September-October 1997

Salvation By Grace

God is perfectly holy and we are not. So how can we ever hope to live with him? How can a human ever hope to be acceptable to God?

Obviously, we cannot change the fact that our past behavior hasn't been perfect. So we need grace, or mercy. The good news is that we are given it through Jesus. God removes the bad marks from our record.

But is that all there is to it? Aren't Christians supposed to obey God? Of course, but the question is: Does this good behavior count for anything with God?

Some say that God gives us mercy only if we live good lives. Others say that no matter how good we live, our behavior can't possibly earn any favors from God -- he accepts us simply by grace if we have faith in Jesus Christ.

Are we made right with God by faith alone, or by faith plus works? Salvation by grace, or salvation by law and grace?

The Debt Is Paid

-- D. James Kennedy

Greg Albrecht: No one would doubt that the world and culture of these last years of the 20th century desperately needs the gospel of salvation. Is the church doing enough?

D. James Kennedy: Because of the failure of the church to really communicate the gospel to our society in the 20th century, we've seen a decline in morals, a precipitous decline in the last three decades.

The last virtue of the ungodly is tolerance. When they have abandoned all other moral positions, the cry of the ungodly is for tolerance of their immorality and their ungodliness.

That's what we have in America today. Many people simply don't want anybody to pass judgment on them while they're engaged in the most vile perversion and immoral ungodliness imaginable.

But we Christians need to declare that there is absolute truth. The absence of that message is what has led to this time when almost every high school graduate, as one author put it, is convinced of one thing -- there are no absolutes.

Q. For the Christian, Christ and Christian character are one and the same. Yet there are those who say that salvation is not simply faith in Christ, but faith plus what we do. And often character and values become a crutch to promote legalism.

A. There are basically only three religions in the world. Forty-thousand all together, but they all boil down to three. Especially when you come to soteriology -- the view of salvation.

And those are 1) man saves himself and he is his own savior by his own good works and so on. That is basically the view of most pagan religions. 2) Christ and man save the man. Jesus did his part, and I must do my part. It's faith plus works. It's called synergism. I work together with Christ to save me. That is basically the view of most cults. 3) Salvation is by grace through faith. It is of Christ; Christ has saved me and salvation was completed by Christ. As he said, "It is finished." The debt is paid. We receive his gift of eternal life, which Christ purchased by his own blood. This is the view the Bible teaches.

As far as character is concerned, I think it's obvious that without any religion at all, parents could train up a child, tell him or her to tell the truth, not to kill people and not to steal. Parents can produce a cultured pagan.

It is possible to develop people who are going to lead decent, civilized lives in civilization.

Yet in the eyes of God, all of us are sinners and the best character anyone can develop on his own is going to be totally inadequate in making him acceptable in the eyes of God.

Martin Luther said the most damnable and pernicious heresy that could ever plague the mind of man is that we fallen, depraved creatures could ever make ourselves good enough to live in the presence of an all-holy, sin-hating God.

Q. Isn't it true that without an understanding of our brokenness and sinfulness it's difficult to convince people they need a Savior? But the secular world doesn't seem to want to be convicted of sin. Is the topic of sin the starting place to convince people they need a Savior?

A. The gospel is defined as good news. The angels said, "We bring you good news of great joy." The gospel, the word gospel in Greek, euaggelion, means good news. Good tidings. I bring you good tidings of great joy -- that's the gospel.

Sometimes the way we Christians approach unbelievers turns them off. God in his infinite grace is offering eternal life freely as a gift. It's not something that anyone can earn or deserve or merit. It's not because of what we are, but in spite of what we are. Not because of what we do, but in spite of what we've done.

Too many presentations of the gospel start with sin. Let me give you an example of how the gospel can be done a disservice by the way it's presented.

"John and Mary, you know I've got some really bad news for you. You're sinners. You're lost sinners. Furthermore, you are absolutely incapable of doing anything toward making yourself into something else. And, you're going to hell."

On the other hand, we could approach the good news this way: "John and Mary, I have some good news to share with you. Could you stand some good news? In fact, I'm going to be so bold as to say that in the next 60 seconds, I'm going to tell you the best news you've ever heard in your entire life. Let me tell you my story.

