God's Way of
Salvation
CONTENTS:
"I Never Did Any Harm
in My Life"
"I'll Turn Over a
New Leaf"
"God Is
Merciful"
"If a Man Does
the Best He Can He Will Be Saved"
"You Don't
Believe in Good Works?"
"It Is so
Difficult to Be a Christian"
"I Cannot Give Up
the Pleasures of the World"
"I Don't Wish to
Be Gloomy"
"So Many
Hypocrites"
"So Many
Different Opinions"
"It Does Not
Matter What One Believes if He Is Sincere"
A Living Saviour for You
Do You Know that You
Are Lost?
The Ground of
Salvation
"How to Be
Saved"
"Far Too Easy a
Way"
"I Always
Believed on Jesus, and Yet I Cannot Say that I Am
Saved"
"I Don't Believe
in the Right Way"
"Must I Not Pray
to Be Saved?"
"If I Do My
Part, God Will Do His"
"I Am too Great
a Sinner"
"No One Can Be
Certain of That"
"Can a Man Be
Saved at Once?"
"I Have Not
Repented Enough"
"I Don't Feel
Anxious Enough"
"I Could Not
Hold On"
"Would It Not Be
Great Presumption?"
"How Am I to
Come to Christ?"
"I Cannot Feel
Saved"
"God Says I Am
Saved -- It Must Be True"
"Time Enough
Yet"
CONCLUSION
|
God's Way of Salvation
by Alex Marshall
At great expense, a renowned person in the East
provided a sumptuous feast. Many were invited. Strange to
say, those invited declined to come, sending strange
excuses. The good host, however, longed to give others
his good things, and sent his servants into the highways
and byways to compel men everywhere to come and partake
of his feast.
The spiritual application of this beautiful parable,
found in the Word of God, chapter 14 of Luke, is quite
evident. God, at an infinite cost has provided a feast of
good things for all men everywhere. He has commanded His
servants to go into all the world and proclaim the good
news to every creature.
The invitation is world wide. None is excluded.
"Whosoever will" may come. Millions have
partaken of the feast and are now in the glory; millions
more are on the way; and still the invitation goes out.
But worldly people have pictured the Christian life as
gloomy and melancholy. They have imagined that the
partaking of the Gospel feast fills the heart with
sadness. They don't seem to know that the gospel is
"glad tidings of great joy," not "sad
tidings of great misery." Because of this
misconception scores of excuses have been offered. Let us
examine these excuses in the light of God's holy Word,
and find for ourselves God's Way of Salvation. Let us
look into the blessings this Giver of every good and
perfect gift offers to "whosoever will."
"I Never Did
Any Harm in My Life"
Such an excuse has often been given. Is this your excuse?
Do you really mean that you have never done any harm?
Have you never cherished an impure, unkind, or wicked
thought? Have you never spoken a hasty word? Have you
loved God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind?
Have you loved your neighbor as you have loved yourself?
"Oh, no," you reply, "no one has done
so" Never mind others just now. There is no use in
concealing the fact that you have not been what you ought
to have been; you have not done what you should have
done. In other words, you are a sinner, and the Word of
God declares, "The soul that sinneth, it shall
die," (Ezekiel 18:4) and "The wages of sin is
death." (Romans 6:23) Take your place as guilty in
God's sight, and give up all attempts to excuse, or cover
up your sins. They cannot be hid from God.
"I'll Turn Over a New
Leaf"
It is all very well to say you will "turn over a new
leaf." But let me ask, "What about the past
black leaves of guilt?" The schoolboy, after
spilling the ink on the page of his textbook, turns over
a new leaf, resolving that in the future he will be more
careful; but turning over a new leaf does not remove the
blotted one, and soon the teacher's eye detects the blots
and he punishes him for his carelessness.
