SALVATION IS OF THE LORD
My faith looks up to thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary.
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while f pray Take all my guilt away, 0, let me
from this day —
Be wholly thine!
God's Willingness to forgive
There are two things which have never changed i.e.
- MAN'S
NEED.
- GOD'S
PROVISION TO MEET THAT NEED.
Men are the same the world over i.e. GUILTY LOST SINNERS.
READER THINK! — You may be cultured and refined, but as a descendant of Adam
YOU ARE A SINNER. You may be rich and affluent, but by nature YOU ARE A CHILD
OF WRATH. Your reputation may be excellent, you may be highly esteemed by a
wide circle of friends, but if you are out of Christ you are on the Broad Way
that leads to destruction. Or, you may be poor and uneducated, nevertheless if
you have not believed to the saving of your soul, then YOU ARE CONDEMNED
ALREADY. — John 3:18. "There is no
difference: for ALL HA YE SINNED, and come short of the glory of God". — Romans 3:22-23. This was true in
the first century and is still true in the 20th century for MAN'S NEED never
changes.
The provision which God has made to supply the sinner's need
also remains unchanged. Consider —
- MEDICAL
SCIENCE has discovered many NEW ways of treating old diseases, but it has
found NO new remedy for SIN.
- INVENTIVE
FACULTY of MAN has devised many new contrivances for reducing manual
tabour, but is unable to provide rest for the soul.
- NEW
METHODS of LOCOMOTION have been introduced, and we can travel beneath the
waters, or fly through the air, but there is no other way back to God,
except through Jesus who said, "I AM the WAY…no man cometh unto the
father, but by ME". — John 14:6.
There is only ONE remedy for sin; only ONE Saviour for
sinners; ONE hope for the Lost, and that is exclusively the LORD JESUS CHRIST.
"Neither is there satiation in any other: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we MUST BE SAVED". — Acts 4:12.
There are 3 things clearly beyond dispute, they are —
- EVERY
MAN needs saving, and in his heart, he knows it.
- EVERY
MAN IS OFFERED salvation; "it is unto all." The trouble is so
many are not willing. The terms are easy, the way is plain, the invitatuin
is from the Lord himself, "COME UNTO ME" —
will, you come? 3. EVERY MAN will be ETERNALLY LOST and DAMNED IN
HELL if he dies unsaved. There is NO HOPE beyond the grave, no second
chance. God says, "He that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark
16:16).
- From
the genuine REPENTANT sinner the question is asked in all sincerity,
"WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED.” — Acts 16:30. This question is as old as the
hills, but ALL important. If answered by man, then many and varied would
be the answers. But if the truth is sought Jesus said, "I AM the
TRUTH" (John 14:6) — "I TELL YOU the TRUTH." — John 8:45. — "the TRUTH
shall make you free" (John 8:32). "If the Son therefore shall
make you free ye shall be free indeed." — John 8:36.
Before considering God's answer in detail, let us examine 6
schools of human thought, and refute them i.e.
—
1. There is no salvation by
—
The GRADUAL ELIMINATION OF SIN
Many imagine that to fit themselves for God's presence, then
they must get rid of bad habits and substitute good ones. This delusion is
widespread: it is illogical, unscriptural and impossible. That there is no
salvation this way is evident from 2 considerations —
- Man
is unable to reach the ROOT OF SIN. Evil habits are but the fruit of an
evil nature. Out of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts, adulteries etc.
"The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” — Jeremiah 17:9. The sinner is,
"DEAD in trespasses and sins." — Ephesians 2:1; — what can a
dead man do? — NOTHING!!! for the source is corrupt, therefore so is the
fruit.
- Man
is unable to RESTORE TO GOD what he took away in the fall (compare Psalm
69:4. He robbed humanity of innocence, fellowship with God, glory; and
placed the world in the lap of the evil one i.e. the devil. Can he take it
out of the devils lap again? Never. MAN is a FAILURE and SINNER.
2. There is no salvation by
The EDUCATION OF THE MIND
God sets no premium on ignorance. Properly used, education
can be a blessing. But one of the delusions of today is that you can educate
people into the kingdom of God. To those who think this, read 1 Corinthians
1:21, "THE WORLD BY WISDOM KNEW NOT GOD" In olden times the 2 most
highly educated nations were Egypt and Greece: from the former God had to
DELIVER his people — Exodus 12.; and of the latter it is said, "We preach
Christ crucified. :.unto the Greeks FOOLISHNESS" — 1 Corinthians
1:23. Some say sin is ignorance and education makes saints. This idea comes
from hell and is a lie. Educated people in general are more sceptical and
agnostic. Educate a criminal and he becomes more dangerous. It is so called
education that has removed CAPITAL and CORPORAL PUNISHMENTS nationally proving
the ruin and disaster of the nation morally etc. and exposing it to the wrath
of God. The Lord Jesus exposed the delusion of salvation—through—education when
He said,"Except ye be converted and BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN, ye shall
not enter the kingdom of heaven" — Matthew 18:3.
3. There is no salvation by
—
The REFORMATION OF LIFE
God does not require from the sinner reformed living,
turning over a new leaf, new ideas and ideals, liberality to church or charity
etc. Ther is no salvation in these things.
Consider FIRSTLY — to tell a sinner to turn over a new leaf
makes no provision for his SINS of the PAST, and God, "REQUIRES THAT WHICH
IS PAST" — Ecclesiastes 3:15; therefore a new (fig) leaf won't do (compare
Genesis 3:7).
