NoOne
Gone but not forgotten.
Have you ever heard some preacher say, “There are many things in the Bible which are hard to understand but, thank God, the plan of salvation is as simple as can be?”
Well, it is simple IF…
For the rest you will have to read this article.
Yes, the plan of salvation is simple IF the Scriptures are rightly divided. Otherwise it is far from simple. Hence the grave responsibility upon those engaged in the work of the Lord to obey II Timothy 2:15:
“STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD, A WORKMAN THAT NEEDETH NOT TO BE ASHAMED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH.”
Let us illustrate:
Here in the heart of Indianapolis, let us say, stands a man who has been convicted of his sin. He is miserable as, at last, he sees himself as he really is—a guilty, condemned sinner.
As he stands there brooding, Mr. Average Fundamentalist comes walking down the street. In his lapel he has a button which reads “Jesus Saves.” Seeing this our unsaved friend thinks, “Here is the man for me,” and approaching him says, “I wonder if you can help me. I’m in trouble. What must I do to be saved?”
“Why!” exclaims Mr. Average Fundamentalist, “I’m so glad you ask me. There are some things in the Bible which are hard to understand but, thank God, the way of salvation is as simple as can be.
“Look here in my New Testament at Acts 16:30,31. When the Philippian jailer asked the same question, Paul answered “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Isn’t that simple! That’s all you need to do. Just believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and salvation is yours. And here are a few more Scriptures along the same line:
“John 3:36: ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.’
“Rom. 4:5: ‘But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
“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. “‘
But while Mr. Average Fundamentalist has been showing our friend the simple plan of salvation a Roman Catholic has been listening to the conversation. At last he can contain himself no longer. Stepping up to Mr. Fundamentalist he says, “Pardon me for interrupting, Sir, but you are leading this man astray. Don’t you know that James 2:20 says that ‘FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD!’ And I dare you to read James 2:24 to this man.”
Turning to the passage Mr. Fundamentalist reads:
“Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”
“Could anything be plainer than that?” asks the Roman Catholic; and with this he begins to outline all those works which he considers necessary to salvation.
Just then a “Campbellite” steps up and says, “I’ve been listening to you gentlemen and if you will pardon me I think Mr. Fundamentalist is making salvation too easy while our Catholic friend here is making it too hard. It shouldn’t be difficult to determine what is required for salvation, for our Lord Himself made it very plain when He commissioned His apostles to preach the gospel. Look here in Mark 16:15,16 we have it as simple as can be:
“‘And He said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be ****ed.’
“Isn’t that plain? If this Scripture means anything, then those who believe and are baptized, and those alone, are saved, And notice how carefully Peter carried out this commission at Pentecost. When his hearers were convicted of their guilt and began to ask what they must do to be saved, what did he say to them?
“Acts 2:38: ‘Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’
“It seems to me that anyone who really wants to know the truth should see that — it’s so simple.”
But now a Pentecostalist steps into the circle, almost exploding: “Why didn’t you read those next verses in Mark, Mr. Campbellite? Why did you stop right in the middle of the passage? The rest is plain too, only you won’t receive it. See what it says here:
“‘And these signs shall follow them that believe; in My name shall they cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. ‘
“Isn’t that perfectly plain?
“So according to the same ‘Great Commission,’ if you do not have miraculous powers you are not a true believer. You can’t make it mean anything else, for it distinctly says ‘these signs shall follow them that believe.’
“None of you can deny that under the ‘Great Commission,’ which practically all Christians claim to follow, faith and water baptism are the requirements for salvation while miraculous powers are the evidences of salvation.”
Finally one more person joins the company, saying, “Haven’t you men all forgotten something?” “What?” they all ask.
“Why, apparently you have forgotten that there is an Old Testament in the Bible! And the Old Testament is three times as large as the New!”
The speaker is a Seventh Day Adventist, and he presses his point home:
“Don’t you know the terms of God’s holy Law? Let’s turn to Exodus 19:5 and see what it says:
“‘Now therefore if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine:’ “
With Scripture after Scripture the Seventh Day Adventist seeks to prove that the observance of the ten commandments is essential to acceptance with God. Especially does he stress sabbath observance as the very sign of relationship to God. To prove this he quotes Ex. 31:13 and 17:
“Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, verily My sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.”
