The Way Of Salvation
The Apostle Paul referred to the people of Berea as noble people because they "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so." Surely all will admit that it is a part of wisdom to examine carefully those things we are taught before embracing them. This becomes even more important in the light of all the scriptural warnings against false prophets. The religious world is filled with the creeds, manuals, and disciplines written by men in an effort to set down in writings their beliefs. It is well for us to read what men would have us believe and measure it with the scriptures. If we find that a thing is taught in the scriptures, we must accept it; not because it is found in some creed, but because it is taught in the Bible. If a thing is not taught in the Bible, yet it is found in the creeds of men, and others are called upon to be loyal to the doctrine, then instead of following the Bible, men become creed-bound.
By popular request, I am reviewing nineteen articles of faith as found in a popular religious manual. These articles of faith have received wide-spread attention by those embracing the things taught in this manual. We are studying them carefully in an effort to see if they are truly founded on the scriptures. The fourth article is . .
Article No. IV.
"We believe the scriptures teach that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God; who, according to the will of the Father, became man, yet without sin; honored the divine law by his personal obedience, and by his death made a full atonement for our sins; that having risen from the dead, he is now enthroned in heaven; and uniting in his wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfections, he is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and an all-sufficient Saviour."
Salvation, Wholly Of Grace
The first thing affirmed is that "the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace." The word "wholly" is defined by Webster as meaning "in entirety; fully, totally, completely, solely, exclusively." The meaning therefore of this statement is that salvation of the sinner is by grace, exclusive of any other thing or person. This doctrine affirms that man has nothing to do with his salvation — that there is nothing he can do for it is all a matter of God's grace. Some of the scriptures listed in connection with this article of faith, upon which this faith is based, are: Ephesians 2:5 "By grace are ye saved"; Matthew 18:11 "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost"; I John 4:10 "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins"; Acts 15:11 "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they"; and in I Corinthians 3:5-7 Paul refers to God as giving "the increase."
If this article of faith had said "We believe the scriptures teach that the salvation of sinners is of grace," we would all accept the statement and consider it justified by the scriptures given. However, the word "wholly" inserts an idea that is not contained in the scriptures read or anywhere else. Salvation by grace, as distinguished from salvation by works we do or the works of the law of Moses, is a Bible truth clearly revealed; but to make salvation by grace exclude any effort or action on the part of individuals is to pervert the scriptures. If salvation is WHOLLY by grace or by grace ONLY, then everyone will be saved and the universalists are right, for we read in Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." This can mean nothing but universal salvation if we say such is WHOLLY of grace or by grace ONLY. If we say man must accept the grace, then you have God's grace plus man's acceptance essential to salvation; and, if two things are necessary, then it is not WHOLLY by one.
Grace is God's part in man's salvation. God has provided, by His grace, salvation for lost and ruined men. It is foolish to think man could save himself. It is impossible for man to work enough so as to merit salvation. If man had lived in perfect obedience to God, never transgressing at any point, then he would need no forgiveness — he would be perfect and would merit salvation. But, no one has ever done so for Paul says "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Therefore, man stands in need of forgiveness — he is dependent upon God for this forgiveness. The Jew thought they could be saved through the keeping of the law because of their relationship to Abraham, but Paul demolished that idea in his letter to the Romans. In Rom. 3:9 Paul said "For we have before proved both Jew and Gentiles, that they are all under sin": and then goes ahead to say in verse 20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight." This simply meant that the Jew could not rely upon the law for justification — he must look elsewhere. The apostle then shows where justification can be had — he says (vs. 21-25) "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God."
Here Paul contrasts the law and gospel. The Jew looked to the law for justification, but having broken the law, he stood condemned and the law provided no forgiveness — is simply pointed out sin and condemned the transgressor. But now, Paul says, "the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets." In other words, Paul is about to call their attention to a system of righteousness apart from the law — a system that was witnessed by the law and prophets. The law was filled with types and figures of that which was to come, and the prophets frequently foretold the salvation to be had in the Messiah. This righteousness that has now been provided, Paul says, is by faith in Jesus Christ. In verse 24 he says "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. " Man did not deserve the redemption which God provided through Christ. It was God's grace — God's love — which caused Him to give Jesus for man; a free gift from God to man through which man could be saved from his sins. Redemption, therefore, on God's part is a matter of grace. Man does not deserve it... He does not merit it, yet God's grace provided it.
Christ's Mediatorial Office
The article of faith under consideration next says that we are saved by grace "through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God; who according to the will of the Father, became man, yet without sin; honored the divine law by his personal obedience, and by his death made a full atonement for our sins..."
It cannot be denied that salvation by grace is through the life and office of Jesus Christ. Remember Paul said we are justified freely by his grace "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24). This redemption, provided by God's grace, is through Christ Jesus. In order that man might be forgiven and in order that God might be just, someone had to pay the penalty for sin. This, Jesus voluntarily did. He was born of woman, lived a perfect life here — sinless, and completely obedient, even unto death. In his death he made atonement for our sins. Paul says "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor. 5:21). That is, Christ took the place of the sinner — paid the debt, though he did not sin. He came to give his life a ransom for many. Without this on the part of Jesus, no man could be saved. Truly we are saved by grace, for God's grace brought Jesus into this world. We are also saved "by his blood." God's grace brought Jesus to the world. Christ's blood provided for our redemption. So, we are saved by grace and also saved by blood. It is not wholly by grace or wholly by blood, but God's grace and Christ's sacrifice coupled with man's acceptance results in redemption.
Ephesians 2:5 does affirm that we are saved by grace, but not that it is "wholly" by grace. Declaring that God "sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (I John 4:10), does not mean that sins are taken away as a result of this gift without any responsibility on man's part, and Paul's statement in I Corinthians 3:5-7 to the effect that "God gave the increase" does not mean that this was done without means and without any action on the part of man. No one denies that salvation is by grace, for without God's grace man is hopelessly doomed; but to say salvation is WHOLLY by grace, without any action or responsibility on the part of man is to proclaim a theory that is nowhere revealed in the scriptures.
That man does have a responsibility is evident from the commands of the commission: from the fact that every convert of whom we read in the scriptures had to do something, and from the teaching that men can "receive the grace of God in vain" (2 Cor. 6:1). We shall not discuss in detail man's responsibility with reference to his salvation, for that will be discussed under another article; but suffice it to say here that if men can receive the grace of God in vain; then people are not saved by His grace without effort on their part.
Christ, Our High Priest
In the closing part of this study let us notice that the benefits of Christ's blood provided by the grace of God, do not end with salvation from past sins. This is the thought contained in the latter part of article number four, where it is said "He (Christ) is now enthroned in heaven; and uniting in his wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfections, he is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and an all-sufficient Saviour." The passage to which we are cited for this teaching is Hebrews 7:25. The passage has reference to Christ's office as our High Priest. Beginning with verse 24 the writer says "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." The pardoned Christian will continually stand in need of the merits of Christ's shed blood for there will be times when he will be overtaken in faults — when he will sin. Through Christ's shed blood, by repentance, confession and prayer he can be forgiven. First John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," and the verse just above (vs. 7) says "But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Another passage referring to the priesthood of Christ — the office he now fills — is found in Hebrews 2:17-18 which says "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted."
In conclusion, let me say that faith in the teaching that salvation is by grace through Christ and that Christ perfectly fills his office is scripturally founded, but the idea that the salvation of man is WHOLLY by grace — independent of any effort or responsibility on man's part is false — it is unscriptural.