Justification by Faith

Numerous errors are being circulated today, among God’s people, regarding justification by faith, sanctification and other salvation doctrines. As a result, many are being misled and captivated by gross errors, most of which have originated in the churches of the world which we know as Babylon. Concerning justification, the servant of the Lord has told us, “The enemy of man and God is not willing that this truth should be clearly presented; for he knows that if the people receive it fully, his power will be broken.” The Review and Herald, September 3, 1889. Is it any wonder then that Satan has infiltrated God’s true church with some of his ministers whom he has inspired to preach a false justification by faith?

Recently I found these alarming inspired passages concerning righteousness by faith. “There is not one in one hundred who understands for himself the Bible truth on this subject that is so necessary to our present and eternal welfare.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 360. “Our churches are dying for the want of teaching on the subject of righteousness by faith in Christ.” This Day With God, 93.

These very disturbing facts have led me to prepare this series. First let us note that, strange as it may seem, the teaching and preaching of error to our people can, at times, result in a great blessing. How could this be possible? Let us take courage from the following counsel from the Lord. “Every time that error is advanced, it will work for good to those who sincerely love God; for when the truth is shadowed by error, those whom the Lord has made His sentinels will make the truth sharper and clearer. They will search the Scriptures for evidence of their faith. The advancement of error is the call for God’s servants to arouse, and place the truth in bold relief.” The Signs of the Times, January 6, 1898. This we shall endeavor to do.

The Basis of Justification by Faith

The Scriptures introduce the basis or the foundation upon which justification by faith rests by explaining what Christ wants to do for us. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17. “For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” John 6:33.

That which Christ has provided for us and wants to do for us is the basis or foundation of justification by faith. In the Bible, both Adam and Christ represent the human race. Therefore, what occurred with Adam and Christ has to do, in a spiritual sense, with everyone born into this world. For example, when Adam, the representative of our race, was tempted to rebel against God and in doing so, sinned, he brought death upon himself and all his descendents. When Christ became our representative by coming to earth in human flesh, He likewise was tempted by the devil to sin. But He did not rebel as Adam had done; He obeyed God. And because of His victory over Satan, He was able and willing to die for our sins so that the sentence of death could be reversed to eternal life—if we accept the gift.

Thus, the result of Adam’s sin was that all have likewise sinned and received the death penalty. But, praise God, the Son of God chose to take the place of Adam as head and representative of the human race and by His death on the cross, He paid the penalty of our death sentence, providing an offer of redemption to all who will believe in Him as we read in John 3:16, 17: “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. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Throughout the entire word of God this basis for justification by faith is confirmed. For example, in Romans 5:12, 17–19 we read: “Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men in condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.”

The Spirit of Prophecy, which is always in harmony with the Bible, likewise teaches that Jesus, in order to save us, took the place of Adam as our representative. “Jesus humbled Himself, clothing His divinity with humanity, in order that He might stand as the head and representative of the human family.” The Signs of the Times, January 16, 1896.

The Conditions

Now let us consider the conditions upon which justification by faith and sanctification are possible for individuals. You may be asking, are there really conditions for a man to be justified? Is not justification a free gift? In 1893, Ellen White wrote to A.T. Jones from New Zealand. Jones, of course, was one of the two men who had presented the truth of righteousness by faith in 1888. However, by 1893, he had begun to proclaim that there are no conditions for justification. The Lord showed his mistake to Ellen White in a vision. The following sentence is from the letter she wrote to him to deliver God’s message. “There are conditions to our receiving justification and sanctification, and the righteousness of Christ.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 377. Meeting the conditions does not mean that we make a payment for our salvation. Man’s works, either before or after justification, are valueless in themselves. They cannot purchase salvation. Salvation is a free gift to those who meet the conditions.

Adam chose to believe the lie of Satan. By sinning he accepted the conditions for believing the lie of Satan that he would become as the gods. He ignored God’s truth, that the wages of sin is death. But when we choose to believe what Christ says, this process is reversed. We reject Satan and accept the following conditions laid down by Christ in order that we might escape death and receive eternal life:

  1. We accept by faith Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on Calvary’s cross for us.
  2. We surrender completely, repent and confess our sins to God.
  3. We believe that God forgives our individual sins.
  4. We personally experience the gift of justification by being born again.
  5. We abide in Christ through a continual, loving relationship of trust and obedience.

Condition One – Accept and Believe

Condition one requires that we believe and personally accept Christ’s sacrifice. It is important that we realize that there is much more in the term “believe” than many have supposed. In fact, all five of the listed conditions are embodied in the words, “Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Belief entails more than a mere verbal or emotional assent. To understand the real depth of what belief means, we must first understand what took place as a result of Christ’s death on the cross.

In Romans 6:23 we read, “The wages of sin is death.” Is Paul here speaking about the first or the second death? God’s word gives us the answer in Revelation 20:6. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power.” And why does the second death have no power? Because Jesus died the second death for those who believe in Him and accept Him as their Substitute. Praise God!

Condition Two – Surrender

The process of surrender involves repentance, confession and death to self and sin. In Acts 2:38, Paul enjoined upon us the necessity of repentance. “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” Now notice the importance that Ellen White gives to this condition. “Repent, repent, repent, was the message rung out by John the Baptist in the wilderness. Christ’s message to the people was, ‘Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish,’ (Luke 13:5) and the apostles were commanded to preach everywhere that men should repent.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 19.

Can we repent in our own strength? We certainly cannot. Through His servant, the Lord says, “Who is desirous of becoming truly repentant? What must he do? —He must come to Jesus just as he is, without delay. He must believe that the word of Christ is true, and believing the promise, ask, that he may receive. When sincere men desire to pray, they will not pray in vain. The Lord will fulfill His word, and will give the Holy Spirit to lead to repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ibid., Book 1, 393.

How important are these conditions? God’s prophet wrote: “Those who have not humbled their souls before God in acknowledging their guilt, have not yet fulfilled the first condition of acceptance. If we have not experienced that repentance which is not to be repented of, and have not with true humiliation of soul and brokenness of spirit confessed our sins, abhorring our iniquity, we have never truly sought for the forgiveness of sin; and if we have never sought, we have never found the peace of God. The only reason why we do not have remission of sins that are past is that we are not willing to humble our hearts and comply with the conditions of the word of truth.” Steps to Christ, 37, 38.

Condition Three – Believe that God Forgives

We must believe that God forgives our sins and before God can forgive our sins, we must take certain steps. “Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus.” The Desire of Ages, 280. This is very important: for Jesus says to the unforgiven, “I never knew you.”

“You have not exercised genuine repentance toward God for the transgression of His holy law, and you cannot have genuine faith in Me, for it was My mission to exalt God’s law.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 239. “To believe in Jesus is to take Him as our Redeemer and our Pattern.” Historical Sketches, 188. After we have met these specified conditions so that we can truly believe in Christ, then we can believe that “the moment we ask for forgiveness in contrition and sincerity, God forgives. Oh, what a glorious truth! Preach it, pray it, sing it.” The Signs of the Times, September 4, 1893.

Condition Four – Experience the New Birth

Christ told Nicodemus that before a man can see the kingdom of God, he must be born again. When God forgives a man, He provides him with a new heart, a new birth. In Ezekiel 36:26 we read, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

Many do not realize that justification by faith includes the new birth, which involves gaining a new mind. However, inspiration clearly reveals this truth. “To be pardoned in the way that Christ pardons, is not only to be forgiven, but to be renewed in the spirit of our mind.” The Review and Herald, August 19, 1890.

The renewing of the mind takes place when we come to the Lord, just as David did after he had sinned with Bathsheba. Consider his prayer in Psalms 51, 2, 7, 10. “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

Ellen White wrote this in commenting upon David’s experience: “But forgiveness has a broader meaning than many suppose.…God’s forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin. [I like that!] It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart. David had the true conception of forgiveness when he prayed, ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.’” Mount of Blessings, 114.

As Water to the Thirsty

Are you beginning to get a clearer picture of justification by faith? Ellen White wrote that when the doctrine of righteousness by faith is presented in all its purity it is “as water comes to the thirsty traveler.” In my younger days, I often hiked in the desert. I well remember once when I was completely out of water and desperate. I suddenly discovered a very small stream trickling into the sand. It was coming from a far off mountain, but still contained enough water to quench my thirst. How thankful to God I was for finding the water.

When we discover the marvelous truth of justification by faith, we, too, will exclaim with Ellen White, “The sweetest melody that comes from God through human lips—justification by faith, and the righteousness of Christ.” Testimonies, vol.6, 426.

At justification heavenly peace floods the soul. Paul tells us in Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” What a glorious truth, that when we are justified, we stand faultless before God because we are clothed in the beautiful garments of Christ’s righteousness.

“As the penitent sinner, contrite before God, discerns Christ’s atonement in his behalf, and accepts this atonement as his only hope in this life and the future life, his sins are pardoned. This is justification by faith.…[For] pardon and justification are one and the same thing. Through faith, the believer passes from the position of a rebel, a child of sin and Satan, to the position of a loyal subject of Christ Jesus, not because of an inherent goodness, but because Christ receives him as His child by adoption. . . . Thus man, pardoned and clothed with the beautiful garments of Christ’s righteousness, stands faultless before God.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1070.

The more we understand about righteousness by faith, the more glorious it becomes. But remember that, “Without the transforming process which can come alone through divine power, the original propensities to sin are left in the heart in all their strength, to forge new chains, to impose a slavery that can never be broken by human power. But men can never enter heaven with their old tastes, inclinations, idols, ideas, and theories.” The Review and Herald, August 19, 1890.