“It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever:…”
Well, it is simple IF…
For the rest you will have to read this article.
Yes, the plan of salvation is simple IF the Scriptures are rightly divided. Otherwise it is far from simple. Hence the grave responsibility upon those engaged in the work of the Lord to obey II Timothy 2:15:
“STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD, A WORKMAN THAT NEEDETH NOT TO BE ASHAMED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH.”
Let us illustrate:
Here in the heart of Indianapolis, let us say, stands a man who has been convicted of his sin. He is miserable as, at last, he sees himself as he really is—a guilty, condemned sinner.
As he stands there brooding, Mr. Average Fundamentalist comes walking down the street. In his lapel he has a button which reads “Jesus Saves.” Seeing this our unsaved friend thinks, “Here is the man for me,” and approaching him says, “I wonder if you can help me. I’m in trouble. What must I do to be saved?”
“Why!” exclaims Mr. Average Fundamentalist, “I’m so glad you ask me. There are some things in the Bible which are hard to understand but, thank God, the way of salvation is as simple as can be.
“Look here in my New Testament at Acts 16:30,31. When the Philippian jailer asked the same question, Paul answered “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Isn’t that simple! That’s all you need to do. Just believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and salvation is yours. And here are a few more Scriptures along the same line:
“John 3:36: ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.’
“Rom. 4:5: ‘But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
“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. “‘
But while Mr. Average Fundamentalist has been showing our friend the simple plan of salvation a Roman Catholic has been listening to the conversation. At last he can contain himself no longer. Stepping up to Mr. Fundamentalist he says, “Pardon me for interrupting, Sir, but you are leading this man astray. Don’t you know that James 2:20 says that ‘FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD!’ And I dare you to read James 2:24 to this man.”
Turning to the passage Mr. Fundamentalist reads:
“Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”
“Could anything be plainer than that?” asks the Roman Catholic; and with this he begins to outline all those works which he considers necessary to salvation.
Just then a “Campbellite” steps up and says, “I’ve been listening to you gentlemen and if you will pardon me I think Mr. Fundamentalist is making salvation too easy while our Catholic friend here is making it too hard. It shouldn’t be difficult to determine what is required for salvation, for our Lord Himself made it very plain when He commissioned His apostles to preach the gospel. Look here in Mark 16:15,16 we have it as simple as can be:
“‘And He said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be ****ed.’
“Isn’t that plain? If this Scripture means anything, then those who believe and are baptized, and those alone, are saved, And notice how carefully Peter carried out this commission at Pentecost. When his hearers were convicted of their guilt and began to ask what they must do to be saved, what did he say to them?
“Acts 2:38: ‘Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’
“It seems to me that anyone who really wants to know the truth should see that — it’s so simple.”
But now a Pentecostalist steps into the circle, almost exploding: “Why didn’t you read those next verses in Mark, Mr. Campbellite? Why did you stop right in the middle of the passage? The rest is plain too, only you won’t receive it. See what it says here:
“‘And these signs shall follow them that believe; in My name shall they cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. ‘
“Isn’t that perfectly plain?
“So according to the same ‘Great Commission,’ if you do not have miraculous powers you are not a true believer. You can’t make it mean anything else, for it distinctly says ‘these signs shall follow them that believe.’
“None of you can deny that under the ‘Great Commission,’ which practically all Christians claim to follow, faith and water baptism are the requirements for salvation while miraculous powers are the evidences of salvation.”
Finally one more person joins the company, saying, “Haven’t you men all forgotten something?” “What?” they all ask.
“Why, apparently you have forgotten that there is an Old Testament in the Bible! And the Old Testament is three times as large as the New!”
The speaker is a Seventh Day Adventist, and he presses his point home:
“Don’t you know the terms of God’s holy Law? Let’s turn to Exodus 19:5 and see what it says:
“‘Now therefore if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine:’ “
With Scripture after Scripture the Seventh Day Adventist seeks to prove that the observance of the ten commandments is essential to acceptance with God. Especially does he stress sabbath observance as the very sign of relationship to God. To prove this he quotes Ex. 31:13 and 17:
“Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, verily My sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.”
“It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever:…”