SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS

There are two systems or methods of salvation set forth in the Bible—salvation by works and salvation "by grace." These two systems are diametrically opposed to each other and can no more be mixed than oil and water. The Scriptures make this very clear "And if BY GRACE, then is it no more OF WORKS: otherwise GRACE is NO MORE GRACE. But if it be OF WORKS, then is it NO MORE GRACE: otherwise WORK is NO MORE WORK" (Rom. 11:6). This verse clearly states that IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MIX GRACE AND WORKS IN ORDER TO BE SAVED. If a person does, the method or system of salvation is WHOLLY OF WORKS and NONE OF GRACE.

The grace-system of salvation originated in eternity before the creation of man. Eph. 1:4; II Thes. 2:13; Rom. 8:28-30; I Peter 1:18-20; Rev. 13:8. The works-system or method of salvation originated in the Garden of Eden when God created man and placed him on probation. Man was to enjoy the blessings of Eden so long as he OBEYED God. His salvation was conditioned on HIS OWN OBEDIENCE or faithfulness. He was under the system or method of works. This system says "Do and thou shalt live."

But man failed to DO. He disobeyed God—he ate "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil"—and was driven from the garden. He failed to meet the demands of the system of works. FAILED! He, who was created without sin, placed in a perfect environment, and had only one tempter—the serpent—failed! He lost his probationary or conditional salvation, for salvation was his only on one condition that he obeyed God. Since he, who was created without sin, and enjoyed a perfect environment and had only one tempter, failed to keep God's law or command, how, then, can a person born in sin, surrounded by an environment wholly contrary to God's will, and attacked daily by many tempters, be saved through the works-system? It is impossible. In order for any work to aid one in being saved, that person must live a sinless life. The works-system demands absolute perfection from birth to death or until our Lord returns, as the case may be. The Scripture makes this very evident. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (Jas. 2:10).

The works-system is a general term. It includes all works, whether they be the works of the law—"the Ten Commandments"—or works styled as "Christian works," such as church membership, baptism etc. When Paul stated in Rom. 11:6 "Then is it no more of works," he meant any work, all works. Whenever works are condemned as means to salvation, the works of the laws are not alone meant. Adam was under the works-system over two thousand years before the Law was given. He was unable to save himself through works. Cain brought the fruit of his own labor as a means to his acceptance before God but was rejected. Abel was accepted because he came the faith way—"by grace through faith . . . not of works." Hebrews 11:4, Eph. 2:8,9. Therefore, ALL WORKS, whether the WORKS during the 2500-year period from Adam till Moses, the Law Giver, or the WORKS OF THE LAW, or the WORKS now known as CHRISTIAN WORKS, are EXCLUDED from the grace-system as BEING ESSENTIAL to salvation. This is clearly stated in Eph. 2:8,9: "For BY GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the GIFT of God: not of WORKS, lest any man should boast." The works referred to in this passage include all works, whether of the Law or baptism, etc. When Paul refers alone to the "works of the Law" he always so states it. Neither the works of the law nor baptism are essential to salvation.

A few words to show that the Law was not given to save or help save man. In order to keep the Law one must live a sinless life. This would require a sinless birth. But all are born in sin, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Ps. 51:5). See Ps. 58:3, Job 14:4. All are sinners by birth. When a person reaches the years of accountability he becomes a sinner by practice. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). "Sin is transgression of the law" (I John 3:4). "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (Jas. 2:10). Since all have sinned and broken the Law (that is all who think the Law is essential to salvation) "ARE UNDER THE CURSE: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Gal. 3:10).

The Law was never given to save or help save any one, "For if there had been a law given which could have GIVEN LIFE, verily righteousness should have been by the law,"(Gal. 3:21). Again, "For if righteousness COME BY THE LAW, then CHRIST IS DEAD IN VAIN" (Gal. 2:21). Why, then, was the Law given? "Therefore by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the KNOWLEDGE OF SIN" (Rom. 3:20). The Law is a .mirror to reveal sin, and has no power to remove sin. Only the blood of Christ can take sin away. Whenever a person looks in a mirror and discovers that his face is dirty, it would be foolish of him to try to remove the dirt by means of the mirror. So with the Law: when the Law reveals the sinner's guilty position before God, the sinner would act foolishly if he were to take that which reveals sin and guilt, and try to accomplish his own salvation with it.