"All my life I thought the same thing: If ever I got into heaven, I'd have to climb this ladder, keep these laws, follow these rules. And I sometimes despaired of the whole thing.

"Then I made this incredible discovery, that according to the Bible, according to historic Christian faith, eternal life in paradise, in a new body for ever and ever where there's no sorrow or pain or tears ever again is absolutely a free gift. Not earned, deserved, merited or worked for, but absolutely free. Isn't that amazing?"

That's the gospel.

The Grace Awakening

-- Charles Swindoll

It is no accident that Christians often equate grace with table fellowship. Being invited to come to the table of the Lord and feast with him is an act of grace, and the prayer we offer before we eat is called "grace."

Charles R. Swindoll, in The Grace Awakening, offers this picture: "Imagine coming to a friend's house who has invited you over to enjoy a meal. You finish the delicious meal and then listen to some fine music and visit for a while. Finally, you stand up and get your coat as you prepare to leave. But before you leave you reach into your pocket and say, 'Now, how much do I owe you?'

"What an insult! You don't do that with someone who has graciously given you a meal. Isn't it strange, though, how this world is running over with people who think there's something they must do to pay God back?

"Somehow they are hoping God will smile on them if they work real hard and earn His acceptance; but that's an acceptance on the basis of works. That's not the way it is with grace."

Born Free: God Guides Us With His Law

-- Steve Brown

God's Law is His practical way of teaching and guiding us. And for the Christian, that's all the Law is.

"Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97).

The function of God's Law for a Christian is quite different than for a pagan. Now, you need to remember that the Ten Commandments are not the "Ten Suggestions." And God intended His commandments to be observed by pagans as well as by those who believe in Him. The Law was intended, in part, to keep pagans in line so that the rest of us could live somewhat normal lives. Some say that the Law was eliminated when Jesus came. That is absolutely not true:

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:17-19).

The Law never changes. God hasn't changed His ideas about the Law. But listen to me -- this is going to help you: The purpose of the Law does change once you know Christ -- because Christ fulfilled all of the demands of the Law so that you wouldn't have to.

There's a story told about a man who went to heaven. He got to the gate and St. Peter said, "You know, you need a thousand points to get in here."

The man said, "I've been going to church all my life and nobody ever told me that!"

St. Peter said, "I don't care, you must have a thousand points to get in here."

The man said, "How do I earn points? By doing good things?"

St. Peter said, "What have you done to earn your points?"

The man said, "Well, I grew up in a Christian home and I went to Sunday school every Sunday for years. In fact, I have a string of Sunday school medals that go to the floor. When I got older, I went to a Christian school and then to a Christian college. Then I went on to graduate school and became a banker. I have always been supportive of the church. I cared about the church all of my life -- supported my pastor when others didn't."

He said, "I supported missionaries. As a banker, I cared about my community. I wrote low-income mortgages. I gave loans to people who were in desperate need, and I often gave out of my own pocket. At first I gave 10 percent of my income to God, but as I became more affluent, I was giving almost 70 percent."

The man went on, making his case before St. Peter: "I had three children -- two boys and a girl. One of my boys is a preacher and the other is a missionary. My girl is married to a missionary in a Third World country.

"I always went to church Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday night. Not only that, I worked with the Salvation Army. I rang the bell at Christmas -- when it was really cold. And not only did I support missionaries with my money, I went to the mission field and supported them with my encouragement."

Then he turned to Peter and said, "How am I doing?"

St. Peter said, "That's one point. What else have you done?"

The man said, "Good Lord, have mercy!"

St. Peter said, "You've got it! Come on in."

You see, the Law has been completely fulfilled in Christ, and mercy has been mediated to us because of what He did on the Cross. God doesn't say to you, "Now that you are a Christian, I will wipe the slate clean." God doesn't give you a fresh slate. He throws the slate away! Forever! He doesn't deal with you on the basis of your goodness or your badness, but on the basis of Christ's finished work on the Cross.

You say, "Then what role does the Law play in a Christian's life? I mean, why do we even have the Law?" Let me answer that question with an acrostic. Let's use the word RULE to discover four ways that the Law is relevant to Christians.