It may be at one time you were addicted to drinking,
swearing, lying, or other bad habits; but of late you
have "turned over a new leaf," and are become
what the world calls a "reformed person." This
is right and proper, but don't forget that future conduct
can never blot out past disobedience. "God requireth
that which is past." (Eccl. 3:15)
"God Is Merciful"
Satan goes about with his bundle of lies, giving one to
one person and another to another. To one his says,
"God is too merciful to punish sinners;" and if
this is not believed he tries another, "If God does
punish the sinner in Hell, the punishment won't be
eternal." It is a blessed truth that "God is
merciful;" but He is also holy and just, and never
can be merciful at the expense of His justice. All His
attributes are equally balanced, and cannot conflict with
each other. He who is long suffering and slow to anger
"will by no means clear the guilty." The
culprit who is being taken to prison by the policeman has
learned that the judge could not dispense justice and
allow the law-breaker to go unpunished. God's pardoning
mercy flows only through one channel, and that is the
atonement of Christ; and all who refuse to accept of life
through His death must for ever "dwell with the
devouring fire." "The wicked shall be turned
into Hell, and all nations that forget God." (Psalm
9:17) "He that believeth not the Son shall not see
life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John
3:36)
"If a Man Does the Best He
Can He Will Be Saved"
Have you truly done the best you could ? Have you not,
again and again, done what you ought not to have done,
and omitted to do what you should have done? "I
don't pretend to be perfect." Assuredly not, but
remember that one sin is sufficient to condemn you, and
you know that you have committed thousands. Beloved
friend, the "best" that you can do is to admit
that you are ruined, helpless, and undone. If from this
day until the day of your death you did not commit a
single sin, you could not be saved on that ground, for
sinners are not saved through what they do, but by virtue
of what Christ has done for them. "To him that
worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
(Romans 4:15) Cease working for salvation and accept
God's free gift through believing on Christ.
"You Don't Believe in Good
Works?"
The Word of God shows us that an unconverted man cannot
do a good work, as a "good work" must spring
from a right motive, and that must be love to the Lord
Jesus Christ. The moment a person is saved, that very
moment everything he does ought to be done to the glory
of God. God's Word makes it absolutely clear that without
faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6), and
so long as you are unsaved, you are utterly unable to do
a single "good work." Believe in God's wondrous
love to you and you won't be able to keep from working
for Him in return for the mighty work He has done for
you.
"It Is so Difficult to Be a
Christian"
Do you mean that it is difficult to become a Christian?
If so, you are completely mistaken. "I have again
and again tried to become one, and have failed." You
have not taken God's way of salvation, or you would now
be rejoicing in the knowledge of sins forgiven. Do not
try to be saved by your efforts; Christ has finished the
mighty work of atonement, and justice is satisfied. There
is nothing of merit to do, and all that is required of
you is to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ"
and be saved for eternity.
"I meant that it was difficult to live the life of a
Christian." In himself, the Christian is weak and
helpless; but He who saved has promised to keep him, and
has declared, "I will never leave thee nor forsake
thee." "He is able to keep you from
falling." (Jude 24) Can you reject the blessedness
of these facts ?
"I Cannot Give Up the
Pleasures of the World"
You are not asked to "give up" anything until
you are saved. Salvation, it is true, includes
deliverance from the thraldom and dominion of sin, as
well as from its penalty. God does not, however, say to
the unsaved, "Give up the pleasures and amusements
of the world, and I will bestow on you pardon and
peace." His way is: receive Christ now into your
heart by faith, and you will be saved from the power as
well as the doom of sin.
A lady in conversation with a Christian said, "God
won't save me now." "Why?" "I have
made up my mind to go to a dance on Tuesday evening, and
He won't save me until I am willing to give it up."
She was shown that "now" was God's time, and
that He was beseeching her to accept of a free and
present pardon -- as she was and where she was. The Word
was blessed to her soul, and she had no desire to attend
the dance on Tuesday, as she now had something better.
Now, as you read these lines, "receive" Christ
by simple faith, and you will gladly "give up"
whatever displeases Him.
