"For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him. . ." Numbers 23:9

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THE MOUNTAIN MESSENGER

September 2005
Volume 2..........................Number 9
Crum, West Virginia

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BAKING A CHOCOLATE CAKE . . .

By James E. Farley

When I first enrolled at Freed-Hardeman College in 1978, after spending 6 ½ years in the Army, I moved my family to Henderson, Tennessee. Like many married college students, we did not have a great deal of money, and were barely meeting our basic needs. Linda took a part-time job at a small store in town, and usually worked the evening shift, getting off work at about mid-night. After I would get out of classes, I would come home, and we would have a quick supper before Linda had to leave for her work. It was then my duty to bathe our two small children and get them ready for bed before I would settle into a routine of studying for the next day’s classes.

One evening, after the children were bathed and in their beds fast asleep, I had a craving for some chocolate. Now, I must admit to you that I do enjoy chocolate, and sometimes the craving for it can get rather intense. Those of you who share a love for this delicacy can readily grasp my predicament that evening. I searched the house over for some of the savory sweets, but to no avail. I even called Linda up at her work place and asked if we had any chocolate in the house. There was none.

But then an idea hit me, why couldn’t I just bake a chocolate cake. Sure! That would be great. I first looked in the pantry for an instant cake mix, but there was none. No problem, I thought . . . I’ll just whip one up from Linda’s handy dandy Betty Crocker Cook Book. I took down the book and looked up a recipe . . . checked to see if we had all the needed ingredients . . . and set out on my culinary journey. This was going to be great.

Let’s see . . . 2 cups of all-purpose flour - CHECK . . . 2 cups of sugar - CHECK . . . teaspoon of soda . . . teaspoon of salt . . . a ½ teaspoon of baking power - CHECK, CHECK, CHECK . . . a ¾ cup of water . . . a ¾ cup of buttermilk . . . and ½ cup of shortening - CHECK, CHECK, CHECK . . . 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 4 ounces of melted unsweetened chocolate (cool) . . . Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a baking pan . . . (I’ll have to admit here that I had to call Linda again to ask how to grease and flour a pan) . . . Then I baked it (as directed) in an oblong pan for about 40 minutes . . . Soon the house was smelling wonderful, and I had actually mixed up and was baking a cake "from scratch." It came out of the oven in wonderful condition, and I didn’t even bother to put on any icing . . . I was ready for my sweet chocolate, and boy was it good. There was even some left for Linda when she came home.

I truly intended to keep making cakes. After all, it really wasn’t all that hard, and the reward was GREAT . . . but that was 27 years ago, and I have yet to bake my second cake! I know . . . shame on me, right?

But, what’s the point? Why have I spun this gastronomic tale? My purpose is to help you see the need for a pattern. If I was to make the cake from the Betty Crocker Cook Book, I had to follow the recipe precisely. If I altered it in any fashion, it would have been another cake . . . a different cake . . . NOT the cake in the cook book.

What if I had thought, "You know, I don’t really have to grease and flour this pan . . . I don’t even know what that means . . . so, I’m just going to ignore that small step . . . " What would have happened? What if I decided to leave the eggs out . . . or to add 7 or 8 more eggs? Or, what if I just left the baking power or the soda out of the recipe? What if I decided to leave the chocolate out? It would not be a chocolate cake then, would it? Maybe I would figure that 350 degrees is just not hot enough, so I will turn it up to . . . say . . . 600 degrees . . . ???!!! I can hear you ladies now . . . 'DISASTER!!!" The pattern must be followed, right? RIGHT!

If it is that important to follow the pattern when baking a simple chocolate cake . . . how much more important is it to follow God’s pattern . . . God’s plan for man’s salvation??? Can man usurp God’s authority in this matter, and just add and subtract where he sees fit? Can man just make up his own "recipe" for salvation? Look around you at the various denominational churches . . . listen to their preachers on the TV or radio . . . Many have indeed invented their own "recipes"

Some might say, "Well, the Word teaches that we are justified (saved) by faith, doesn’t it?" Sure it does. One can read that at Romans 8:1 or John 3:16 or Acts 16:31. No one that I know denies that the Bible teaches that we are saved by faith. But, does the Word ever say we are justified "by faith ONLY"?

You see, many among the denominations are teaching this. In fact, the founder of the Methodist religion, John Wesley, wrote in Article Nine of the Twenty-Five Articles of Religion " . . . that we are justified by faith only is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort."

The question is not whether we are justified or saved by faith. All agree that we are indeed. The question is are we saved "by faith only."

The Betty Crocker Cook Book says that a chocolate cake is made with flour . . . but who would be so foolish as to suggest that a cake can be made with "flour ONLY." The cook book also lists, water, milk, soda, baking power, chocolate, eggs, etc., etc., etc., and in order to have that particular cake you must have all of the ingredients in just the right amounts. Just so, in order to have salvation from God you must have faith . . . it is a most necessary ingredient in God’s great plan, but there is also repentance, confession, and baptism into Christ for the remission of sins, and living the Christian life faithfully. (Luke 13:3; Matthew 10:32-33; Mark 16:15-16; Romans 6:3-5; Revelation 2:10). Any one of these ALONE just will not suffice . . .

The Word teaches, "You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24). This is the ONLY place in God’s Word where the phrase "faith only" or "faith alone" is found.

Denominations exist because men have indeed added and subtracted what they have wanted. You may apply the above illustration to such things as the name we are to wear, the church we are to be a part of, the kind of worship we are to offer to our heavenly Father, etc.

Think on these matters as you read the following passages of Scripture from God’s Word. Please take the time to look up and read each passage . . . Matthew 7:15-27; Matthew 15:7-14; Romans 16:17-18; Galatians 1:6-10; I John 4:1; 2 John 9-11; Revelation 22:18-19.

If you have comments or questions, or if I can help you in some other way, please feel free to contact me at the address listed. You may also contact me via e-mail at preechkrum@charter.net