But praise the Lord, through justification by faith the image of Christ is stamped upon the mind, heart and soul making it possible for man to have the mind of Christ as did the apostle Paul. Are you asking, But how can a man be holy? In Christ’s Object Lessons, 163, we find this amazing statement: “As the sinner, drawn by the power of Christ, approaches the uplifted cross and prostrates himself before it, there is a new creation. A new heart is given him. He becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. Holiness finds that it has nothing more to require. God Himself is ‘the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’ Romans 3:26.”

The reception of a new heart and the righteousness of Christ is what makes a man holy. Can you imagine, of a born again man, it is said that holiness “finds that it has nothing more to require?” Ibid., 163. But do not forget, a man will not feel or say that he is holy. Yet this is the way God looks upon him, because of Christ whose righteousness is accounted to him.

“When the sinner is converted he receives the Holy Spirit, that makes him a child of God, and fits him for the society of the redeemed and the angelic host. He is made a joint heir with Christ.” The Southern Work, 12. “The grace of Christ purifies while it pardons, and fits man for a holy heaven.” That I May Know Him, 336.

It is Christ’s indwelling righteousness that both justifies and fits men for heaven. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27. When justification is completed, sanctification has just begun, for Jesus begins to live out His life within man, imparting His righteousness, making him fit and still more fit for heaven as he develops a character according to the pattern Christ Jesus.

The experience of the apostle Paul is to be our daily experience. He wrote in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Christ’s Righteousness Instead of Man’s Sinfulness

What wonderful news! In forgiving our past disobedience the obedience of Christ is placed to the account of the repentant sinner. “The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner’s account. Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, [and] treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loved His Son.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 367.

God loves us as He loved His Son. How incomprehensible! But, beloved, it is true. Oh, what a salvation! The true Christian does not work to be saved. He works the works of Christ because he is saved. Such an experience fills the heart with unspeakable joy and peace. He is having a true and living relationship with his Savior, an experience that makes it possible for him to achieve victory over every temptation and sin.

Condition Five – Continual Obedience

It is through obedience that we maintain our sanctified state, and also, we have learned, continual obedience is the only way we can retain our justified state as well. In Selected Messages, Book 1, 366, we read: “While God can be just, and yet justify the sinner through the merits of Christ, no man can cover his soul with the garments of Christ’s righteousness while practicing known sins, or neglecting known duties. God requires the entire surrender of the heart, before justification can take place; and in order for man to retain justification, there must be continual obedience, through active, loving faith that works by love and purifies the soul.”

Now for one more grand truth. Did you know that as long as we maintain our justification and our sanctification that eternal life has already begun for us here and now? “It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of life eternal.” The Desire of Ages, 388.

This truth is further confirmed by the prophet John. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God: and that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:11–13.

No wonder Paul exclaimed in 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18. “Rejoice evermore.…In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” No wonder Ellen White proclaims, “Preach it, pray it, sing it.”

Lawrence Nelson retired after thirteen years as General Conference Associate Youth Director, and is now speaker of Keep the Faith Audio Tape Ministry.

Clean Hands and Pure Hearts, Part II

The father was discouraged. His son had a problem that they could not overcome. No matter what they did, it came back. (See Mark 9:17–22.)

This is like the person who has a besetting sin that he cannot overcome. He may give it up for a month, but then it overpowers him. He may give it up for three months, but again, he is overcome, until finally he is so discouraged that, like this father, he says to Jesus, “Lord, if you can do anything, please have compassion on me, and help me.”

Jesus promised, “If you are able to believe, all things are possible to the one who believes.” Mark 9:23. All things are possible.

Necessity of Faith

All of a sudden this father had a new revelation. He realized that whether his son was going to be healed or whether he was going to die under the possession of this evil spirit depended on whether or not he had faith. He became scared. We ought to feel scared sometimes.

There is nothing wrong with a minister preaching about hell once in a while. Maybe we do not preach about hell enough. Ellen White said that few believe that we have a heaven to win and a hell to shun. (The Desire of Ages, 636.) It is true that everything is lost if we do not have faith, and this ought to make us scared. We should feel compelled to go to the Lord and ask Him to give us enough faith to be saved. We ought to start talking faith.

Ellen White said that if we talk faith, we will have faith. (Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, 307.) She said, “The simple prayer of faith is music in the ears of the Lord.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 4, 1696. He has the power to solve every problem we have, if we will turn things over to Him, if we will trust Him, and if we will make a full commitment to Him.

We, in English-speaking countries, do not understand very well what the meaning is of the word faith. We think it is a mental assent. That is what they taught in Jesus’ time, too. It is not just making a mental assent; the word faith in the New Testament embodies believing something so much that we make a commitment—a life and death commitment.

This father was scared, and verse 24 says, “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe.’ ” He made a decision. He decided that he was going to believe, but he was struggling with doubt. I have seen this happen over and over again. A person chooses to believe, but he or she is struggling with doubt. The father knew he was in the presence of Someone that had the power, and I believe he ascertained that this Person knew whether or not he had faith. That made him even more scared. He said, “I believe,” but he was struggling with doubt, so he said, “You help my unbelief.”

Commit to Jesus

If you need a word of encouragement, commit your life to Jesus Christ. That is what the word faith means; you make a commitment; you commit your life to Him. He has never, ever, lost one case that has been fully committed to Him. He will not lose your case either, if you make the commitment. You may be the weakest; you may be the most sinful; you may think that your problem is worse than anyone else’s problem; but it is still true that Jesus has never, ever lost one case.

In the day of final judgment at the end of the millennium, when all the lost people are gathered around outside the Holy City, if there is one person in that group who could say, “Lord, I committed my life totally and completely to You by reading Your Word and endeavoring to follow Your instructions, but now I am lost,” it would destroy the government of God. Do you know why? Because if there were just one person who could say that, it would prove that God is a liar.

In Hebrews 7:25, the Bible says that He is able to save perfectly everyone who comes to Him. Jesus said, in John 6:37, “He that comes to Me, I will in no case cast out.” That includes each one of us.

Even if you are the most sinful—even if you are like the father of this child with a problem you have been struggling with for years—come to Jesus.

Causes of Discouragement

Why do people become discouraged? One reason is because they have a problem that seems unsolvable. It just seems to come back again and again.

Another reason people become discouraged is because of what they have lost. I will give you an example from a long time ago. In a cemetery in Petersburg, Illinois, just a few feet from where many of my family members are buried, there is a tombstone for Ann Rutledge. Ann Rutledge was a sweetheart of Abraham Lincoln. No doubt they would have been married, but she became ill and died. On her tombstone is a poem about the experience she shared with Abraham Lincoln. He never got over her death. If you have ever really loved someone and then lost him or her, you may understand.

Ancestral Lessons

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Denmark and to meet with some of my family members whom I had never seen before. They had arranged to take me to the ancient Grosboll Farm. They told me, “Your family does not live here anymore. Even though it is called by your name, all of your family left this farm in 1832.” They took me to two different churches. At the first church, they told me, “Your great, great grandfather was a leader in this church.” It was a very, very old church—hundreds of years old. The nation of Denmark was set in the Protestant Reformation so my family was Lutheran. When we went to the second church, they said, “Your great, great grandmother was christened in this church.” In the back of that church were displayed all the pastors from previous years—all the way back to 1580.

It was there that I learned how different people in my family had been named. Some of the names went back as far as hundreds of years. One of the popular names in that country for Protestant Christian boys was Christian and for female children a feminized derivative of the name Christian. We do that in North America, too. There are several feminine forms of the word Christian, such as Christiana, Christina, Kerstin, and Christine, which I discovered was a common name. All those are derivatives of the name Christian. My great, great grandmother, I learned from her tombstone, was named Kerstin, so that became a very common name in our family. My grandmother named her oldest daughter that name; her middle name was Christine.

Tragic Loss

When my Aunt Christine was 20 years of age, she and a young man were planning to be married, but she became sick and died very suddenly. I met a lady in Texas a few years ago who had been with her the day that she died, and she told me that Aunt Christine had said over and over again, “I do not want to die.” When you are 20 years old, you do not want to die.

Thirty-five years later, the man whom she would have married was the president of the college that I chose to attend. My mother and I went into his office to talk with him, and when we introduced ourselves, he immediately began to talk about Christine.

There was a loss in our family that, in this world, we will never get over. It occurred over 60 years ago. My uncle once told me, “She was the cream of our family.”

People become discouraged because of what they have lost, and some people have lost a lot. Sometimes people come to be discouraged because nobody in this world seems to understand the trials, the trouble, the loss, the grief, the cross, the suffering, the loneliness, the pain that is in their hearts. There may not be anyone in the whole world that understands the pain that is in your heart, because you have a secret grief that nobody else can understand. I want to tell you something. There is Someone that does understand. Not only does He understand, but if you will commit your life fully to Him, He wants to make a contract, a covenant, with you.

Reward of Commitment

The covenant He would like to make with you is found in Matthew 19:29. It says, “Everyone whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters, father, mother, wife [spouse], or children or lands [real estate], on account of My name . . . .” “Oh,” someone may say, “Pastor John, you do not understand my situation. My parents tell me that I must not marry a non-Adventist, and there is no Adventist within close proximity of where I live who is available. How is the Lord going to work out my problem?” I do not know how the Lord is going to work out your problem, but I do know one thing. If you commit your life to Him and if you should lose out on everything for His name’s sake, you shall receive a hundredfold. My aunt lost out on some things. She never married. She never had children. She was trained to be a missionary nurse, but she was only able to work as a missionary nurse for about one year. She missed out on many things of life, but Jesus said, “Anyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold.”