"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed (Christ) should come..."(Gal. 3:19). "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ" (Gal. 3:24). The law was given to the Jews until until Christ that we might be justified by faith. Christ suffered its penalty on the cross. Since "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us" (Gal. 3:13), He therefore, is "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Rom. 10:4). "The end of the Law" simply means that Law has been annulled, done away, for Jewish believers. The Law was never given to the Gentiles. Therefore Gentiles have never been under Law. The Jewish believers are no longer under the Law. The Law is neither a rule to live by in order to be saved nor a rule for the Christian to walk by. Walking in the Spirit has now taken the place of walking by ordinances. Gal. 5:25.

Dear reader; look not to smoking Sinai, the birthplace of Law, for salvation, but look to Mt. Calvary, on whose bloody brow the great work of redemption was wrought out by God's only begotten Son, the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. There He endured "the curse of the law"; there He endured the wrath of God, suffering the agonies of hell for you and me. Believe on Him now.

A brief reply to those who claim that baptism is essential to salvation. BAPTISM IS NOT ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION. If baptism be essential to salvation, God justified or saved before the cross with a method different from that since the cross, for baptism was not practiced in the Old Testament times. We have seen that the Law was not essential to the salvation of the Jews before it was annulled by Christ on the cross. The Law brought temporal blessings to Israel in Canaan, but it did not bring eternal life. Their living in Canaan was dependent, upon their obedience to the Law, but their eternal life was not.

How were the Old Testament saints saved? Abraham is an example as to the method of their justification or salvation. How was Abraham saved? "If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory: but, not before God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness" (Rom. 4:2,3). The works referred to here are surely not the "works of the Law" for Abraham lived 400 years before the "law was given." This passage states that Abraham was not justified by works but wholly through faith. I know that James 2:21 states "Was not our father Abraham justified by works when he had offered Isaac upon the altar?" but his justification was in the sight of men,—justified by faith (Rom. 5:1) IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. Paul in Galatians 3:6-9 plainly shows that Abraham was justified by faith in the sight of God apart from any work, and "that God would justify the heathen (referring to us today) THROUGH FAITH." Abraham was justified THROUGH FAITH, and God told him that we of today would be justified in the same manner—THROUGH FAITH.

In his sermon to Cornelius and his household, Peter clearly shows that the saints of the Old Testament times and all believers this side of the cross are saved in the same manner or through the same method. To Cornelius he said: "To Him (Christ) gave all prophets witness, that through His name whosoever BELIEVETH IN HIM SHALL RECEIVE REMISSION OF SINS" (Acts 10:43). He simply told Cornelius that he was preaching the same gospel the Old Testament prophets preached, and that he was preaching the same -method of justification or salvation as preached by the Old Testament prophets—"whosoever believeth (not believe and be baptized) in Him shall receive remission of sins." There was no baptism required of the saints of the Old Testament times, nor was it required of Cornelius or any person for salvation. Cornelius and his household were saved before they were baptized, for the next verse (Acts 10:44) states that "while Peter yet spake these words (words of verse 43), the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word." "Heard the word" in the original means to hear and understand, and those who hear and understand are saved. "He that received seed in the ground is he that HEARETH THE WORD; AND UNDERSTANDETH IT; which also beareth fruit, etc" (Matt. 13:23).