"I Don't Wish to Be
Gloomy"
Numbers imagine that a Christian is one who goes through
life hanging his head, heaving sighs, drawing a long
face, and looking very sanctimonious. This is one of the
most widely believed lies of the arch enemy of man. Real,
lasting happiness is the portion of every believer.
"Gloomy!" What is there in the Gospel
calculated to make one gloomy? Does it make one
"gloomy" to know that all his sins are
forgiven? Will it make one "gloomy" to be
assured that he is going to spend eternity with the Lord
Jesus in glory?
'Tis Jesus only that can give
Sweetest pleasures while we live,
'Tis Jesus only can supply
Solid comfort should we die.
The only one who has a right to be happy is the
Christian -- he and he alone being delivered from the
bondage of sin, death, and judgment. "In Thy
presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are
pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11)
"So Many Hypocrites"
That is a very poor excuse. This excuse will not satisfy
God as you stand before Him. He said, "Ye must be
born again." Hypocrites are persons who profess to
be what they know they are not. Those to whom you refer,
profess to be, but are not Christians. Are we to conclude
because of this that all professing Christians are
hypocrites? This would be as foolish as to say that all
clerks are thieves because several have been convicted of
stealing.
"So Many Different
Opinions"
"I really don't know what to do. There are so many
opinions that I am quite perplexed to know what to
believe." If that is so, let me strongly impress
upon you the importance of being guided entirely by the
Word of God. There is only one way of salvation, and it
is very clearly unfolded in the Bible.
A lady dying of consumption was anxious about her soul.
She had asked many persons their "views" of
salvation, and had received different replies. One told
her to "pray," another to "work," and
so on. A Christian visited her, and the anxious inquirer
earnestly asked, "What are your views of
salvation?" "I have no views," was the
reply. The lady was amazed. "You seem
astonished," said the visitor, "but supposing I
had, what good would they do, seeing they would be but
the views of a fellow-mortal? I can, however, give you
something better. I can give you God's views." The
result of the conversation was that the lady shortly
afterwards found peace to her soul by learning that the
question, "What must I do to be saved?" was
answered thus: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30, 31)
"It Does Not Matter What One
Believes if He Is Sincere"
Let us see if it is true. A man feeling ill went to the
cupboard, took by mistake a bottle of poison, drank some
of the contents, and died in great agony an hour
afterwards. Did his sincerity of belief save his life?
Surely not. A man's salvation or damnation depends on his
belief. If he believes the lie of Satan, he will
eternally perish; but if he believes the truth of God, he
will be eternally saved. God plainly declares, "He
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath
of God abideth on him." (John 3: 36)
A Living Saviour for You
If you have been led to see your peril and are asking the
question, "Is there salvation for me?" I can
assure you, on the authority of God who cannot lie, that
you may be saved as you read these lines, for He has
said, "Come; for all things are now ready;"
(Luke 14:17) "Now is the accepted time; behold now
is the day of salvation." (II Corinthians 6:2)
Do You Know that You Are Lost?
The great question is, are you saved or lost? Face the
question fairly. Were you called to meet God at this
moment, are you prepared? "Thou art of purer eyes
than to behold evil, and canst not look on
iniquity." (Habakkuk 1:13) "Righteousness and
judgment are the habitation of His throne." (Psalm
97:2) If unsaved, unconverted, unforgiven, ponder the
Word of the living God: "The soul that sinneth, it
shall die." (Ezekiel 18:4) If you know that you are
lost, there is One both able and willing to save you.
His mission to this world was to "seek and to save
that which was lost." (Luke 19:10) Take the lost
sinner's place, claim the lost sinner's Saviour, and
salvation will be yours.