Jesus is coming soon! Sometimes when historic Seventh-day Adven-tist ministers preach, showing the people God’s standard—we must be perfect; we must have absolutely pure hearts; we must have a sinless record; we must have a garment or character without a spot—people wonder how they will ever get ready in time. If you make a complete commitment with the Lord, then that is His problem! Philippians 1:6 says that if you make the commitment, He is going to see you through to the desired goal. God does not make junk, and He does not do a job halfway and then let it be. He is going to lead you to where you need to be, but you must make the commitment.

Jesus is coming soon. I want to tell you one of the things that I look forward to seeing. When I was in Denmark, I visited different cemeteries and churches, and I looked at pictures of my ancestors, and I said to myself, “I know they were all Protestant Christians; I hope these people are saved. I want to meet them.”

A short time before she died, my Aunt Christine had a dream. In her dream, she was taken up to heaven. It was shown to her that most of her family was going to be saved, but not all. That dream made an impression on her younger brother, my father. When I was growing up, my father used to gather us in a circle, at family worship time in the morning and in the evening, and he would pray to God that our family would be saved without the loss of one. I know that I must be saved in order for my father’s prayer to be answered. I have to make the commitment to the Lord so I can be saved and my father’s prayer can be answered.

A Hundredfold

When we are taken up to that better land, I am looking forward to many things, but to one thing especially. Matthew 19:29 says, “Whatever you’ve lost . . . .” If we could fully grasp this, it would change our whole lives. We would not be nearly as concerned about what we have lost in this world. “Whatever you have lost, will be returned to you a hundredfold.” My Aunt Christine is going to be granted a reward that I am not. I did not lose what she lost. I did not have to give up my life when I was 20 years old. I got married. I have two children; I have two grandchildren. I did not lose what my aunt lost, so she is going to receive a reward I am not going to receive, and it is going to be a hundredfold. I do not know what it is, but I want to be there and see her receive it!

Oh, friend, you cannot afford to miss this. You cannot afford to allow the devil to make you so discouraged that you give up. You cannot afford that! If you give up, you are lost. You have to come to the Lord, as did the man in Mark 9. He said, “Lord, if you can do anything, save us.” Verse 22.

The Lord said, “If you can believe, all things are possible.” Verse 23. There is no one so weak, so sinful, that God cannot save, if they are willing to commit their lives to Christ.

“None but God can subdue the pride of man’s heart. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot regenerate ourselves. In the heavenly courts there will be no song sung, To me that loved myself, and washed myself, redeemed myself, unto me be glory and honor, blessing and praise. But this is the keynote of the song that is sung by many here in this world. They do not know what it means to be meek and lowly in heart; and they do not mean to know this, if they can avoid it. The whole gospel is comprised in learning of Christ, His meekness and lowliness.

“What is justification by faith? It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 456.

My friend, I do not know who may read this, but I know there is someone who needs a word of encouragement. I want to tell you that Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to the one that believes,”—to the one who makes the commitment.

The father answered, “Lord, I believe. You help my unbelief.”

The messenger to the remnant church says, “You can never perish if you will pray that prayer.” (See The Ministry of Healing, 65, 66.) Are you willing to pray that prayer right now?

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life Ministry and pastor of the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Editorial – The Questions Jesus Did Not Ask

Christ was not exclusive. . . . In His contact with men He did not ask, What is your creed? To what church do you belong? . . . At all times and in all places He manifested a loving interest in men, and shed about Him the light of a cheerful piety.” The Desire of Ages, 86.

A creed is a brief statement that describes a person’s religious belief, and it is used as a confession of faith. A specific statement of this kind is often used by a church or denomination as an authoritative statement of its beliefs. Some of the more famous Christian creeds include the Nicene Creed, the Apostles’ Creed, the Athanasian Creed, the articles of faith drawn up by the Westminster Assembly, and the Augsburg Confession.

When we ask someone, “What is your creed?” we are really asking, “What do you believe is the truth?” This was a popular question in Christ’s day, and has continued to be ever since. It was a constant question by the inquisition and by the persecutors of all ages. It is a very popular question among historic Adventists.

I have received numerous letters from various ministers and believers in which I am asked, What do you believe about . . . ? Sometimes the questioner asks a number of such questions. To give an adequate answer to some of these questions would require the writing of at least a small book.

Often a question is asked so that it can be shown from your answer that you are a heretic or at least not exactly orthodox. Jesus was asked questions like this by the Jews repeatedly. But Jesus did not ask such questions. Have you ever wondered why?

Another question that is often asked repeatedly is, To what church do you belong? If we are Christians, we need not be embarrassed by declaring who we are and to what organization we belong, and never should we stoop to deception to get somebody to take some literature. Since I try to be as transparent as possible in these situations, I respond that we teach the historic doctrines that Seventh-day Adventists have taught for over 100 years, but that I and the church I attend are not affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Nobody appears surprised at such a response; in fact, many people are more willing to take literature when they learn that we are not affiliated with a denomination.

I have often thought about the fact that Jesus would not have asked either one of those kinds of questions. The type of questions a person asks reveals a great deal about his or her character. When Jesus asked people questions, He was not seeking information; He wanted to awaken in a person’s heart a desire to gain eternal life. We mortals are prone to think, as did the Jews and the state churches of the Dark Ages, that whether or not a person will have eternal life is dependent on whether he or she is a heretic or orthodox (believes in the right creed) and a member of the right church organization. But Jesus thought differently than this, and He asked a different kind of question. “No question of policy could influence His movements. With Him external distinctions weighed nothing. That which appealed to His heart was a soul thirsting for the water of life.” Ibid., 274. Jesus asked questions like this: “Do you want to be made whole?” John 5:6.

Bible Study Guides – Victory Through Believing

June 3, 2007 – June 9, 2007

Key Text

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].” Mark 11:24.

Study Help: Gospel Workers (1915), 161, 162, 259-261.

Introduction

“Jesus said: ‘If Thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’ [Mark 9:23.] All things are possible with God, and by faith we may lay hold on his power. But faith is not sight; faith is not feeling; faith is not reality. ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ [Hebrews 11:1.] To abide in faith is to put aside feeling and selfish desires, to walk humbly with the Lord, to appropriate his promises, and apply them to all occasions, believing that God will work out his own plans and purposes in your heart and life by the sanctification of your character; it is to rely entirely, to trust implicitly, upon the faithfulness of God.” Special Testimonies on Education, 115.

1 What things are possible to the believer? Mark 9:23; Matthew 21:22.

note: “All things are possible to him that believeth; and whatsoever things we desire when we pray, if we believe that we receive them we shall have them. This faith will penetrate the darkest cloud and bring rays of light and hope to the drooping, desponding soul. It is the absence of this faith and trust which brings perplexity, distressing fears, and surmisings of evil. God will do great things for His people when they put their entire trust in Him. . . . Christ will prove a never-failing source of strength, a present help in every time of trouble.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 140.

2 What must we have to please God? What must those who come to God believe? Hebrews 11:6.

note: “Many feel that they lack faith, and therefore they remain away from Christ. Let these souls, in their helpless unworthiness, cast themselves upon the mercy of their compassionate Saviour. Look not to self, but to Christ. . . . As you come to Him, believe that He accepts you, because He has promised. You can never perish while you do this¾never.” The Ministry of Healing, 66.

“Faith can endure trial, resist temptation, bear up under disappointment. Jesus lives as our advocate. All is ours that His mediation secures.” Ibid., 488.

3 How worthless is our righteousness, or our own works, in saving the soul? Isaiah 64:6. What mistake did the Pharisees make? Romans 10:3.

note: “In the estimation of the rabbis it was the sum of religion to be always in a bustle of activity. They depended upon some outward performance to show their superior piety. Thus they separated their souls from God, and built themselves up in self-sufficiency. The same dangers still exist. As activity increases and men become successful in doing any work for God, there is danger of trusting to human plans and methods. There is a tendency to pray less, and to have less faith.” The Desire of Ages, 362.

4 What alone gives victory to the struggling soul? 1 John 5:4. What explanation is given of what is to be overcome in the world? 1 John 2:16.

note: “Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power.” The Desire of Ages, 347.

“The greatest victories gained for the cause of God are not the result of labored argument, ample facilities, wide influence, or abundance of means; they are gained in the audience chamber with God, when with earnest, agonizing faith men lay hold upon the mighty arm of power.” Gospel Workers, 259.

5 How does Christ dwell in our hearts? Ephesians 3:17–19.

note: “Christ must abide in the heart by faith. His word is the bread of life and the water of salvation. Trust in its fullness comes to us through constant communion with God. By eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ we gain spiritual strength. Christ supplies the lifeblood of the heart, and Christ and the Holy Spirit give nerve power. Begotten again unto a lively hope, imbued with the quickening power of a new nature, the soul is enabled to rise higher and still higher.” Counsels on Health, 593.

6 What shield is given to the believer? What will this shield do? Ephesians 6:16.

note: “The work of conquering evil is to be done through faith. Those who go into the battlefield will find that they must put on the whole armor of God. The shield of faith will be their defense and will enable them to be more than conquerors. Nothing else will avail but this¾faith in the Lord of hosts, and obedience to His orders. Vast armies furnished with every other facility will avail nothing in the last great conflict. Without faith, an angel host could not help. Living faith alone will make them invincible and enable them to stand in the evil day, steadfast, unmovable, holding the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 182.

