jesus, their faith lacked an essential ingredient that kept them from standing up for him. James declares that "even the demons believe - and shudder" (James 2:19). Surely no one will affirm that the devil and his angels will be saved just because they acknowledge the existence of God.

However, it was not historical faith that Luther had in mind when he spoke of salvation by faith alone. That other kind of faith we will examine next.

__Monroe Hawley

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