The Rosa Parks story is one with which most Americans are familiar. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in the middle of the bus for one in the back. Her refusal was motivated, not by her physical fatigue, though she was tired after another long day at work, but by her weariness over the mistreatment that she had sustained through the years due simply to the color of her skin. Her name is recorded in the books of history as the mother of the civil rights movement because of the courage she displayed on that day. All of us are better off in this country today because Mrs. Parks was willing to take a stand by keeping her seat.

Sometimes it is necessary to keep our seats. When it comes to the doctrinal truths that are rooted in the Bible, we should refuse to move. We must stay seated on the firm foundation of the sacred text.

When man tells us that baptism is not necessary for salvation, or that it is nothing more than an outward sign of an inward grace, we must keep our seats and be persistent in teaching the truth on this important matter. The Bible says that baptism puts one into Christ (Galatians 3:27). The bible also says that it is in baptism that our sins are washed away by our calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). These facts make baptism essential for salvation, not optional.

Peter tells us that baptism is for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38), not merely a sign that tells people that we are already saved. This is what the Holy Spirit teaches through the Word of God. When someone tries to get you to move from the biblical position on this issue, be determined to stay seated!

Some deny the Bible doctrine of the Godhead. It is said that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are merely different manifestations of the same person. That is a false doctrine. The truth is the three members of the Godhead are three distinct divine beings that make up the one God of the Bible.

We see these three different persons of the Godhead in different places at the same time in Matthew 3:16-17.

We hear Jesus in scripture telling us that He is not alone, but that the Father is with Him (John 8:16), and that together they make up two witnesses that bear testimony of who He is (John 8:17-18). If Jesus and the Father were one person, there would only be one witness, not two.

We learn from the Holy Spirit’s revelation that Jesus was with the Father in the beginning (John 1:1-2). Since it is obviously not saying that the Word was in the beginning with himself, it clearly reveals two distinct persons together in the beginning.

Finally, Jesus is said to have given commands to the apostles through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2), showing that He and the Spirit are distinct persons as well. So, the idea that God is made up of three manifestations of one person is false. Do not be moved by that false doctrine. If you believe in the Godhood of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, stay right there because you are sitting on the solid rock of truth.  The Father is God (1 Corinthians 8:4), Jesus is God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). If someone tries to get you to change seats, do not do it.  You have the right to stay seated right there.

Some are trying to get people to change seats from a moral standpoint. Fornication is encouraged in our society today. There are those advocating same-sex marriage, while others insist that we do away with traditional marriage altogether.

Do you believe that marriage should involve a man and a woman rather than two people of the same sex? If so, stay seated right there.

Do you believe that sex outside of marriage is sinful and should be avoided? If so, stay seated right there.

Do you believe that God, our Creator, has the right to tell us what is morally right and wrong and that we should adhere to the moral principles of the Bible? If so, don’t change seats just because our society is changing. Remember, while society might change, and sometimes for the worse, the Bible stays the same.  The same sacred text that condemned every kind of immorality in days gone by is still valid today. Like Rosa Parks, we must sometimes make a stand by staying seated.