7 What hinders the fulfillment of God’s promises to us? James 1:6, 7; Mark 11:24.

note: “Prayer and faith are closely allied, and they need to be studied together. In the prayer of faith there is a divine science; it is a science that everyone who would make his lifework a success must understand. Christ says, ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’ Mark 11:24. He makes it plain that our asking must be according to God’s will; we must ask for the things that He has promised, and whatever we receive must be used in doing His will. The conditions met, the promise is unequivocal.” Education, 257, 258.

“True faith lays hold of and claims the promised blessing before it is realized and felt. We must send up our petitions in faith within the second veil and let our faith take hold of the promised blessing and claim it as ours. We are then to believe that we receive the blessing, because our faith has hold of it, and according to the Word it is ours. [Mark 11:24 quoted.] Here is faith, naked faith, to believe that we receive the blessing, even before we realize it. When the promised blessing is realized and enjoyed, faith is swallowed up. But many suppose they have much faith when sharing largely of the Holy Spirit and that they cannot have faith unless they feel the power of the Spirit. Such confound faith with the blessing that comes through faith. The very time to exercise faith is when we feel destitute of the Spirit. When thick clouds of darkness seem to hover over the mind, then is the time to let living faith pierce the darkness and scatter the clouds. True faith rests on the promises contained in the Word of God, and those only who obey that Word can claim its glorious promises.” Early Writings, 72, 73.

8 What proclamation of deliverance is made to those in the bondage of sin? Isaiah 61:1–3. What further assurance of deliverance is given the captives? Isaiah 49:24, 25.

note: “Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. The greater the sinner’s guilt, the more he needs the Saviour. His heart of divine love and sympathy is drawn out most of all for the one who is the most hopelessly entangled in the snares of the enemy. With His own blood He has signed the emancipation papers of the race.

“Jesus does not desire those who have been purchased at such a cost to become the sport of the enemy’s temptations. He does not desire us to be overcome and perish. He who curbed the lions in their den, and walked with His faithful witnesses amid the fiery flames, is just as ready to work in our behalf to subdue every evil in our nature. Today He is standing at the altar of mercy, presenting before God the prayers of those who desire His help. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration.” The Ministry of Healing, 89, 90.

“The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazing that Satan, with all his triumphant boasting, with all his confederacy of evil united against God and the laws of His government, stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries and delusions. They are to him an incomprehensible mystery. The angels of God, seraphim and cherubim, the powers commissioned to cooperate with human agencies, look on with astonishment and joy, that fallen men, once children of wrath, are through the training of Christ developing characters after the divine similitude, to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations and pleasures of heaven.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 18.

9 From how many things in the life may we be delivered? Hebrews 2:18. (Compare Hebrews 4:15.) What should deliverance lead men to do? Psalm 107:15, 16.

note: “Jesus . . . walked once a man on earth, His divinity clothed with humanity, a suffering, tempted man, beset with Satan’s devices. He was tempted in all points like as we are, and He knows how to succor those that are tempted. Now He is at the right hand of God, He is in heaven as our advocate, to make intercession for us. We must always take comfort and hope as we think of this. He is thinking of those who are subject to temptations in this world. He thinks of us individually, and knows our every necessity. When tempted, just say, He cares for me, He makes intercession for me, He loves me, He has died for me. I will give myself unreservedly to Him. We grieve the heart of Christ when we go mourning over ourselves as though we were our own savior. No; we must commit the keeping of our souls to God as unto a faithful Creator. He ever lives to make intercession for the tried, tempted ones. Open your heart to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and let not one breath of doubt, one word of unbelief, escape your lips, lest you sow the seeds of doubt. There are rich blessings for us; let us grasp them by faith.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 391.

10 What declaration of faith did Paul once make under trying circumstances? Acts 27:22–25.

note: “Those who open their hearts and homes to invite Jesus to abide with them should keep the moral atmosphere unclouded by strife, bitterness, wrath, malice, or even an unkind word. Jesus will not abide in a home where are contention, envy, and bitterness. . . .

“Paul had a healthful religious experience. The love of Christ was his grand theme and the constraining power that governed him.

“When in most discouraging circumstances, which would have had a depressing influence upon halfway Christians, he is firm of heart, full of courage and hope and cheer, exclaiming, ‘Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, Rejoice.’ [Philippians 4:4.] The same hope and cheerfulness is seen when he is upon the deck of the ship, the tempest beating about him, the ship going to pieces. He gives orders to the commander of the ship and preserves the lives of all on board. Although a prisoner, he is really the master of the ship, the freest and happiest man on board. When wrecked and driven to a barbarous island, he is the most self-possessed, the most helpful in saving his fellow men from a watery grave. His hands brought the wood to kindle the fire for the benefit of the chilled, shipwrecked passengers. When they saw the deadly viper fasten upon his hand, they were filled with terror; but Paul calmly shook it into the fire, knowing it could not harm him; for he implicitly trusted in God.” My Life Today, 334.

11 How did Abraham lay hold of a wonderful promise of God? Romans 4:19, 20. Of what was he fully persuaded? For what was his faith imputed? Verses 21, 22.

note: “No cross, no crown. How can we be strong in the Lord without trial? To have physical strength, we must have exercise. To have strong faith, we must be placed in circumstances where our faith will be tried. Every temptation resisted, every trial bravely borne, gives us a new experience, and advances us in the work of character building.” Reflecting Christ, 349.

“God is testing the motives and principles of men and women. Strong faith and much prayer will bring heavenly angels to our side. By patient continuance in well doing, we become channels of light.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 254.

12 What is the source of victory? 1 Corinthians 15:57.

note: “If we would enter the city of God, and look upon Jesus in His glory, we must become accustomed to beholding Him with the eye of faith here. The words and the character of Christ should be often the subject of our thoughts and of our conversation; and each day some time should be especially devoted to prayerful meditation upon these sacred themes.” Messages to Young People, 114.

Adapted from “The Victorious Life,” Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly, Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California, 1924.

Children’s Story – Even the Winds Obey Him

World War I had just ended, but there was still trouble in many places in Europe. Groups of soldiers were making their way toward their homes, and violence was common.

In a certain village lived a good Christian family who loved God and served Him faithfully. One day, soldiers appeared outside the village. More and more soldiers kept coming until they surrounded the town and were camped all around the countryside. They were placed so that they could shoot anyone who tried to leave the village. They demanded food. They took what they wanted, and then they set fire to the town.

The houses in that village all had thatched straw roofs. The weather had been very dry, and a strong wind was blowing. The whole town was rapidly being burned. The flames grew larger and larger as the wind drove the fire straight toward this Christian family’s house!

“Father, what shall we do?” the mother and the children asked. “Let’s run! Otherwise, we will surely die!”

“If we run out of the house, the soldiers will kill us,” the father answered. “I believe God will protect us, for He has promised never to leave us or to forsake us no matter what may come.”

Then Father and Mother and the children all knelt down and began to pray. As they prayed, the fire came closer and closer. Before long, the house next to theirs began to burn. The fire came within two feet of their roof. But they kept on praying.

Suddenly, they heard a strange sound. They stopped praying and looked out the windows to see what it was. They saw that the wind had changed and was blowing right away from their house. It was blowing so strongly that the fire could not touch them. God had heard their prayers. They were saved!

“I know there is a God in heaven and that He hears the prayers of His children,” the father said. “We are never in danger when the Lord is with us.”

Surely, even the winds obey Him (Matthew 8:27).

Storytime, Character-building Stories for Children, 80, 81.

The Gospel of Peace

Pope Pius XII was born in 1876. His father was an attorney and both parents were staunch Roman Catholics—a tradition that he carried on in his decision to train for the priesthood. He became a priest, and later became the archbishop of Germany; his name was Eugenio Pacelli. He created the legal agreement between the papacy and Nazi Germany in 1933 and 1934 and became the 260th pope in 1939, a position he retained during the Korean War until his death in 1958.

His personal physician, Dr. Galeazzi Lisi, wrote an article for a publication in Rome in which he described the agonizing death of Pope Pius XII and revealed the pope’s constant insecurity regarding the future. The article met with disapproval on the part of church authorities, and so the copies of the newspaper were confiscated before they could be distributed and Dr Galeazzi Lisi was dismissed from his position. After all, here is a person who is supposed to send you to heaven or hell, and as he is approaching death he is fearful and he has great insecurity regarding the future.

Dr. Walter Montano, a Protestant, and the editor of the Christian Heritage at the time, said, “Well, this is the very same thing that happened when Pope Benedict XV died in 1922.” The following appeared in the December 1958 issue of Christian Heritage:

“One can feel only a sense of pity for the last end of such a man. How is it possible that the ecclesiastical demigod who had the keys of heaven and earth is unable to use those keys to gain entrance into his own eternal salvation? What a pathetic ending for a man who has devoted his life to religion, who has directed, as they say, the bark of St. Peter, who is infallible, who has elevated the virgin Mary to a state that no other pope had dared to imagine. At the end of his life he dies in fear and agony, not knowing what the future holds in store for him. All the pomp and ceremony, all the masterfully devised rituals in his honor may impress the people, especially Roman Catholics, but they cannot gain him one inch of heaven. What about his soul and his eternal destiny? What Roman Catholic knows where this pope is right now?”

The doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church established that anyone who says “I am saved” at any time in his life commits a mortal sin. If Pope Pius XII had the courage to express faith in the One who died for our sins, if he had realized that there is only one mediator between God and man, if he had accepted the fact that Christ’s death invalidated any other sacrifice and that He died for the sins of the world, then he would not have faced a death of fear and desperation; a truly agonizing death. Instead, he would have been able to say, “I know in whom I believe.”