After hearing the word and being saved they were baptized of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit endured them with the gift of tongues, which saved persons alone could receive. Cornelius and his household received the Holy Spirit when they believed and before they were baptized. Acts 11:17 reads thus in the original: "Since therefore God freely gave to them the same gift as also to us, having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ"—and "having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ" refers to Cornelius and his household, as well as to the Apostles on Pentecost. The only requirement of Cornelius and his household to be baptized was "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." This is in harmony with what Paul told the Philippian jailer in order to be saved. Cornelius was saved before he was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Acts 11:16.

Immediately after Peter confessed Christ as the Son of God in Matthew 16:13-19, Christ gave him "the keys of the kingdom of heaven." A key is a, badge of authority. Isa. 22:22. Peter was to exercise certain authority—he was to use "the keys of the kingdom of heaven." We must not confuse the "keys of kingdom" with the keys of the church. Matt. 18: 18. Peter alone used the keys of the kingdom. He did not pass them down to any successor of his. When did Peter use "the keys of the kingdom of heaven? On the day of Pentecost he unlocked "the kingdom of heaven" and opened its doors to the Jews; here, in the house of Cornelius he unlocked the doors of "the kingdom of heaven" to the Gentiles. At both unlockings there was a baptism of the Holy Spirit—there has been no baptism of the Holy Spirit since the day in Cornelius' house.

The order of events in Cornelius house that day is the ORDER for Gentiles throughout this age— the gospel age. The order is as follows: The gospel preached and believed in order for a person to be saved. Such person is born of the Holy Spirit. Having been saved through faith in Christ, baptism in water follows—not baptized in order to be saved but because already saved. Or as Peter states in his first epistle chapter 3, verse 21 that "baptism is the like FIGURE (SYMBOL)." Baptism is only a figure or symbol and "(not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the ANSWER (DEM AND) of a good conscience toward God." Baptism does not make or help make a "good conscience." The blood of Christ alone purges the conscience and makes it a good conscience. Heb. 9:14. Only a saved person can have "a good conscience." Baptism is a command to be obeyed by a person already saved. Baptism simply shows to the world that the believer has already died with Christ, buried and risen with Him to walk in a new life. Rom. 6:3-8.

As stated in the outset the works-system includes all works for salvation, whether they be works before the Law, or under the Law, or works now styled Christian works as church membership, baptism, Lord's Supper, etc. None of these works are essential to salvation. That any work is essential to salvation is contradictory to the Scriptures. We shall now see why faith in the Lord Jesus: is alone essential to salvation.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith." We have seen that grace and works cannot be mixed in order to obtain salvation. Rom. 11:6; Eph. 2:8,9. Grace bestows her gift apart from any human merit. If works were essential to salvation then "grace would be no more grace" (Rom. 11:6). Since grace demands no work or merit on the sinner's part, her blessing is a pure gift. How is the gift of grace to be received? Only through faith. "Therefore it is of FAITH, that it might be BY GRACE" (Rom. 4: 16). Grace operates only through faith and not through or by works. She demands no price at the believing sinner's hands. "Being justified FREELY by His grace through the REDEMPTION that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:21). "Freely" in this verse is from the same word in the original translated "without cause." Jesus said "They hated me WITHOUT A CAUSE." There was no CAUSE in Christ for His enemies to hate Him. He did not merit their hatred. Nor are there any merits in the sinner to cause grace to bestow up him her gift—"the free gift of God is eternal life"—simply through faith in Christ. The gift of grace is eternal life. It requires no work on the recipient's part but to receive it. "It is the GIFT of God." Oh, dear reader! How I want you to see that salvation is "the gift of God." I am the owner of a watch given me by a Christian lady, a member of my church. I prize it very highly. I would not sell it at all. I did not give her a thing for it—not even a penny. It is a free gift. All I had to do was to receive it. Had I given her a penny for it, it would not have been a gift. "But the FREE GIFT of God is eternal life." Rom. 6:21 (R.V.) and Eph. 2:8. What statement can be clearer than these? Salvation "is the GIFT of GOD." It is ours simply through FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ plus nothing. See John 3:14-18, 36; 5:24; Acts 10:43; 13:39, 38; 15:9; Romans 3:21-30; 4:1-25; 5-1; 10:9-17; Titus 3:5; II Timothy 3:15 and many other passages. The teachings that men are justified or saved wholly by grace through faith apart from any work runs through the whole Bible like an unbroken thread. To deny this is to supplant God's Word with the devil's lie.