Consider SECONDLY
— reformation deals merely with
the EXTERNAL LIFE. A rusty pump is rusty still even though it be given a new
coat of paint. A leper is a leper still even though he be dressed in fine
clothing. And a sinner is a sinner still, even though, he live a reformed life.
"Man looketh on the OUTWARD appearance, but the LORD looketh on the
HEART" — 1 Sam. 16:7. Jesus said, "Ye make clean the OUTSIDE of
the cup and of the platter, but WITHIN are full of extortion and excess" —
Matthew 23:25.
Consider THIRDLY
— reformation is the FALSE
DOCTRINE of salvation by works. Scripture is plain, "NOT BY WORKS of
righteousness which we have done..." — Titus 3:5. If a sinner could save
himself by reformation, then there was no need for the Son of God to come down
and die the death of the cross.
4. There is no salvation by
—
The CULTIVATION OF CHARACTER
It is the custom of many preachers, to teach, that if people
cultivate a noble character, this is all that God requires, and many are
zealous in their efforts but to no avail. Reader — you may have a noble
character, loving, self — sacrificing, kind, honest, law — abiding, good church
attender etc. but if you are out of Christ, then, you are a GUILTY SINNER on
the road to eternal perdition — John 3:36, "having NO HOPE and WITHOUT GOD
in the world" — Ephesiasn 2:12, "dead in trespasses and sins" —
Ephesiasn 2:1. No amount of culture can replace redemption. Cain was the first
"CULTIVATOR" and to Cain's offering it is said of God, "HE HAD
NO RESPECT" — Genesis 4:4-5. "WOE UNTO THEMfor they have GONE IN THE
WA Y OF CAIN" — Jude verse 11. Cain's offering was the Ist harvest
thanksgiving service!!!
5. There is no salvation by
—
The CONSECRATION OF SELF
It is the custom of many preachers and ministers, at the
close of meetings to urge the unsaved to come forward, and under emotional
strain to lay their ALL upon the altar and consecrate their lives to God, or as
is most common today "GIVE YOUR HEART TO JESUS". The sinner has
NOTHING to consecrate or give. — This
is a FALSE GOSPEL!!! — Romans 12:1 applies only to those who are already saved
by grace). The publican of Luke 18 said, "GOD BE MERCIFUL to me the
SINNER". He did not ask for, or, to be consecrated, neither did he offer
anything. When God sums up the incident of Zacchaeus in Luke 19, He says in verse
10, “The SON OF MAN is come to seek and to save that which was lost" Note Zacchaeus
is not even mentioned. i.e. NOTHING OF SELF, it is all of God.
6. There is no salvation by
—
The IMITATION OF CHRIST
How often Christ is held up before sinners as the perfect
pattern, the Great Ideal for all. Scripture no where presents the perfect life
of Christ as the BASIS for salvation. Instead it presents the ATONING DEATH OF
CHRIST, i.e. "Without the shedding of blood IS NO REMISSION" — Hebrews
9:22. Nicodemus when enquiring regards salvation was directed to CHRIST
CRUCIFIED and FAITH IN CHRIST — to receive it. —
John 3:14-16. When Jesus said, "Follow Me" it was to disciples (who
were already saved) and not sinners. Pause Reader and reflect!
Let us turn now to GOD'S ANSWER to the vital question
"WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED." —
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and THOU SHALT BE SAVED". — Acts 16:30-31. Of course this
answer was given to man who gave evidence of REPENTANCE, for one must fully
REPENT towards God, before they can genuinely BELIEVE in the — Lord Jesus
Christ.
When God by Sovereign choice, chose to save the city of
Nineveh. — Jonah 3:4, Jonah was chosen as
preacher, and God did 2 things —
- Put
him in a strange college to learn (i.e. belly of a fish).
- The
lesson being one of theology i.e. "SALVATION IS OF THE LORD". — Jonah 2:7.
God is not dependant on man, or man's choice, or anything of
man, but man is TOTALLY DEPENDANT UPON GOD ALONE for the eternal salvation of
his soul. The idea that as long as there is life there is hope, is a STRONG
DELUSION of the DEVIL and comes from HELL. Scripture shows that we can only get
saved when the SPIRIT STRIVES. For a moment may come when God says, "MY
SPIRIT SHALL NOT ALWAYS STRIVE WITH MAN…the END is come". — Genesis 6:3-13. In Luke 14:24: 3
men had the offer of salvation withdrawn. When the flood came, people of all
AGES perished outside the ark. So shall it be when the Lord comes, only those
IN CHRIST will go to heaven. Thus
we can finalise the matter before death or the coming of the
Lord — BE WARNED!
Saying faith is FAITH IN CHRIST, it is believing what God
has told us In His word concerning His Son, and resting on Him only for
salvation. We are saved THROUGH FAITH ALONE. It is not faith plus works, or
baptism, or sorrow for sin, or good feelings, or plus anything else, but a
SIMPLE CONFIDENT RELIANCE UPON the PERSON and FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST ALONE.
Dear
sinner friend — "REPENT' and take the guilty sinner's place before God,
and "BELIEVE the GOSPEL". — Mark 1:15. Believing is
receiving — "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power
(authority) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His
name". — John 1:12; then "GO AND SIN NO MORE". — John
8:11. Amen. Amen.
