Truth Magazine

By J.S. Smith

The bell-ringing kettle attendants are now out in full force again as the Salvation Army begins its Christmas offensive. Many think of the Salvation Army as a simple charitable organization, but in fact, it is a full-fledged Protestant denomination. A contribution to the Salvation Army is no different than giving money to any old denomination.

Unless otherwise noted, the quotes in this article are from the Salvation Army’s own Internet web site (www.salvationarmy.org).

A Brief History of the Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is an international religious movement with a very clear focus on the social gospel concept of converting the world with food and other physical lures. It was founded in 1865 by William Booth, a Methodist preacher in London. His objective was to house and feed the poor as a means to bring them to God. Gradually, he and his son established the new organization on a military pattern, complete with ranks, uniforms and orders (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1995 ed., 10:369-70).

The Salvation Army considers itself a separate denomination. “William Booth’s original aim had been to send his converts along to the established churches of the day. Nowhere in his plans was there an intention to commence another Christian church.

But he soon found that many of his converts would not go to church.” Over a period of a few years, General Booth instituted his own answer to the denominations of his day, creating the Salvation Army sect. Members began to be called “Salvationists” as the Baptist church makes Baptists and the Methodist church makes Methodists instead of the “Christians” that the Bible makes exclusively (Acts 11:26).

The new church grew quickly and today is found in more than 80 countries, preaching its “gospel” in 112 languages in 16,000 evangelical centers. The Salvation Army operates more than 3000 social welfare institutions, hospitals, schools and agencies.

Very clearly, the Salvation Army is a most straightforward attempt at remolding the gospel of Jesus Christ into the “social gospel” with its emphasis on the physical. So pronounced is this focus that many do not realize it is even occurring. Most mistake those red kettles as purely charitable donations, when in fact, they are offerings of support to the doctrines of Calvinism and salvation by fleshly appeal and “faith only.”

Military Organizational Theme

When Booth created his army, he made himself general for life and began installing other men in lower ranks throughout the organization. “The basic unit of the army is the corps, commanded by an officer of a rank ranging from lieutenant to brigadier, who is responsible to a divisional headquarters. Divisions are grouped into territories.” Al- though these offices have military titles, they completely mirror the hierarchical setups of denominations with world and national headquarters and chains of authority.

The local platoon attempts to convert people and those “converts” may decide to enlist in the Salvation Army themselves. “Converts who desire to become soldiers in the Army are required to sign Articles of War and volunteer their services.”

Officers in Booth’s Army

The officers in the Salvation Army have the status of ordained ministers and are employed in a professional, full-time capacity.

On being commissioned (the equivalent of ordination in “other denominations”) they receive the rank of lieutenant. They can then be promoted to captain and major. Like Catholic priests with high collars, they wear vestments — military-style uniforms. “Women have always been accepted as officers on equal terms as men.”

“The majority of officers are responsible for a Salvation Army corps (church), with a pastoral role and community service. . . . An officer’s ministry includes preaching the Christian Gospel, distributing Salvation Army literature, visiting hospitals, institutions and prisons, counseling, conducting weddings and funerals, being a pastor to their congregation and administrating the church programme.”

When someone asks you to support your local Salvation Army corps, they are asking you to support a denomination with all its error and misguided intentions, lending aid and comfort to the devil.

Adherents and Worshiping in The Corps

Adherents of the Army are “people who choose to make The Salvation Army their spiritual home and place of worship, but who do not wish to make all the commitments which a soldier would be expected to make.”

These people all meet in the “corps.” “This is the local Salvation Army centre seen in most towns and cities across the country which has been established to proclaim the gospel. Each week a variety of people will meet for worship, fellowship, musical activities and other events.” “Instrumental music, clapping of hands, personal testimony, free prayer . . . characterize the services” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1995 ed., 10:369-70). There may also be a variety of community works such as lunch clubs, mother and toddler groups, counseling services and so on which are part of the corps programme.”