There are two reasons why men must be "saved by grace through faith" plus nothing. The FIRST REASON IS BECAUSE OF MAN'S CONDITION. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way" (Isa. 53:6). "For ALL have SINNED and COME SHORT of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:22). "There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:9-18). This is the Holy Spirit's photograph of every unsaved person. What a picture before God! Nothing the sinner does is pleasing to God. The sinner may do things which in themselves are commendable, but the fact the sinner is in wrong relationship with God. renders his works valueless—his works came from a heart that is defiled. "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). "For out of heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, etc." Matt. 15:19. You may say "I am not a liar, thief or murderer." Before men you may not be, but how before God? God says in the verses read from Romans that all sinners are liars, thieves and murderers. Let us see if God is right. When one denies the Word of God, he makes God a liar. This proves that the sinner is a liar. You say you are not a murderer. Your sins helped to nail Christ to the cross. You say you are not a thief. You are robbing God of your spirit, soul and body. Oh, sinner! accept God's estimate of yourself and come to Christ for salvation.

Sinner friend your "righteousness are as filthy rags" in God's sight. Isa. 64:6. You are as helpless to save yourself as a dead man is to walk. Every firstborn mule of the Israelites had to be redeemed with a lamb. If not, its neck was broken. An unredeemed mule with its neck broken is a type of the sinner. Every person unredeemed by Jesus Christ is on the level of a mule with a broken neck. This is God's estimate of you, dear sinner friend! You can no more work in order to be saved than a mule with a broken neck can work.

God being a just God cannot let sin go unpunished. Since "all have sinned," all must be punished, eternally in hell. God's righteous throne demands such punishment. Although God in grace can forgive all sin, yet in holiness He cannot pass over a single sin without punishment. Although His justice demanded, that all be punished with EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT, yet His mercy provided a SUBSTITUTE for sinners. The substitute is "the Lamb of God"—God's own Son. On the cross Jesus became the sinner's Substitute. In His earthly ministry He was WITH us; on the cross He was FOR us; through the Holy Spirit He is now IN us. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6). "Iniquity" means both sin and the penalty of sin. "For He hath made Him to be sin who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5:21). On the cross Jesus was ADOPTED sin-made sin—for us. In a sense He was no longer God's Son—He was the world's greatest criminal in God's sight for He was bearing the sins of all who would ever believe on Him. He was suffering the full penalty of sin. The full penalty of sin is eternal separation from God and eternal suffering in hell. Since Jesus took the place of sinners on the cross, He, too, must suffer separation from the Father. In a sense God withdrew His Fatherhood from His Son, for He must demand full penalty of sin at His Son's hands. When He withdrew His Fatherhood from His Son on the cross, He stood in relation to Christ as a Judge and not as a Father. Abandoned of the Father and paying the full penalty of our sins, our SUBSTITUTE cried out: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken, me?" This was the concentrated cry of sinners of all ages for Jesus was standing in their place suffering the full penalty of sins of all who would believe on Him.