The Ground of Salvation
God is holy and just; and though merciful and gracious,
"will by no means clear the guilty." (Exodus
34:7) In His Word He has said, "The wages of sin is
death." (Rom. 6:23 ) How, then, can anyone be saved,
for "all have sinned," and all deserve sin's
wages. But the Scripture has declared, "Without
shedding of blood is no remission." (Hebrews 9: 22)
Sin must be atoned for! Must all eternally perish? No! Is
there a possibility of escape? Yes! For "Ye are not
redeemed with ... silver and gold, but with the precious
blood of Christ." (1 Peter 1:9) God is satisfied,
not with what you have done, but with what Christ did for
you. On the ground of His finished work, God invites and
pleads with you to accept a free, full, present, and
perfect salvation. "As though God did [plead with]
you by us ... be ye reconciled to God." (II
Corinthians 5:20)
"How to Be Saved"
Numbers, instead of being guided by what God says, go by
what Mr. So-and-so thinks; thus they are ignorant of the
way of salvation. If you wish to be saved, hear what God
says to you in the following Scriptures:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"Whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission
of sins." (Acts 10:43)
"Far Too Easy a Way"
Many are stumbled at the simplicity of the Gospel. When
it is presented to them in all its fulness and freeness,
they declare that believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is
"far too easy" a way. Thank God, it is an
"easy" way of being saved. Well might the poet
Cowper sing:
"Oh! how unlike the complex
works of man,
Heaven's easy, artless, unencumbered plan"
Though an "easy" way, it is not "too
easy," since it is obtained through believing in
Another by whom the difficult work has all been done --
the Lord Jesus Christ. It was not "easy" for
Him to be forsaken by God. It was not "easy"
for Him to be "wounded for our transgressions and
bruised for our iniquities." (Isaiah 53:5) Though an
easy way, it is God's only way of saving you, and if you
are not saved in that way, you will never be saved.
"To him that worketh not but believeth on Him that
justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness." (Rom.4:5)
"I Always Believed on Jesus,
and Yet I Cannot Say that I Am Saved"
If this is what you say, or think, you are completely
mistaken. No one has always believed on Jesus. What about
the Lord Jesus do you believe? "I believe that He
died on Calvary for sinners." Believing that won't
do you any good. Do you believe that He bled, and
suffered, and died on account of your sins? If you did,
you would know from the Word that you have eternal life.
No one can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ without being
saved, for He has declared: "He that believeth on Me
hath everlasting life." (John 6:47) Therefore, if
you really believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, God says
that you are saved.
"I Don't Believe in the
Right Way"
If you are not already saved, you don't believe on Christ
in any way. Scripture does not recognize two ways of
believing -- a "right" and a "wrong"
one. Faith in man and faith in God are the same excrcises
of mind; the difference is not in the faith, but in the
Person.
Paul did not say to the jailer, "Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ with the right kind of believing, and thou
shalt be saved." If he had, the jailer, in his
ignorance, would not have understood him. Paul said to
him, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts
16:31) Do the same "and thou shalt be saved."
Don't think about your believing, but about Christ, the
object of faith.
"Must I Not Pray to Be
Saved?"
Scripture nowhere states that salvation is to be had by
prayer; it speaks of sinners being saved only in one way
-- through simple faith in the finished work of the Lord
Jesus Christ. "Whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish." (John 3:14,15) You do not need to pray to
God for salvation; He is at this moment beseeching you to
take it (II Corinthians 5:20). Even now as you read these
lines, stretch out the empty hand of faith and take it as
a gift from the pierced hand of the Lord Jesus. "The
gift of God is eternal life." (Romans 6:23)
"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life
freely." (Revelation 22:17) This gift of God is for
you. Will you take it now ?
"If I Do My Part, God Will
Do His"
A Christian in England used to say it took him forty-two
years to learn three things: (1) That he could do nothing
to save himself; (2) that God did not require him to do
anything; and (3) that Christ did it all.
If you learn these three lessons, you will never talk
about your doings. Your "part" is to cease
thinking of being saved by anything you can do or feel.
Your "part" is to believe that Jesus did
everything that was necessary -- that He finished the
work of atonement and paid the ransom price with His
precious Blood. "To him that worketh not, but
believeth ...his faith is counted for
righteousness." (Romans 4:5)
"I Am too Great a
Sinner"
Some who say this really suppose they are too wicked to
be forgiven; but in many cases it is only said in mock
humility as an excuse for continuance in sin. Since you
were an unconscious babe He has watched over you, and
loved you with more than a mother's fond and tender love.
