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I Timothy 3:15
3 Lies That North American Indians Have Been Told
Curtis Pugh
Available in Tract Form. Contact The Editor.
1. "SALVATION IN JESUS CHRIST IS THE WHITE MAN'S RELIGION."
That is a lie, first of all because JESUS WAS NOT A WHITE MAN! Native Jewish people from the country of Israel are a brown-skinned people with very distinctive features. They are hardly "white people", being classed by scholars as a Semitic people, as are the Arabs. The Apostles and all the men used by God to record His Words in the Bible were all non-white natives of the Middle East, as were all the members of the first church.
It is true that many white people have received Christ, finding salvation and a new life in Him, but so also have many native North American Indians. Salvation is available to all — Indians and non-Indians alike.
2. "YOU CANNOT BE SAVED AND STILL BE A "REAL" INDIAN?'
Watch out for this lie! It would rob you of most of the things you possess in order to make you a "real Indian". What it says is that you cannot be a "real Indian" unless you live and believe like our ancestors. (I have traveled on many Indian Reserves in North America and have never yet seen even ONE Indian living as our ancestors did!)
As soon as the white man arrived on these shores, our ancestors began to take ideas, inventions and articles from him. Some things were helpful and good, such as horses, hunting rifles and the truth about God. Other things our ancestors learned from the whites were evil, such as drinking, scalping, and cursing the God who created all things. The important thing to remember is that receiving these things from the white man did not make our ancestors any less Indian.
Neither will receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior make you any less Indian. In fact, a truly born-again (saved) Indian will be a better Indian — better able to live as a free person — free from drinking alcohol, using drugs and other hateful sins which make slaves of people and ruin their lives.
3. "BY BEING A GOOD INDIAN YOU WILL GO TO HEAVEN'
This lie has been told not only to native North American Indians, but to people all over the world. Salvation (the kind of real Christianity the Bible talks about) is not to be gained by good works. The Bible says "For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2:8, 9) No person, Indian or non-Indian can ever be saved or enter Heaven by their good life.
Salvation is not by being good, but is in the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone! Jesus Himself said "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
My friend, won't you turn from your sins and from 'trying to be good' to trusting in Jesus Christ who allowed Himself to be nailed to a tree to pay for all your sins?
"God…now commandeth all men every where to repent;" (Acts 17:30) Will you repent? Will you turn from your sin, your ideas, your self-effort, to Him?
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."(Acts 4:12)
"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:" (Isa. 55:6)