Do you know in whom you believe? If you had to face death today, would it be a fearful, agonizing experience, or could you say, as the apostle Paul said to Timothy just before he died, “I know in whom I believe and I know he can keep that which I have committed to Him until that day.” II Timothy 1:12.

One of the most religious men in the world who devoted his whole life to religion somehow didn’t understand the very basis of the Christian religion or the gospel. Unfortunately, this misunderstanding is not isolated to Catholicism. How can you have confidence that a certain person can give you eternal life if he does not have any confidence himself of eternal life when he dies?

“In whom we have the redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of transgressions according to the richness of His grace which super abounded unto us in all wisdom and knowledge, having made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He purposed beforehand in Himself so that in the management of the fullness of the times He might gather altogether all things in Christ, the things upon the heavens and the things upon the earth in Him.” Ephesians 1:7–10.

Paul says our redemption price has been paid and we have redemption now. Money has nothing to do with our redemption. There are hundreds of millions of people today who call themselves Christians who believe that their redemption lies in going through certain religious ceremonies and paying money to the church, but that is not what the Bible says.

How do we have redemption? From where does the redemption come? The Bible teaches that we have redemption through His blood. Galatians 3:21: “Is therefore the law against the promises of God? Not at all. For if a law had been given which is able to make life or to bring to life, then righteousness would have been from the law.” He goes on to show that this was not possible; there is no law that has ever been given or can ever be given that can give life. If eternal life could be given through a law or through your keeping a law, if life could be given that way, Jesus would not have needed to come and die on the cross.

But righteousness is not obtained in that way. You cannot get righteousness by going to church; you get righteousness from Jesus Christ. It is His blood that paid the price for our sins. We do not generate righteousness ourselves. Look in the book of Isaiah 64:6: “We are all as an unclean thing, all of us; all of our righteousness is as a filthy garment; then we fade as a leaf, all of us; our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Literal translation.)

What is our righteousness like? We do not have any, we cannot generate it, we cannot make it and we cannot get it for money. This false concept was one of the precipitating factors of the Protestant Reformation.

In Isaiah 55, God invites everybody who is thirsty to come, for it is not through paying money or doing good works that you can get your sins forgiven.

Romans 10:3 says: “For they being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” The Jews were trying to work out their own righteousness, but were unable.

Paul states clearly that righteousness is not obtained through works. In the books, Romans and Galatians, Paul explained most fully righteousness by faith. Why do you suppose that it is in the book to the Romans that righteousness by faith is explained in the most detail? God knew that it would be in the Roman church where men would depart from the truth of the gospel regarding righteousness by faith. When you depart from this, you do not have the gospel anymore and you are headed for an ending like that of Pope Pius XII. He came from a very distinguished family and was a brilliant man—a genius and talented in many areas. He had tremendous ability, but none of this helped him one bit when he came to the end of his life. Nor shall it help anyone else in the end. We may not die before Jesus comes. No matter how or when, though, the end will come and result in either eternal death or eternal life, the latter of which is unattainable unless the gospel is received and understood.

“There is not a point that needs to be dwelt upon more earnestly, repeated more frequently or established more firmly in the minds of all than the impossibility of fallen man meriting anything by his own best good works. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone.” Faith and Works, 18.

There is nothing that you will ever be able to do that will merit salvation; nothing. Salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Through His grace we are capable of good works, but the good works should not be an attempt to merit grace.

When Paul explained the gospel to the Galatians and showed them that they had strayed in this regard, he told them that they started right but now were going to try to finish the Christian experience a different way. He said that even if an angel of heaven tells you another gospel, let him be cursed. That is strong language.

The reason Paul stated it that way is because there is an angel that used to be in heaven that is telling the people another gospel all the time, including Adventists. Martin Luther believed this, and he tried so hard and never gained any assurance of salvation. That is why Pope Pius XII had no assurance of salvation when he came to his death, because he never knew if he had done enough. Martin Luther believed the same thing and was trying to work his way to salvation by doing good works. He went to Rome and, while he was there, he climbed a staircase that was supposed to have come from Jerusalem. The rumor was that these stairs had been taken miraculously by angels from Jerusalem to Rome, and ascension was supposed to offer special grace.

Martin Luther was climbing up this staircase on his knees, attempting to do everything that he knew to obtain salvation. He said later that Romans 1:16, 17 came to him, “like a thunderclap in my ear”; “The righteous man shall live by faith.” He got up and he walked back down the stairs and he never tried to earn salvation through works again. He started studying the subject in Romans and Galatians and the Old Testament concerning David. Right at this time, the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church was being built in St. Peter’s Square where it still stands today, a building of enormous cost. A man by the name of Tetsel came to town and told the people that if they pay money to the church it would go towards building St. Peter’s in Rome, and for supporting this “noble cause” all sins would be forgiven immediately. The people were paying their money, and they thought their sins were forgiven. Martin Luther was outraged by this practice, and worked to put an end to it.

A war started, as Tetsel was threatened by what Martin Luther taught. In 1517, Martin Luther developed 95 theses against the selling of indulgences, and nailed it to the church door. Within a matter of days, that document had been copied and was all over town, and within a matter of about five or six weeks, it was all over Europe. The debate between the Reformation and Roman Catholicism was over the simple question, how are you saved?

“Knowing that a man is not made righteous, or justified from the works of the law, but rather through faith in Jesus Christ or the faith of Jesus Christ, and we have believed in Jesus Christ in order that we might be made righteous or justified out of the faith of Christ and not out of the works of the law.” He goes on to say that not one single person can pay for their salvation in any way. Galatians 2:16.

Paul says that no flesh will be justified, or made righteous, by works. Ephesians 2:8–10 says, “By grace you have been saved through faith and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God. Not out of works, in order that anyone should boast; for we are made in him, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God prepared beforehand in order that we should walk in them.”

Notice the progression here in verses eight to ten; he says that you have been saved by grace. It is not of works; it is a gift. But when you have been saved, then you can do good work. It is very important not to get the cart before the horse, as they say. Yes, good works appear, but do good works appear in order that you can be justified, or do good works appear after you are justified; which is it? Do good works cause you to be saved, or are the good works the result of your being saved? Which is it; what is it saying here? Do you get the order right? You are saved by grace, and as a result of being saved, good works do follow in your life.

We can read many texts on this; let us look at the gospel of John. The writings of Paul are not the only place where the gospel appears, of course, in the Bible. John 3:35, 36, John the Baptist speaking, it says, “For the Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, or everlasting life, and the one who is disobedient to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.”

What is necessary to receive life? To believe in the Son. If you believe in Him, you have life. If you will not believe in Him, if you will not commit to Him, then you will not have life. He says the very same thing in I John 5:11, 12: “The one that has the Son has life; the one who does not have the Son does not have life.”

Teachers used to say, if you really know something, you can explain it in simple language. That is the way with the gospel. The apostle Paul, in Acts 16, explains it to a heathen man in one sentence.

Acts 16:30, 31—to the Philippian jailer—“And bringing them outside he said, ‘lords, what is necessary for me to do so that I might be saved?’ ” That is the most important question a human being can ask. What shall I do so that I might be saved? Well, Paul is going to tell him the answer; here it is, in one verse: “And they said, believe upon the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, and your house.”

Could it be this simple? Look at that text; it covers everything. What do you have to do to be saved? You believe. By the way, the word “believe” means to commit. You commit to whom? It says, believe upon the Lord. Who is the Lord? The apostle Paul told him in one sentence how to be saved: believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. It is that simple; if you make the commitment to Jesus as your Lord and Savior you will be saved. Jesus—the word Jesus means “Savior,” and if you commit to Him as the Lord of your life and Savior from sin, you are going to be saved. The concept is not the complicated part: it is the execution that becomes hazy for most. It is simple, but it is hard to do. We have a natural instinct to want to be independent. You cannot be saved if you are independent of Jesus. The result of receiving the gospel: Paul mentions it in Romans 5:1; it is peace. This was the very thing Pope Pius XII did not have on his deathbed.

Paul was not in turmoil when he was going out to be beheaded; in fact, the people who witnessed his martyrdom converted to Christianity because of his quiet spirit. There is no fear, no torment, or trouble. In his face they saw that he had the peace of heaven, and many onlookers wanted to have a share of that peace. Unfortunately, the world today does not have it, and even many people who call themselves Christians do not have it. Pope Pius XII did not have it. But Paul calls the gospel the “gospel of peace,” because our God is a God of peace.

Study the New Testament, and look at the salutations that Paul gives to the churches when he writes his letters. He always gives it in a certain order. Grace and peace be to you. He never says peace and grace; why? Because you have to receive grace first or you will not have any peace, but when you receive the grace of God, when you receive the gospel, then you have peace. You do not have any peace today unless you have received the grace of God into your heart and into your life.

Many Adventists are afraid that the stock market is going to crash, and therefore they are going to have to run somewhere. Why are Adventists so fearful? There is only one thing that makes people so fearful, and that is that they have never really experienced the gospel. The apostle Paul experienced the gospel, and nothing could make him fearful; he was not troubled because they were going to chop his head off; he was not troubled because of that.

Peter knew he was going to be crucified, and yet he wasn’t troubled. In reading the history of the rest of the apostles and the early Christians, death couldn’t take their peace away; why not? Look at what Jesus said about it.

Jesus, speaking to his disciples on the night that he was betrayed, says, “Peace I am leaving with you, my peace I am giving to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27.

If you have the peace of Jesus, you are not going to be troubled or afraid. Friends, have you read prophecy; do you know what is going to happen right as we approach the end of the world? Well, what are you going to be doing as you see all these things happening that are described in the latter half of the book of Revelation? Is there fear or peace? Have the peace of Jesus, and no matter what happens on the outside, it cannot take away that peace.

