Soulman wrote,
They clearly are mixing works and grace. They don't know the Jesus of the bible and don't acknowledge God the Father. I don't believe they are any closer to heaven than the Mormons or JWs. They are deceived and with those beliefs' cannot be saved biblically.
Several denominations teach a form of the oneness doctrine, and the individual members of these denominations represent a wide spectrum of belief about the nature of God. All of the oneness denominations that I have studied base their oneness beliefs exclusively upon their understanding of the Bible. Some of these denominations have seminaries in which the nature of God is studied from the Scriptures in great detail. This cannot be said of the Mormons or the JW’s.
Many, if not most, of the denominations in which we find the oneness doctrine believe that water baptism is a sacrament or rite of the church through which some measure of grace is bestowed by God upon the one being baptized. This, of course, is in agreement with all of the mainline Christian denominations. However, some of the denominations in which we find the oneness doctrine strongly argue that one must be baptized “in the name of Jesus” for the remission of sins. This belief comes, of course, from Acts 2:38 and additional supporting texts from the New Testament.
And none of the oneness denominations that I have studied add any requirement of keeping the Law of Moses to the grace of God. Perhaps you are confusing the works of the Law with works of righteousness and obedience to Christ and his teachings. Works of the Law are not required for salvation, but works of righteousness and obedience to Christ and his teachings are required for salvation. See, for example, James 2:14-26,
14. What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15. If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16. and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for
their body, what use is that?
17. Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead,
being by itself.
18. But someone may
well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
19. You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
20. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22. You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
23. and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.
24. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
26. For just as the body without
the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Therefore, it is clear that the oneness people base their beliefs solidly upon the Bible rather than some golden tablets or false prophets from hell. And I have personally observed the Spirit of Christ in some of the oneness people. Their beliefs regarding the nature of God are very different from mine, but the bottom line is that they all believe that Jesus in God and that He died on the cross for their sins.