First, the Law reveals. It reveals God's will:

"You are near, O LORD, and all Your commandments are truth. Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded them forever" (Psalm 119:151-152).

When my daughters were growing up, I let them know that I would never reject them. But I also wanted them to know what kinds of behavior pleased or displeased me. And I'm glad that God has let me know the way He wants me to live.

Second, the Law updates. It keeps you up-to-date on how you are doing in your walk with God:

"For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds" (Psalm 7:9).

"You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress" (Psalm 17:3).

God tests you for your benefit, not for His benefit. We think He is testing us so that He can find out how we are doing. He knows how we are doing! He is testing you for your benefit.

One of my college professors once passed out an exam and then said, "I don't want you to send in your papers and have me grade them. I want you to grade them yourselves, so that you will know how you are doing."

I want to be obedient to God more than any man you have ever met. And I can know how I'm doing by measuring it against His Law.

Third, the Law lectures:

"Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24).

The Law is a teacher that brings me to Christ initially, and then keeps me there after I have come to know Him. It doesn't keep me there by my faithfulness, but by my failure. The Christian church is the only organization in the world where the only qualification for membership is that you are not qualified. It is very important to understand that God holds us by His grace. When I look at the Law and measure myself by it and don't live up to it, it scares me to death; and I run to the throne of grace; and that is the purpose of the Law. It teaches me. Before I was a Christian, the Law taught me to feel guilty and I ran to the Cross. Now that I am a Christian, the Law teaches me to stay at the foot of the Cross, receiving His mercy.

Fourth and finally, the Law educates:

"Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies" (Psalm 119:97-98).

Did you hear about the three clergymen fishing on the boat? The first clergyman got off the boat, saying, "I forgot my lunch" and he proceeded to walk across the water and get his lunch pail.

The second clergyman said, "I forgot a piece of bait. I need to go back." He got off the boat and walked across the water and came back with the bait.

The third pastor looked at these two men and said, "If they can do it, I can too." He said, "Guys, I'll be back in a minute," and he stepped off the boat, went right down, and almost drowned.

The first clergyman said to the second clergyman, "Do you think we ought to tell him where the rocks are?"

God's Law tells you where the rocks are. Better yet, it tells you where the minefields are! Christians should be safer, healthier, happier, and more successful than pagans simply because they know how the world operates. Economist Max Weber has shown that the economic progress that took place in Europe after the Reformation was largely a result of the "Protestant work ethic" inspired by the Reformation. Why? Because the Law of God taught people that they should work.

If you are a Christian, those four things sum up the present purpose of God's Law in your life. It reveals, updates, lectures, and educates. Those are the purposes of the Law for your life, period. If you try to get the Law to save you; if you use it to judge yourself or others; if you use it as a basis for self-righteousness, it will destroy you.

Excerpted with permission from Steve Brown, Born Free (Baker Books, 1993).

Objections to Grace

-- Max Lucado

In his book In the Grip of Grace, Max Lucado explains three objections that keep many people from exercising the riches of God's grace. The pragmatist believes that grace is 1) Too Risky to Be True. The traditionalist feels that grace is 2) Too New to Be True. And the skeptic judges grace to be 3) Too Good to Be True.

Lucado comments: "The first objection comes from the pragmatist. 'Do we destroy the law by following the way of faith?' (Rom. 3:31). The concern here is motivation. 'If I'm not saved by my works, then why work? If I'm not saved by the law, then why keep the law? If I'm not saved by what I do, then why do anything?

"You've got to admit grace is risky. There is the chance that people will take it to an extreme. There is the possibility that people will abuse God's goodness. Grace fosters an eagerness for good. Grace doesn't spawn a desire to sin."

Regarding the second objection, that the law is too new to be true, Lucado adds: "We must not see grace as a provision made after the law had failed. Grace was offered before the law was revealed. Indeed, grace was

offered before man was created! 'You were bought, not with something that ruins like gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ, who was like a pure and perfect lamb. Christ was chosen before the world was made, but he was shown to the world in these last times for your sake' (1 Pet. 1:18-20)."

Finally, responding to the third objection, that grace is too good to be true, Lucado says: "The vast majority of people simply state, 'God may give grace to you, but not to me. You see, I've charted the waters of failure. I've pushed the envelope too many times. I'm not your typical sinner, I'm guilty of __________.' And they fill in the blank.