Paul says in Galatians 1 that the gospel makes peace. If the gospel does not bring peace to your mind in this troubled world, then you do not really have the gospel yet. The gospel is called the good news. Is it a message about righteousness resulting in good works, leading people to strive to gain peace with God through either ceremonies or duties? That would not be good news, because that message would never bring peace; that would bring turmoil to the person who is struggling to meet the standards that are built on the system.

In The Desire of Ages, 35, 36, Ellen White says that every system of false religion is built on the doctrine of salvation by works. Every system; it is not just the Roman Catholic system, it is all systems of false religion.

This peace is the healing of the relationship between God and man, and when you have peace with God, as Paul says in Romans 5:1, then it does not matter what happens in the world outside. That is why Jesus said, in John 14:27, “I am not giving peace to you like the world gives; the peace of the world can be taken away, but the peace that Jesus gives cannot be taken away.” The apostles were always talking about it: almost every letter that Paul wrote he begins by saying, “Grace and peace to you.”

Peter preached the gospel to a heathen man who does not understand it, and the very first sermon was the good news of peace through Jesus. “We do not ask people to bring anything in their hand in an attempt to buy peace because Jesus is our peace.” Ephesians 2:14.

You and I cannot make peace with God ourselves. Not only can we not make peace with God ourselves; we are incapable of maintaining peace with God, but Jesus has made the peace for us already, and He has given it to us as a gift. This is what Paul talks about in Romans 3:24–26, 28, about how we are justified, and Romans 4:4, 5, how it doesn’t come through works; it is a gift. In Romans 3 and 4 Paul says over and over that works have nothing to do with it.

God knew there would be people who would be saying we are saved by grace and works, but that is not the gospel. If you believe you are saved by grace and works, here is the first question for you. When have you done enough works? Do you see the dilemma you are in? You will never be able to do enough works so that you feel satisfied; you will never have peace, because you do not have the gospel. Salvation by grace and works is not the gospel.

Christ’s righteousness is credited to the believer on the basis of faith alone. It is not credited to those who work to gain it, but only to those who trust in the all-sufficient Savior alone.

“Therefore what shall we say, that the nations which had not pursued righteousness have obtained righteousness, but it is the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which pursued the righteousness which is of the law, did not attain unto righteousness. Why? Because it is not of faith, but out of works; they stumbled at that stumbling stone, just as it is written, Behold I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 9:30–33.

So, justification is by faith because it is in harmony with grace, which is the free and unmerited favor of God, and it cannot be earned or purchased or merited. Faith has no merit of itself; it performs no meritorious works to gain favor; it simply trusts in the giver of the grace, and is the only basis by which God declares a sinner righteous.

When you are justified by faith, the result is always peace inside; if you do not have the peace, you have not experienced the gospel yet. It is that simple. Paul said: the Jews want a sign; the Greeks, they want wisdom; we preach Christ and Him crucified; to the Jews, it is a stumbling block, and to the Greeks it is just foolishness, but to those of us who are to be saved, it is the wisdom of God and it is the power of God. Is that the peace that you have, or does the following quotation describe more accurately the condition of your heart right now?

“The reason for the uncertainty of the state of grace lies in this: without a special revelation nobody can, with certainty of faith, know whether or not he has fulfilled all the conditions that are necessary for achieving justification.” That comes from the Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, 262, published in 1974. If that is your belief, you will never have peace, because you will never know if you have ever done enough. So, what are the conditions to achieve justification? Is it something that you are going to have to do? No. It is when you believe in Jesus as the Lord of your life and your Savior from sin. Then you are given His righteousness, and as a result of receiving His righteousness He gives you at the same time His peace. Then you will have peace, no matter how much trouble there is in the world outside.

From now on until Jesus comes, there is going to be every manner of rumor and scare imaginable, and you are not going to make it unless you have the gospel. If you have the gospel and you have committed your life to Jesus Christ, you will have peace on the inside, and you don’t need to worry about what everybody is saying on the Internet is going to happen. You don’t have to worry, because you can have peace on the inside.

“If any man can merit salvation by anything he may do, then he is in the same position as the Catholic to do penance for his sins. Salvation, then, is partly of debt, that may be earned as wages. If man cannot, by any of his good works, merit salvation, then it must be wholly [completely] of grace, received by man as a sinner because he receives and believes in Jesus. It is wholly a free gift. Justification by faith is placed beyond controversy. And all this controversy is ended, as soon as the matter is settled that the merits of fallen man and his good works can never procure eternal life for him. … Justification is wholly of grace and not procured by any works that fallen man can do.” Faith and Works, 19, 20.

Ellen White goes on writing about this, and emphasizes it over and over again. Do you have peace inside? Do you realize that as we approach the end of the world the people of this world are going to get more and more troubled until, as Jesus said, their hearts are going to fail them for fear and for looking for what is coming on the earth? What is going to happen to you then? If you have accepted the gospel, if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He says, My peace I have given to you; do not be troubled, do not be afraid; I will never leave you, and I have given my peace to you, and you do not need to be afraid and panicky like everybody else in the world. We need to say, Lord Jesus, I am committing my life to you. I want you as my Lord and Savior from sin; I pray that you will give me that grace, that justification that will result in peace so that I do not have to be troubled like everybody else in the world. It is the most wonderful thing you can ever receive: Jesus’ peace that nobody can take away from you.

(Some Bible verses paraphrased.)

Pastor John Grosboll is director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Merit or Grace

In the beginning of Acts 16, it says that while Paul and Silas were answering the Macedonian call in Philippi, they were beaten and put in jail without a trial. That night there was an earthquake, and the jailer was also afraid that the prisoners would escape, which would result in him being under the death sentence, so he decided to kill himself. “But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.’ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, And he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ ” Acts 16:28–30.

That is the most important question that any human being can ask: “What must I do to be saved?” Paul says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household” (verse 31). That night was a successful one night evangelistic series. No sermons were preached; it consisted only of a song service. Paul and Silas, in chains, sang in the prison praising the Lord. Then, suddenly, there was an earthquake. The jailer realized the prisoners had something that he did not have, and he wanted it; he wanted to be saved. They told him to, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”

Salvation is not complicated. It is simple enough that a child can understand it. All you have to do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Believe is often translated faith in the Bible. The Greek word translated believe, means to believe something enough to make a commitment to it. It is not merely an intellectual knowledge; it is a commitment. To believe in Jesus is to make a commitment to Him.

United States citizens are proud that they live in the land of the free and the home of the brave and do not live under the servitude of lords. The Roman Empire did understand the meaning of the word lord, because approximately two-thirds of the population was in slavery, with only one-third free. Those who were unfortunate to be slaves had a lord. Their master was called their lord. And that master, or lord, had absolute authority over their lives. In fact, if the slave did something that the lord did not like, he had authority to kill him without a trial because he was a slave. When Paul said, “Believe in the Lord,” the jailer knew exactly what the word Lord meant.

In Western society today, there are many who say they believe in Jesus as their Lord, but He had something to say to them. “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46. Is Jesus really Lord to those who disobey Him and are they guaranteed salvation? Jesus predicted that in the last generation this very thing would happen.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you: depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” Matthew 7:21–23.

Notice, these are people who call Jesus Lord, but they do not do what He says. They break His law. There is no nation in the world that does not have laws. Judges in the courts of all countries consider a person to be a loyal citizen if he keeps the laws. God also has laws, and He decides the loyalty of the citizen of His government by the keeping of His law. In the final judgment, God will ask the same question that worldly judges ask: “Have you kept the law?”

When countries make laws, they are ever changing them and updating them. It is estimated that there have been over 35 million different human laws made; however, in God’s government, He has made only one law that has ten parts. The whole universe can be governed with one law that a child can read and understand. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15.

Ellen White wrote, “Let this point be fully settled in every mind: If we accept Christ as a Redeemer, we must accept Him as a Ruler. We cannot have the assurance and perfect confiding trust in Christ as our Saviour until we acknowledge Him as our King and are obedient to His commandments. Thus we evidence our allegiance to God.” Faith and Works, 16.

Is Jesus the Lord of your life? Many people today in the Western world want Jesus to be the Saviour of their life, but they do not want Him to be the Lord of their life. In essence they are saying, “We won’t have this man reign over us” (Luke 19:14).

  • Paraphrasing John 3:16, it is seen to have seven parts after recognizing God:
  • “God” – brings us to acknowledge an Almighty Authority, Himself, He
  • “so loved the world” – the strongest motive, love
  • “that He gave” – at ultimate cost
  • “His only begotten Son” – that resulted in the greatest gift that has ever been given
  • “that whoever” – this is the widest welcome that has ever been given
  • “believes in Him” – that is the easiest escape that has ever been given
  • “should not perish” – assuring divine deliverance
  • “but have everlasting life” – they will receive a priceless possession

Putting it all together, John 3:16 would read, “The One who has Almighty authority, motivated by the strongest motivation, gave the greatest gift, to give us the widest welcome, and the easiest escape, and divine deliverance, so that we might have a priceless possession.”

It is this subject that we are admonished to talk about the most. Ellen White wrote, “There is not a point that needs to be dwelt upon more earnestly, repeated more frequently, or established more firmly in the minds of all, than the impossibility of fallen man meriting anything by his own best good works. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. …

“Let the subject be made distinct and plain that it is not possible to effect anything in our standing before God or in the gift of God to us through creature merit.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 420.