In spite of your sin and folly, He stands with
outstretched arms ready to receive you. "Him that
cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." (John
6:37) Though a "great sinner," you are not
beyond the reach of His pardoning mercy, and even now you
may receive the full and free forgiveness of all your
sins by simply believing on Him who died for you. (John
6:47) "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost." (Luke 19: 10)
"No One Can Be Certain of
That"
Paul's reply to the most important of all questions was
very distinct: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved." He did not say,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will have
a good chance of being saved;" but, "Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."
(Acts 16:31) How sweetly simple!
Numbers declare it is "great presumption" in
anyone to "go the length" of saying he knows
that he is saved. They affirm that "no one can be
certain." The Apostle John says, "I write unto
you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you
for His Name's sake." (1 John 2:12). "We know
that we have passed from death unto life." (1 John
3:14) Everyone who believes on the Lord Jesus is bound to
believe that he is saved. It would indeed be "great
presumption" in anyone to doubt the word of the
living God. "He that believeth not God hath made Him
a liar," (1 John 5: 10, 11) but he who believes Him
shall be saved.
"Can a Man Be Saved at
Once?"
The same hour of the night that the jailer asked,
"What must I do to be saved?" witnessed his
conversion and baptism, and it is likewise added, he
"rejoiced, believing in God, with all his
house." In one short hour the whole household
believed, were saved, were baptized, and were rejoicing
in salvation. Some have supposed that conversion is a
gradual process, requiring much time and earnest prayer;
but a moment of time is sufficient. Another figure is
employed -- "looking." "Look unto Me, and
be ye saved." (Isaiah 45 :22) The very moment you
believe in, or look to Jesus, as the One who bled and
suffered for you, you are pardoned and saved.
"I Have Not Repented
Enough"
What do you mean? "I am not sorry enough for my
sins." And if you were very sorry, would God be more
willing to save you than He is now ? "I think
so." Then you are completely mistaken.
"But does it not say unless we repent we shall
perish?" Yes; but what do you think is the meaning
of "repentence" in Scripture? "Sorrow for
sin." Here you are wrong. It does not mean sorrow
for sin; it means a change of mind. (see Mathew 21:29)
This change will doubtless produce sorrow, but sorrow and
repentance are two very different things. You may have
supposed that you must first "feel" some great
change, and then you would know you were saved. Change
your mind. First believe in God's great love to you, as
revealed in His Gospel, and you will know that you have
eternal life. (John 5:24)
"I Don't Feel Anxious
Enough"
Don't think of your anxiety, or lack of anxiety, but ask
yourself: "Is God willing to save me now?"
Again and again in His Word He declares that His desire
is that you should not perish, but be eternally saved.
(see Ezekiel 33:11 ; I Timothy 2:4-6) Cease occupying
your mind with your feelings. Think of His wondrous love
to you as manifested in the gift of His only begotten and
well-beloved Son. On the ground of what He did and
suffered you can be saved even now as you read these
lines. (II Corinthians 6:2,3)
"I Could Not Hold On"
"I have often tried to be a Christian, but have
failed. Sometimes I thought I was one, but the happy
feelings vanished, and I was just as bad as ever, so
there is no use in my professing," say some. Don't
you be troubled about your "holding on." What
you are now required to do is to believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and the moment you do so you obtain eternal
life (John 3:36), and the assurance that you will never
perish (John 10:28). Then, as to how you will "get
on" after you are saved, the same Christ who saves
from wrath to begin with, saves from sin to go on with,
and will keep you safe to glory to end with. He "is
able to keep you from falling" (Jude 24), and has
promised never to leave or to forsake those who put their
trust in Him. The moment you believe on Christ you are
His; and He has pledged His word to guide, guard, and
keep you, and to give you strength and grace to live and
work for Him.
"Would It Not Be Great
Presumption?"