Objections to the Salvation Army

One might note the following unscriptural practices of the Salvation Army as cause to refrain from contributing to its work:

• denominational (1 Cor. 1:10)
• teaches salvation by faith only (Jas. 2:24)
• unscriptural hierarchy (Eph. 1:22)
• human origin (Matt. 16:16)
• worship not according to truth (John 4:24)
• ecclesiastical garments (Matt. 23:5)
• ecclesiastical titles (Matt. 23:6-12)
• promotion of social gospel (Rom. 14:17; Gal. 1:6-9)
• women in authority over men (1 Tim. 2:12)

Conclusion

The majority of this article has been devoted to simply reporting what the Salvation Army says about itself. These undisputed facts reveal a distinct departure from New Testament Christianity and the work and nature of the church Jesus built.

Participation in the schemes of the Army — no matter how well-intentioned and seemingly benevolent — is tantamount to fellowship with error. The gospel of the Salvation Army is not the gospel of Jesus Christ and members of the church of Christ should abstain from supporting this latter day denomination.

Let us give our time and resources to the local church of Christ of which we are members and leave the corps adherents to take care of their own work.

The disgraceful acts of our President has brought the subject of forgiveness to the attention of our society. It is good that we are talking about forgiveness. It is an important subject.

The Bible instructs us as to the importance of forgiveness. It reveals the character necessary to forgive as well as essential elements that are necessary to be met before forgiveness can be rightfully extended. Many are familiar with the warning from Jesus that unless we forgive others, God will not forgive us. However, our willingness or unwillingness to forgive is not the standard of forgiveness; it is simply an indication of our character.

The standard of forgiveness is stated in John 7:24: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” God’s word is the standard of righteousness (Prov. 2:6-9; 8:1-9; Rom. 1:16-17). The standard of righteous judgement is implied in Colossians 3:13. Here we read: “Forbear one another, and forgive one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” The standard of forgiveness is set by Christ and is revealed in God’s word. He clearly stated that certain conditions must be met before forgiveness would be granted. All of these conditions can be summed up in one word — repentance. Jesus said, “Except you repent, you will perish” (Luke 13:3, 5).

What is repentance? The literal definition is “to change one’s mind.” However, the Bible says that the changing of one’s mind is to be demonstrated by what one does as he turns from his sin to do the right thing. The Bible speaks of “bringing forth fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:8; Luke 3:8). Jesus illustrated this in Matthew 21:28-29 where he told of a son who had refused his father’s command to work in the vineyard. The son “answered and said, ‘I will not:’ but afterward he repented, and went.” Jesus said, “. . . If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”

God forgives when there is demonstrated repentance. Our forgiveness of those who have wronged us is endorsed by God when there is demonstrated repentance on the part of the offender.

Our president’s instructions to his lawyers to defend him against impeachment by arguing that he did not have sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky and that he did not commit perjury or obstruct justice indicates that although he has confessed his sin, he has not repented of it. The only honorable action of repentance for this president is that he resign his office. Only then can there be genuine forgiveness.

He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance (Prov. 29:1-3).

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour (1 Tim. 2:1-3).

The writer of the book of Hebrews pleaded with Christians in the first century to place their heart and soul in faith for Jesus the Christ. The writer was aware of rumblings from several members of the church of Christ who were fading away from the faith, plunging headlong into worldliness or back to binding the law of Moses for religious practices. We read in Hebrews 10:23-27, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.” These are sobering words which reveal serious and eternal consequences for failing to assemble with saints as the New Testament commands Christians.

God is telling Christians in Hebrews 10:23 to, “hold fast.” This means that there is no room for giving in or giving up. God is telling us through the Hebrew writer that we cannot give up the confession of our hope. There is only one hope available to men (Eph. 4:4), and that hope is eternal life with God in heaven (Tit. 1:2). It’s our only hope, but it’s the greatest hope man can have. Really, it is the only hope you need and Christians must understand this principle. We sing from time to time, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing thru. . . .” Our life on earth is one of faith, commitment, and sacrifice as Paul told Christians in Rome in Romans 12:1-2 to, “. . . present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

To prove our transformation to God, we must hold fast; we must learn our duties towards God revealed in the New Testament and steadfastly obey, grow, and work in the Kingdom of the Lord. However, there were Christians in the first century who did not hold fast. They failed to assemble as God commanded and, in the process, sinned wilfully. They rejected the knowledge of the truth by forsaking the assembling of themselves with a congregation of God’s people.