If we are going to inherit eternal life, we need to understand that there is nothing we can ever do to provide any part of the merit. It is a gift that comes through grace alone, to the person who believes. One of the greatest deceptions of all time, that has permeated all heathen religions and also the Christian world, is the idea that we are saved by faith and works.

Martin Luther fought this idea during the reformation. The belief that a person is saved by faith and works opens the door for believing that not only your own good works, but also those of others and even the saints give merit to salvation.

The book of James says that, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20, 26). True faith produces works; however, those works have no merit and have no saving power.

“Should faith and works purchase the gift of salvation for anyone, then the Creator is under obligation to the creature. Here is an opportunity for falsehood to be accepted as truth. If any man can merit salvation by anything he may do, then he is in the same position as the Catholic to do penance for his sins. Salvation, then, is partly of debt that may be earned as wages. If man cannot, by any of his good works, merit salvation, then it must be wholly of grace, received by man as a sinner because he receives and believes in Jesus. It is wholly a free gift.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 420.

When you work or have a job, your employer is obligated to give you the appropriate wages. But if a man cannot, by any of his good works, merit salvation, and it is received by him, as a sinner, just because he receives and believes the promise in Jesus, then it is completely by grace—a free gift.

The apostle Paul wrote about this a great deal in the books of Romans, Galatians and Ephesians. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9. “If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imparts righteousness apart from works.” Romans 4:2–6 (Literal translation).

Paul emphasized this point because of the error being taught in Christ’s day that a person was saved by grace, but they needed to do something first; they needed to be circumcised first, and then they would receive the grace.

That same teaching is very popular in churches today, including the Protestant churches, but it is not called circumcision. Some say first you need to repent, and that is true, but there are no merits in repentance. Some say that you need to have faith—belief. There is no merit just because you have faith. Salvation is through grace alone; it is a free gift and does not come because of anything that you do.

“It [salvation] is wholly a free gift. Justification by faith is placed beyond controversy. And all this controversy is ended, as soon as the matter is settled that the merits of fallen man in his good works can never procure eternal life for him.” Faith and Works, 20.

But the devil pulls another trick on those who do understand that there is nothing you can do to save yourself. Hundreds of millions of Christians in the world today believe that the church can save you if you are a member or are baptized. If you are a member of the Catholic Church, you need to be an active participant in the seven sacraments, which, if observed, enable you to receive the grace.

Stated bluntly, the church is unable to save anyone, and there will be billions of people lost who have been baptized. Billions of people who have partaken of the communion supper will not be in the kingdom of heaven. We cannot save ourselves, and the church cannot save us either. This same deception that is popular today was also popular in the days of Christ. The people believed that if they were not connected to Israel, the church, they would not be saved. Even Christ’s disciples believed this.

John records an incident when Jesus gave sight to the man who was born blind. There was a big church trial, and before it was over, because the man confessed Christ, he was disfellowshiped. “The Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ His parents answered them and said, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.’ ” John 9:18–21.

Everybody in town, including his parents, knew what had happened, because the news had gone all over town, so why did they lie? They must have known it was wrong to lie and that no liars will be in heaven (Revelation 21:8). “His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, because the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed He was the Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.” John 9:22 (Literal translation).

They were under one of the most powerful delusions that can happen to a person. They had been taught that if you were disfellowshiped from the synagogue, you would not have eternal life. Ironically, the very thing they did do, lie, would keep them out of the kingdom of God. They thought that as long as they stayed in and had that connection with the church, they would be saved.

If they really wanted to be saved, they would have had to allow themselves to be disfellowshiped and not lie. This story is important, because this has happened millions of times since then. The very thing that people think will assure them of eternal life is the very thing that guarantees their destruction. Jesus’ own disciples believed this.

“ ‘I am the true Vine’ [John 15:1]. The Jews had always regarded the vine as the most noble of plants, and a type of all that was powerful, excellent, and fruitful. Israel had been represented as a vine which God had planted in the Promised Land. The Jews based their hope of salvation on the fact of their connection with Israel.” The Desire of Ages, 675.

Jesus says, “I am the real vine. Think not that through a connection with Israel you may become partakers of the life of God and inheritors of His promise. Through Me alone is spiritual life received.” Are you connected with the True Vine? Baptism with water is a symbol and important, but if you do not have what it represents, the symbol will not save you.

Peter explains what baptism represents. “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ ” Acts 2:37, 38. Baptism by water represents baptism by the Holy Spirit.

Even though church will not save you, it is important to belong to one. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body (the church)—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” I Corinthians 12:13. Baptism, water baptism, is the door into the church. But water baptism is a symbol that won’t save you if you don’t have what it represents.

You become a member of the body of Christ when you are baptized by the Holy Spirit. Paul met some people in Acts 19 who had been baptized, and he asked if they had received the Holy Spirit. They said they had been baptized into John’s baptism and were told they needed to be baptized again. This clearly indicates that baptism is not really valid if you have not received the Holy Spirit.

There are many who have attended church all their life and decide to be rebaptized because they did not know before what they were doing or were not prepared. They did not receive the Holy Spirit.

If you have not received the Holy Spirit, the church cannot save you. The big question is, Are you connected with Jesus? Jesus said, “I am the true Vine.” There are two things working to connect the branches to the grape vines. The outer connection, the lignite in the wood, just holds them physically to the vine. The outer connection could be likened to church membership. When a person is baptized with water and makes a profession, they are now a “member” of the church, outwardly. It has an outer connection, but if the life sap does not flow through the inner part of that vine into the branch, it will die. This is described in John 15.

The dead branch is a person who is a member of the church, professing to be a Christian. They profess to be getting ready for Jesus to come, and they look like they are connected, but the only trouble is, there is no life in them.

When working with grape vines, you learn to trim and tie up the vines. Every dead branch is cut off. Jesus said, “That’s what My Father does.” Notice what He says in John 15:2–5: “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes [cleanses/purifies], that it may bear more fruit. You are already purified or cleansed, because of the word which I have spoken to you. ‘Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing’ ” (Literal translation).

Is the life of Christ coming into your life and is the Holy Spirit working a transformation in your life, changing the way you think and the way you act? Do others recognize you as a Christian?

There have been many discussions about creature merit. Theologians have been arguing these things for hundreds of years. Ellen White wrote about these discussions. She said,

“Discussions may be entered into by mortals strenuously advocating creature merit, and each man striving for the supremacy, but they simply do not know that all the time, in principle and character, they are misrepresenting the truth as it is in Jesus. They are in a fog of bewilderment. They need the divine love of God which is represented by gold tried in the fire; they need the white raiment of Christ’s pure character; and they need the heavenly eyesalve that they might discern with astonishment the utter worthlessness of creature merit to earn the wages of eternal life.” Faith and Works, 23.

How much is creature merit worth? She calls it utter worthlessness.

“The Lord Jesus imparts all the powers, all the grace, all the penitence, all the inclination, all the pardon of sins, in presenting His righteousness for man to grasp by living faith—which is also the gift of God. If you would gather together everything that is good and holy and noble and lovely in man and then present the subject to the angels of God as acting a part in the salvation of the human soul or in merit, the proposition would be rejected as treason.” Ibid., 24. Even the angels would say it was treason against the government of God.

Salvation is not complicated. It is a natural human tendency to want to do something to gain merit, so that we can be saved, but we can never be saved that way. Ellen White says, “He need not wait until he has made a suitable repentance before he may take hold upon Christ’s righteousness. We do not understand the matter of salvation. It is just as simple as ABC. But we don’t understand it.” Ibid., 64.

How can you receive the gift of salvation? Just say, “Lord, I’m choosing to believe in Jesus as the Lord of my life and Saviour from sin.” Jesus stated it in that simple language, over and over again. The apostle John, more than any other apostle, quoted Jesus’ words on that subject. For instance, he said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” John 5:24. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” John 6:47. That is not complicated. Jesus said, “If you believe in Me, you have eternal life.”

There is much to be thankful for. “The people had not been destroyed by the serpents in their long travels through the wilderness. They had been an ungrateful people.

“We are just so. We do not realize the thousand dangers that our heavenly Father has kept us from. We do not realize the great blessing that He has bestowed upon us in giving us food and raiment, in preserving our lives by sending the guardian angels to watch over us. Every day we should be thankful for this. We ought to have gratitude stirring in our hearts and come to God with a gratitude offering every day. We ought to gather around the family altar every day and praise Him for His watchcare over us. The children of Israel had lost sight that God was protecting them from the venomous beasts. But when He withdrew His hand their sting was upon them.” Ibid., 69.

We ought to have such gratitude that we gather around the family altar every day and praise Him for His watchcare over us. The children of Israel had lost sight that God was protecting them from the venomous beasts, but when He withdrew His hand, their sting was upon them. If we could just comprehend how simple the plan of salvation is. All you have to do is choose to believe. Some may say they cannot. Remember the man who came to Jesus and He said, “If you can believe, everything is possible” (Mark 9:23). The man then said, “Lord, I believe,” but he was struggling with doubt, just the way people are today. It is the devil’s intention to try to destroy all who believe by causing doubt. This man was struggling with doubt, and he said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” [verse 24].

Ellen White says that if you pray that prayer you can never perish. The plan of salvation is that simple. If we really believed it, we would be happy; we would be thankful; we would be rejoicing; we would be praising God every day for what He has done for us.

In the wilderness, the children of Israel were told to look at the brass snake and be saved (Numbers 21:8, 9). The Lord says, “Look unto Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and none else.” Isaiah 45:22 (Literal translation). This is not complicated. Are you willing to look? A dead snake, a brass snake, cannot save anybody. The Lord says, “If you will look, I will save you.” The problem we have is that we live in a world where the religion of Cain is more popular than the true religion. The religion of Cain says you have to do something for the Lord to save you. That is a deception. Just come to Jesus, just the way you are right now, with all of your sins, with all of your weaknesses. You cannot make yourself better.