Dear sinner, He suffered for all of your sins. The moment you believe in Him for salvation that moment your sins are forgiven. He does not simply forgive your past sins and leave it up to you to escape the penalty of your future sins through your own obedience. "He bare our sins (all of them) in His own body on the tree" (I Pet. 2:24). All our sins were then future. He paid the debt in full. "He was delivered for our offenses"—that is, He paid the full debt we owed—suffered the full penalty of our sins—"He was raised for our justification." The resurrection of Jesus is the receipt the Father gave Him showing that He had suffered the FULL PENALTY of sins of all who believed on Him. Since Jesus has suffered the full penalty of sins—paid the debt in full—no believer will ever be called upon to suffer the penalty of his sins; that is, NO BELIEVER will ever GO TO HELL. Had not Jesus paid the debt in full He would have never been raised from the dead. His presence at the right hand of God is testimony that He made a full payment, and there at the right of God, He is the believer's High Priest and Advocate, assuring all believers that "where I am there shall ye be also." During the pioneer days of our country, the sedge grass out West was so high, that a horse could not out run the flames whenever the grass caught on fire. When a person saw the great flames come sweeping toward him he did not attempt to escape by running—it was impossible. He simply set grass on fire about him. When the fire he started had burned off a place; he placed himself on the spot where the fire had passed and was safe from the great flames rushing toward him. Why was he safe? He was standing where the fire had passed over. On the cross of Calvary the fires of God's wrath passed over Jesus, who "was made sin for us," and all who stand by the cross—that is who believe in Him for salvation—are FOREVER SAFE from the FIRES OF HELL, for all believers are IN HIM ON WHOM the fires of God's wrath were poured out nineteen centuries ago.

Sinner, the moment you see that Jesus has suffered the full penalty of your sins on the cross and believe in Him for salvation, that moment you are justified. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God." "Justified." "Peace with God." "Justified"—what a glorious position we are placed in—counted as though we had never sinned." "And by Him, all that believe are JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS." Acts 13:39. Since Jesus has suffered the full penalty of sin on the cross—since our sins were laid on Him and He suffered their penalty—therefore all who believe in Him are at once given Christ's position—"that we might be made righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5:21). "But of Him are ye IN CHRIST JESUS, who of God is MADE unto us wisdom and RIGHTEOUSNESS and sanctification and REDEMPTION" (I Cor. 1:30). Since Christ took our place on the cross, the moment I believed in Him for salvation, that moment I was identified with Him on the throne and His RIGHTEOUSNESS is charged to my account—His work on the cross is charged to my account. IN HIM I stand before God guiltless—yea, counted as though I had never sinned. I am now at "peace with God" for the blood of Christ has met every demand of God's justice.

Dear reader, since Jesus has suffered the full penalty of your sins, trust Him now as your Saviour and He will save you with an everlasting salvation. Then write the author of this booklet and tell him that you have accepted Jesus as your Saviour.

WHAT SAY THE SCRIPTURES CONCERNING BAPTISM?

1. Should be administered to a person immediately upon profession of faith in Christ. Acts 16:33.

2. Only "believers" are eligible for baptism. Matt. 3:6; John 4:1,2; Acts 2:41; 8:12, 36-39; 9:18; 10:44-48; 16-14-16, 32-34; 18:8; 19:1-7.

3. "Much water" required. John 3:23.

4. Going down into water. Acts 8:38.

5. A burial. Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12; I Cor. 15:1,2.

6. Coming up out of water. Matt. 3:16; Acts 6. 8:39.

7. Baptism is not essential to salvation. God has had only "door" in the ark—only one way of justification through all the centuries. There was no baptism in Old Testament times. Abraham was "justified before God" by faith apart from works—he was never baptized. Gal. 3:6-9. He was before men by works. James 2:21-23. All believers are justified before God by faith (Rom. 5:1) and before men by works. Jas. 2:24. Baptism is a work—a command to be obeyed. Salvation is a "gift" and requires only faith in Christ to receive it. Acts 16: 31; John 3:14-16,36; Ram. 4:5; 5:1; Eph. 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5.

8. Baptism is only a "likeness" of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Rom. 6:5. Also a "likeness" of the believer's death to sin, burial and resurrection—to a new life. Baptism is a "figure" and "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer (demand) of a good conscience toward God."

I Pet. 3:21. A "good conscience" (Heb. 9:14) demands that a believer obey the Lord in baptism thereby showing to the world he has put on the Lordship of Christ. Gal. 3:27.

9. Failure to follow Christ in Scriptural baptism hinders fellowship with God (I John 1:7) and robs one of rewards. Matt. 5:19; I Cor. 3:12-15.