Yes, this is another lesson on our need to assemble! Brethren, failure to assemble with the saints is a major problem among congregations in America today. Yet, I am persuaded that “forsaking” is really the result of a greater problem, the problem of failing to “hold fast” one’s confession of hope. Many members of the church in America are not giving their hearts and souls to Jesus. Worldliness, sin, and sexual immorality are running rampant among some members of the church and many are seeking an avenue for, “having their cake and eating it too,” in religious service.

These types of members will attend public worship every now and then or attend just enough to avoid being “noted” (Rom. 16:17-18) for being contrary to the doctrine of “not forsaking the assembling of themselves with the saints” (Heb. 10:25). Then, there are other members who “hop” around from one congregation to another in hopes of finding a group who will allow them to have Jesus, “just the way they like Him.” I’m aware, as other gospel preachers are, of members who have been caught in sin, then they quickly write a distraught letter of goodbye to the church, indicating their own “withdrawal” from that congregation, using this letter as an attempt to avoid congregational discipline. I have also witnessed situations where rebellious members attempt to justify their departure from the Lord into worldliness by writing a polite letter to the congregation requesting to have their names taken off the membership list, using some lame excuse for not being able to be a member of that congregation anymore.

All behaviors of this nature are nothing more than devious and devilish attempts by sinful brethren to avoid being castigated as sinners. Imagine someone attempting to use such ploys belonging to a branch of the U.S. military! When one decides to go AWOL in military service to our country, a letter of polite resignation isn’t going to cut the mustard. You can’t just quit the military without serious consequences and a member of the church of Christ cannot just quit serving God without eternal consequences. When a member of the church attempts to run from a congregation, brethren need to quit upholding the hands of the rebellious by saying, “You can’t withdraw from those who have with- drawn themselves from us!” The New Testament is clear. Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 3:14, “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.” To “note” someone for rebellion to God’s law is to distinguish or to mark that person as living in sin. That person could be on the other side of the world, still running from God, but that does not minimize the obligation God has placed on the congregation one bit. Paul told Timothy and, in the process, told the world in that, “. . . Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:10). I wonder if Demas wrote Paul a letter saying, “I just can’t serve God with you anymore for life has simply become too difficult and I need time to think”? If he did, it surely didn’t stop Paul!

The only way we can hold fast to our hope is to become a Christian, worship, and work with a congregation of God’s people through thick and thin and be faithful to God’s every command until death. Faithful members in churches of Christ do not run from sin, they fight against it and if they fall prey to sin, they overcome it (1 John 2:1-2). If they have problems with their brethren in a congregation, they work them out together in a spirit of love as Jesus commands (Matt. 5:23-24). Real Christians assemble as often as they can for they are determined to “hold fast” to their confession. They want to work in the vineyard of the Lord. No excuses! No congregational hopping! No running from their problems! They have virtue, they have brotherly kindness, and they have love for God and each other. They will worship and work with a congregation of God’s people. They will stir up their brethren to love and good works. They will assemble with the saints at their every opportunity. Being one with this world is no longer an option for them. Excuse making for lax service and worship is deplorable to them.

My friend, you can’t hold fast to God without an absolute determination to obey God’s every command. It is Satan who encourages you to find a way around congregational activity and discipline, but it is God who says that those who sin willfully have nothing left but, “a certain fearful expectation of judgment” (Heb. 10:27). One of the responsibilities the New Testament has placed upon churches of Christ is to warn sinful brethren of the harsh consequences that rebellion against the Lord will bring. Far too many rebellious members are getting away with sin. We must warn! We must cry out! We must mark the wayward! Brethren, let us never forget the powerful statement in Hebrews 10:31 which says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!”

If you serve God with all your heart and soul, there is a bright hope for us to hold fast to. If you leave the Lord by returning to the ways of the world, there will be death. The choice is ours. No one reading this article can afford to make the wrong choice.