Jesus said, “He who comes to Me, I will in no case cast out” (John 6:37). If you will come, He will save you. If you look, He will save you. You don’t have to do something first; just come to Jesus right now, just the way you are, with all of your sins, with all of your guilt, with all of your failings, with all of your past; come with everything that is wrong with you. He just says, “Look to Me. Come to Me, I will save you. You do the coming, I will do the saving.”

We cannot save ourselves; the church cannot save us, and no human being can save us. Only Jesus can save us.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Free Seventh-day Adventist Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

If you Believe-Then Follow

Many of the most famous people who have ever lived were not at all popular among their contemporaries during their lifetime. Abraham Lincoln received only forty percent of the popular vote in 1860. The apostle Paul was despised and considered a teacher of dangerous doctrines by both the pagans and the Jews. Even many Christians had an intense dislike for him.

Why were so many people in New Testament times, all over the Roman Empire, so upset with Paul and his teachings? Interestingly, one of the prominent reasons that many people, Jews and Christians alike, were upset with him was because of his teaching about how a person is saved. What he taught is recorded in his letter in Romans 4:1–5. He says, “What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.”

Paul clearly states that a man is not saved by his own works. Salvation comes through grace alone, through faith, and not by means of money or by any effort on his part.

In the early church there were leaders, as there have been in all ages since then, who asked what would motivate people to do what is right. Notice what Paul said about that in Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Salvation comes as a free gift from God when you exercise faith in Jesus Christ. That is what the apostle Paul told the Philippian jailor in Acts 16 when he came and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ ” Acts 16:30, 31.

Salvation is not complicated; it’s very simple.

If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved. Sometimes people say that they believe in Jesus Christ but they really do not know what that demands. In the New Testament, the words “to believe,” or “to have faith” mean that you believe something strongly enough to make a commitment. To “believe” in Jesus Christ therefore means that you believe in Him to the extent that you acknowledge Him to be your Lord and act accordingly. Notice what Jesus said about that in Luke 6:46. Jesus asked the following question to the Jewish people. He said, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?”

When you believe in Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life, you will choose to follow Him. At that time you will receive salvation as a gift of the grace of God. It will not be because of anything that you do or that you deserve. Over and over again the apostle Paul taught this in his letters. Notice what he said in Galatians 2:16 when speaking to a group of churches in what we call Turkey today that had gone into apostasy. He said, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

Paul taught that salvation came through grace alone when faith is exercised and when you believe in Christ as your Lord and Saviour. There are millions of Christians, even today, that do not believe this. Notice what Paul wrote to a young minister in Titus 3:3–5. He said, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”

He emphatically taught that you cannot be saved by going through any manner of religious rituals. The Jews tried that. Expanding on the writings of Moses they added all manner of religious rituals and customs. There were so many rules and regulations that it was almost impossible for anybody to keep them all. Paul wrote that nobody can be saved because he goes through a certain religious rite or exercise.

Some may believe that being baptized saves them. Baptism, like other religious rituals, is a symbolic act. If all you have is the symbol, but do not understand what is symbolized, then you do not have the reality. That was the problem with the Jewish religion. Every sacrificed animal was a symbol of the promised Messiah to come Who would offer His life for the sins of the world. Unfortunately, they lost sight of the reality and rejected the Messiah. They continued with the sacrificial services, even though once Christ had come they had lost their meaning. In Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, in the 10th chapter, he wrote that animal sacrifices cannot take away your sins or provide salvation (Hebrews 10:4). It is only the blood of Jesus Christ that can take away sins and enable us to enter by faith “the Holiest” (verse 19) where our sins are forgiven.

What about baptism and circumcision?

In Colossians 2:11 Paul addresses that. He wrote, “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Circumcision and baptism are both symbols. Circumcision is a symbol of cutting away sin in your life. Baptism is a symbol of washing away the sins from your life. If you go through the symbol, but never have the experience that is symbolized, then you can have no assurance of salvation.

Notice 1 Corinthians 12:13, where Paul said, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” Here he talks about being baptized by the Holy Spirit. There will not be any person who is truly baptized with the Holy Spirit that will not be in the kingdom of heaven. But there will be millions of people who have been baptized with water that will not be in the kingdom of heaven because they merely had the symbol, but were never baptized by the Spirit. In fact, on the Day of Pentecost, it says in Acts 2:38: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ ” The whole purpose of baptism was to receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:2–6 records a time when Paul met some men who had been baptized by John but had not received the Holy Spirit: “He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ So they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” A baptism of repentance is not enough. You need to receive the Holy Spirit. Have you received the Holy Spirit?

Baptism is a symbol of dying to the old life and rising to walk in newness of life. It is a symbol of being baptized by the Holy Spirit, receiving the new birth so that you have a new heart, a new spirit and a new mind. It was for this reason that many Jews and others did not like what the apostle taught because they wanted a religion where you had to do something to be saved. Paul taught the opposite: you cannot be saved by doing anything yourself. Salvation is a gift by grace through faith alone to all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and choose to follow Him. But this was not the only reason the people were unhappy with Paul.

The Futility of Pagan Religion

Throughout his letters and preaching he showed the worthlessness of pagan philosophy, which made the pagans very unhappy with him. He opposed the philosophers when he spoke to them in Athens, as recorded in the 17th book of Acts. It says, “Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

“Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

“Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter.’ ” Acts 17:22–32.

He pointed out that the true God is the One that made the heavens and earth, that He is Lord of all of it, and that He is not worshiped by replacing Him with things that you can make. The pagans did not like this teaching of the apostle Paul because, as you can see in the 19th chapter of Acts, they realized that if the apostle Paul’s teachings were accepted, the income that they made from their idolatrous religion would end. They were loath to lose that money.

The apostle wrote about this again in Romans 1. He explained the worthlessness, the futility of pagan philosophy. Notice what he said: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things.

“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

“For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:20–32.

The pagans did not like Paul’s teachings because it revealed that their way of life was futile, worthless, and even worthy of death. He exposed the futility of pagan philosophy over and over again in his letters. The pagans were upset with him because he explained that their way of life was empty and did not lead to life everlasting or salvation, but was worthless because it rejected the wisdom of the Creator.

The Jews Reject Paul’s Teachings

Although there were many pagan people, idolatrous people, who were unhappy with the apostle Paul as is documented in the book of Acts, the people that caused him the most trouble were the Jews. Why were they so upset with what he taught? The Jews, who had the Old Testament, believed themselves to be the greatest religionists in the world. Yet they too hated Paul because he exposed their heresies. He said, “You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ as it is written. For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” Romans 2:23–29.

Over and over again the apostle Paul dwelt on this matter. It is not whether or not you go through outward rituals, performing outward religious symbols, or keep certain religious observances that makes the difference. What makes the difference is whether or not you have been changed on the inside.

Jesus also reprimanded the Jewish people about this same experience. He said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. … first clean the inside … that the outside of them may be clean also.” Matthew 23:25, 26.

Paul effectually told the Jews that all of their religion was worthless if it was just a matter of outward action and their hearts had not been changed. In Romans 9:6–8, he said, “But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called.’ That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.” The Jews considered that simply because they were Jews, they were assured of salvation, but Paul told them that they were mistaken and that some of them were not even part of Israel.

Notice that for a person to be part of spiritual Israel he must be born again. It is the inward spiritual experience that determines a man’s destiny. When the heart is changed, it will be seen in his actions, but trying to change the outside when the heart is corrupt will not result in any lasting change. This is the doctrine that Paul taught the Jews that the majority rejected. Religion must involve a change of heart and not just a change in outward appearances.

The ceremonies that were given to Moses to instruct the children of Israel, had their time and place, but once Christ had fulfilled His mission they had lost their purpose and became empty forms. In Galatians 6:15, Paul says, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.”

Paul Teaches the New Birth Experience

Have you been born again? Has your heart been made new? Remember, a birth creates a new being. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Most Assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5. Have you allowed Jesus to create a new heart in you? If you have, you are a new person and what happens on the outside will reflect the new heart. You will hate the things you once loved and love the things that you once hated.

When you study the life of the apostle Paul, one of the most unbelievable things that stands out is that it was not only the pagans or the Jews who rejected his theology, but it was even many of the Christians who thought he was a teacher of dangerous doctrines. There are many Christians even today who do not understand that Paul clearly taught the importance of the new birth, even though it occurs in one form or another throughout his writings (see Ephesians 1:4, II Corinthians 7:1 and Colossians 3:1–3). Over and over again, the apostle taught that it was necessary to “follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.

Paul taught that only those who were sanctified; in other words, only those who were living a holy life, would receive the gift of salvation. Now we are not holy, and we cannot make ourselves holy, for only God can make any person holy, but God has promised to make His children holy. He has promised His children that if they would follow Him, and follow His instructions, He would make them holy. That is what the new birth is about also, changing a person’s heart so that they live a different life. Paul says in Romans 7 that the law is holy, just and good (verse 12). The person who is a holy person will be keeping the principles of the law, the Ten Commandments.

Friend, do you have that essential ingredient to obtain the gift of salvation? Has the Holy Spirit made you new? Has the Holy Spirit given you a new heart? Are you living a new life because you have been made clean and holy on the inside? If not, ask the Lord to give it to you, so that you may be changed inside, and be made ready to receive the gift of salvation and eternal life when Jesus returns.

“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.