Presumption to do what? "Presumption in anyone to
say that he knows he is saved." But if God declares
you may be sure, and tells you how you may be sure, would
you call it "presumption" to believe Him?
"Assuredly not." Then listen to Him:
"These things have I written unto you that believe
on the Name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye
have eternal life." (I John 5:13) Instead of it
being "presumption" to believe what God says,
to doubt Him is to be guilty of the greatest sin that
anyone can commit.
"How Am I to Come to
Christ?"
An anxious soul once asked a Christian what was meant by
"coming to Christ" "Can you fly to
Him?" "No, I cannot do that." "Can
you walk on your feet to Him?" "No." The
Christian told him that Christ, though in Heaven, was
beside him on earth, loving him with a deep, strong, and
tender love, eagerly anxious to save him. He was shown
that with his mind and heart, and not with his body, he
was to go to Jesus -- in other words, he was to believe
on Him who died that he might live. "Is that it? Is
it so simple? I see it now." Believing on the Lord
Jesus Christ as his Saviour, he went on his way
rejoicing. Have you come to Christ ? If not, believe in
His love and death for you, and you will know, on the
authority of Him who cannot lie, that you are saved, and
will never perish. (John 5: 24)
"I Cannot Feel Saved"
Martin Luther, in one of his conflicts with the Devil,
was asked by the arch-enemy if he felt his sins forgiven?
"No," said the great Reformer, "I don't
feel that they are forgiven, but I know they are, because
God says so in His Word." No one can feel that his
sins are forgiven. Ask that man whose debt was paid by
another, "Do you feel that your debt is paid?"
"No," is the reply, "I don't feel that it
is paid; I know from this receipt that it is paid, and I
feel happy because I know it is paid." So with you.
You must first believe in God's love to you as revealed
at the cross of Calvary, and then you will feel happy,
because you will know that you are saved.
"Be my feelings what they
will, Jesus is my Saviour still."
"God Says I Am Saved -- It
Must Be True"
Such were the words uttered by a young convert on the
night he found peace. Can you truthfully adopt his
language? "I wish I could." Then there is
nothing to hinder you from doing so now. Jesus has died
on Calvary for you; He has "suffered for sins, the
Just for the unjust," and God has declared that
those who believe on Him have eternal life (John 5:24;
6:47). If, therefore, you really believe on Him who bore
the wrath and curse for you, you have God's Word for it
that you are saved. Now, as you read these lines, believe
on Him who bore sin's penalty, and with the young convert
you will be able to say, "God says I am saved, and,
therefore, it must be true."
"Time Enough Yet"
Allow me to ask you in closing, Are you saved? "I
intend to be, but there is no great hurry." What!
"No great hurry," and the messenger of death at
your very door? Don't, oh! don't allow Satan to lull you
to sleep in the cradle of a false security. Time is
short, and eternity is at hand. Will you, can you, dare
you remain one moment longer unsaved? "Now" is
God's time. "Tomorrow" may be too late. Don't
be perplexed about the future. He who saves sinners has
promised to "keep" them; and the moment you
receive Christ by faith, He will grant you power to
overcome sin, self, and Satan, and give you strength to
live for Him.
CONCLUSION
All Are Sinners by Nature and Practice.
"There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none
that seeketh after God: they are all gone out of the way;
there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Romans
3:10-12)
Reformation Is Not Regeneration.
Turning over new leaves won't destroy the old ones. Jesus
said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
Kingdom of God." (John 3: 3)
God Is Willing to Save You Now.
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the
Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as
white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they
shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
Salvation Is a Free Gift. It
cannot, therefore, be earned or merited by good works,
prayers, or religious observances. "The free gift of
God is eternal life." (Romans 6:23, R.V.)
Justification by Faith Alone.
"Being justified by faith ..." (Romans 5:1)
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved." (Acts 16:31)
The Unbeliever's Portion.
"He that believeth not the Son shall not see life,
but the wrath of God abideth on Him." (John 3:36)
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