"How would you fill in the blank? Is there a chapter in your biography that condemns you? A valley of your heart too deep for the firstborn Son to reach?"

Keepers of the Springs

by Whaid G. Rose

More than 450 years ago, a German monk by the name of Martin Luther broke the chains of medieval religion. His movement has come to be known as the Protestant Reformation. We are greatly indebted to Luther and others who, through their unwavering commitment to Christ and the Scriptures alone, gave way to the evangelical theology and experience that we are privileged to enjoy today.

Born Nov. 10, 1483, in the Saxon town of Eisleben, Luther's parents raised him with strict discipline. But despite his Christian upbringing, he had a problem that got bigger the older he grew. His word for this problem was Anfechtung, describing his unquiet conscience.

No matter what he did, he felt himself to be a sinner in the sight of God. After promising the patron saint that he would become a monk if his life was spared from a terrible thunderstorm, Luther joined the Augustinian Order, gave up virtually everything and confined himself to the rigorous self-discipline and denial he thought would give him peace with God. He would later confess that these efforts only yielded more uncertainty, doubt, guilt, anxiety and despair.

But Luther began to be unshackled when, as head of the Theology Department at the University of Wittenberg, he began a serious study of the Scriptures. His quest for full and free salvation came when truth of justification by faith became abundantly clear as he read Romans 1:17.

Luther came to discover that justification is an act by which God declares us "not guilty" and places us in "right standing" with himself. He came to discover the difference between religion (performing a prescribed set of duties in an effort to be accepted in the eyes of God) and Christianity (relying, by faith, on what Jesus has already done to make us accepted in him).

This eliminates the pride of human effort, making Christian obedience a joyful response to God's free gift rather than a means of salvation. This understanding causes us to exalt what Christ has done and is based on relationship, not performance.

Luther's discovery of this life-changing truth drove him both to his knees and into a confrontation that would forever change the course of church history. Reformation theology says that salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, for His glory alone.

These days, I am finding that I cannot say those words without something happening deep within me. That something within me says "yes" to this truth and stirs an impassioned desire to see those who name the name of Christ come to experience full salvation as articulated by the Reformers.

All of this reminds me of a small town that obtained its water supply from springs on top of a nearby mountain. So that the townspeople would receive pure water, a citizen of that community was hired to keep the springs free and clear of trash and other impurities that would not ordinarily be removed. He kept the springs with great care and much dedication, and his work was appreciated.

But at long last, the town council decided that budgetary constraints would not allow for the keeper of the springs to remain on the payroll. He was fired, and the rest of the story goes without saying.

Scripture says that those who believe in Jesus will draw water with joy out of the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). But, from time to time, the water becomes muddy and necessitates that someone keep the spring. The apostle Paul sought to be a keeper of the springs when he wrote to the Galatian church back in the first century.

Paul dared call them foolish for attempting to add to the gospel rather than looking to Christ by faith like they did at first (Galatians 3:1-3). When the waters of the gospel became impure during Luther's day, he became the keeper of the springs.

Only through this clear understanding of the gospel of Christ will we find liberty from those legalistic tendencies and schisms that, unfortunately, are characteristic of many faith communities. It helps us focus on the real enemy. That enemy isn't other denominations, but it is Satan, the ultimate enemy of our souls. Reformation theology is rooted in the simple but transforming spiritual principles of the kingdom, and the kingdom of God is much bigger than my denomination.

If you are struggling beneath a heavy load of guilt from your past, be inspired by Luther's personal experience and take hope and courage in God's liberating grace.

Join with me in becoming a keeper of the springs.

Faith & Works: Paul vs. James

by Greg Koukl

The difference between salvation by grace and salvation by law "and" grace can be illustrated by the true story of two longtime friends (let's call them Bob and Sam).

For decades, Bob and Sam were convinced that salvation is ultimately contingent upon what we do. They believed that salvation was conditional, given according to performance. They believed that salvation is a result of faith "plus" works -- law "and" grace.

But as Bob began to study Romans and Galatians, he became convinced that salvation was absolutely and only the free gift of God. He was convicted by God's amazing grace. But Bob soon found out that the gospel was not good news to his lifelong friend, Sam. Sam accused Bob of compromising, watering down his standards and becoming "liberal."

The two friends had many arguments, to the point that their close friendship was threatened. Many months went by, and finally Bob, now convinced that salvation was by grace alone, also began to be convicted that he was acting like a jerk to his lifelong friend.

Bob went to Sam to prove his faith by his works. He begged Sam to forgive him for calling him a legalist. "Please forgive me," Bob pleaded. Sam replied, "I will, but only because I have to. The book of James tells me I have to prove my faith by my works. So, you're forgiven."

Sam turned around and walked away. Bob hasn't seen him since. A true story of the battle over faith and works -- often argued over the books of Romans and James. Greg Koukl explains.

-- The Editor

For some Christians, one of the thorniest problems in the Bible is the apparent contradiction between Paul and James, between what they perceive Paul saying about grace and James teaching about law.

Paul says we are justified by faith, not by works (Romans 4), but James seems to say we are not justified by faith alone, but we are also justified by works. We have what appears at first to be a contradiction.

I have seen people twist themselves into theological pretzels trying to deal with Paul and James. But there is a way to reconcile them. The key is that the word justified has more than one meaning. Paul uses it in one way in Romans 4, and James uses it in a different meaning in James 2. Look in a dictionary and you can see that almost every word has different meanings. It is the context that tells us what meaning is in view.

There is a difference between when God justifies a man and when a man justifies himself. When I say, "Justify yourself," I'm asking you to prove to me something about the nature of your actions. You are being asked to show me something. When God justifies us, he doesn't show us something. He gives us something; he gives us righ-teousness.

So justification has two meanings. God justifies the ungodly. He gives them righ-teousness. He applies it to their account. He "reckons them righteous," as Paul put it. So one meaning of the word justify is to "give righteousness." The second meaning of the word justify is to "prove to be righteous." It has to do with a demonstration, like when I ask you to justify yourself.

How do I know there are two different meanings in view? Both Paul and James refer to Abraham, but they refer to different periods of his life. Paul in Romans 4 quotes Genesis 15:6:

"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." We might refer to this as the time when Abraham was saved, when God called him righteous.

Long after this event, we see God testing Abraham in Genesis 22. When Abraham obeys God and does what he is told to do, God tells him, "Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son" (Genesis 22:12).

When James cites Abraham's justification, he doesn't quote from Genesis 15, when Abraham was counted righteous -- he quotes from Genesis 22, when Abraham demonstrated his righteousness, proved himself to be righteous.

James sees Genesis 22 as an outworking or a fulfillment of Abraham's salvation in Genesis 15. James refers to justification as the evidence of a changed life.

In today's language, James was saying: "You've got talkers and you've got doers. You've got people who say they have faith, but they have no evidence of faith. Why should I believe you trust God if there is no evidence of it? Can that kind of faith save? Can a faith that is a mere profession, which has no demonstration of reality, save? Words are cheap. Actions demonstrate what you really believe."

James goes on to explain that even though Abraham was saved in Genesis 15, he demonstrated the reality of his faith by obeying God 20 or 30 years later by being willing to offer his young son Isaac on the altar (Genesis 22). James sees that as a demonstration of his faith.

Abraham was justified by faith in Genesis 15. He was saved by faith and reckoned righteous. But a faith that is alone is not a genuine faith. Only a faith that produces change, some kind of evidence, is the kind of faith that is valid. That is a faith that saves, and that is James' point in James 2.

So there is no contradiction. Paul spoke about Abraham's salvation experience in Genesis 15. James refers to an event many years later that is a fulfillment of Abraham's faith.

Works are a result of justification, which comes by faith. True salvation always proves itself with action (see Titus 3:4-8).

The apostle John wrote: "The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). From this you can logically derive, "If you do not keep his commandments, then you do not know him." You cannot logically derive, "If you keep his commandments, then you can come to know him." Works don't save you.

James and Paul go together. They complement each other. Christians need "justification" plus "justification." Paul looks at what goes on internally; James talks about what happens externally, after the internal change. 

Return to Plain Truth Ministries Home Page