SALVATION AS A GIFT
James, our Lord's physical
half-brother, affirms: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning" (Jas. 1:17). I have heard preachers say, in effect,
the good gifts include the sunshine, the rain and other material blessings. The
perfect gifts are Christ, his church and salvation. There is a problem with
that interpretation. Both words translated "gift" are from the same
basic Greek word. The first word refers to the act of giving and the second
word means that which is given. The act of giving and the gift itself are from
God and therefore good and perfect.
Probably the best-known use of the
word "gift" appears in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. "For by
grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift
of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we
should walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10). Paul used a different word for
"gift" when he told the Romans: "For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom.
6:23). The Greek word in this verse literally means "a gift of
grace." Our brief study today will be devoted to the theme:
"Salvation as a Gift."
I have said before and I repeat:
"I appreciate the letters and e-mails I receive from listeners."
Unfortunately, there are times when I am unable to respond in a letter or in an
e-mail. My schedule is very full with writing, recording, preaching in meetings
and delivering lectures at churches and in other places. But if I can respond
on radio to a letter or to an e-mail, it is easier for me to work it into my
schedule. I take this opportunity to respond to a letter from a gracious
listener. He writes: "I would like to hear your view on the subject of
salvation being the gift of God. I'm sure your listeners would like your views
on this most important subject. To be wrong on this subject is to rob God of
his honor and glory." I sincerely thank my gracious correspondent for his
letter.
There are two extremes with regard to
salvation. There are religions that teach that man's salvation is wholly dependent
on his good works. According to this view, if a man's good works do not
outweigh his bad works, he will be lost. If this view were correct, men and
women could earn salvation. Why would we need the sacrifice Christ made for our
sins if could merit our salvation? Let me say as plainly as I am able: If you
lived a thousand years and worked diligently every day for the Lord, you could
not earn salvation.
The other extreme affirms that man
has nothing to do to be saved. The Universalists teach that every person who
has ever lived, who is living today and who will ever live will be saved. Is
that really what Universalists teach? Carlton Pearson, one-time heir apparent
to Oral Roberts, has published a book with the title, The Gospel of
Inclusion: Reaching Beyond Religious Fundamentalism to the True Love of God and
Self (York: Atria, 2006). Pearson's Pentecostal brethren
excommunicated him because he preached the Gospel of Inclusion, that is,
"The whole world is saved, but they just don't know it" (p. 5).
Incidentally, neither Christ nor his apostles knew it either. And you know
Carlton Pearson's book is way off in left field when it has the endorsement of
former Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong.
Our Calvinist friends vigorously
disagree with the Universalists. But many of them believe we are
unconditionally elected or at least, that is what they preach. In fact, one of
the major beliefs of Calvinists is unconditional election.
"Unconditional" means there are no conditions. If that were true, the
Universalists would be right. The reason I say that is very simple: Since God
is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35), if he will unconditionally save one
person, he will unconditionally save every person. But you know from your study
of the scriptures that not all people will be saved. In the final judgment,
Jesus himself will say to the wicked: "Depart from me, you cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Mt. 25:41).
My correspondent says: "It's
common sense to believe that if you have to do something to get something, it
is no longer a gift." I must ask him and you: Was salvation for the people
on Pentecost, at Samaria and at Corinth a gift? Did they do anything to receive
the gift of salvation? Let us briefly examine these three conversions to
ascertain exactly what happened. Thousands of Jews on Pentecost heard the
Apostle Peter preach the first gospel sermon every recorded. Peter convinced
the Jews of their involvement in the death of their own Messiah. He concluded
his sermon with these challenging words: "Let all the house of Israel know
assuredly, that God has made this same Jesus whom you have crucified, both Lord
and Christ." Did the Jews believe Peter's sermon? You know they did or they
would not have asked Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and
brethren, what shall we do?" Were they saved by faith alone? If they were,
why did Peter command them: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:36-38)? Did the Jews on Pentecost receive
the gift of salvation before they repented and were baptized or after?
The disciples of Christ were driven
from the city of Jerusalem. "Therefore they who were scattered abroad went
everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria,
and preached Christ unto them" (Acts 8:4-5). Philip's sermon convinced
some of the Samaritans to believe and to obey the gospel. "And when they
believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the
name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" (Acts 8:12).
Was it absolutely necessary for the Samaritans to believe the gospel and to be
baptized to receive the gift of salvation or was it bestowed on them without
conditions? You should have no difficulty answering my question. Did believing
in Jesus Christ and being baptized mean they earned their salvation? Was
salvation still not a gift?
The Apostle Paul was one of the
greatest missionaries who ever lived. He was dedicated to spreading the
soul-saving gospel of Christ to every person who would listen. He preached to
the Jews in the synagogue at Thessalonica, to Lydia, a seller of purple from
the city of Thyatira, to a jailer in Philippi and to some philosophers in
Athens, Greece. After leaving Athens, he preached in a synagogue at Corinth. He
testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. "And Crispus, the chief
ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of
the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized" (Acts 18:4-5,8). Did
the Corinthians receive salvation as a gift? There is not the slightest doubt
about it. Did they have to meet any conditions to receive that gift? They had
to believe and be baptized.
Should anyone be surprised at what
occurred in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, at Samaria or at Corinth? Jesus
had commanded his apostles: "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he who
does not believe shall be condemned" (Mk. 16:15-16). Is being saved the
same as receiving salvation as a gift? If it is - and it unquestionably is - we
must do something to receive the gift. Alien sinners must believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God (John 8:24), repent of their alien sins (Acts
17:30-31), confess their faith in Jesus Christ before men (Mt. 10:32-33) and be
baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). It is then and only then that
men and women receive the gift of salvation.
My gracious correspondent asked:
"What did Lazarus do to get out of the tomb that enclosed his decaying
body? Nothing! It was a gift of Jesus Christ. I think you get my drift. A dead
sinner (spiritually) is just as helpless as Lazarus was." Let me say as
kindly as I know how: Christ's raising Lazarus from the dead is not a parallel
to men's receiving salvation as a gift. There is no indication that Lazarus had
any part in being raised. But the people on Pentecost, at Samaria and at
Corinth wanted to be saved. They were told what they had to do to be saved and
they did it.
Paul discussed the spiritual
condition of the Ephesians before they obeyed the gospel. "And you has he
quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1). Does the word
"dead" mean a person can do nothing? I am aware that Lazarus was dead
and could do nothing. But is that true of human beings who are not saved? Jesus
used the same Greek word for "dead" when he described the church in
ancient Sardis. "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis, write; These
things says he who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know
your works, that you have a name that you live, and are dead." Jesus
Christ did not tell them they could do nothing. He commanded them: "Be
watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die: for I
have not found your works perfect before God" (Rev. 3:1-2). Spiritually
dead people believed and obeyed the gospel at Jerusalem, in Samaria and in
Corinth.
My correspondent says that
"sinners become active after they are made alive by the sovereign will of
God who has mercy on whom he will." If sinners can become active only
after they are made alive by the sovereign will of God, how can we explain what
happened in every case of conversion in the book of Acts? No preacher in
apostolic times ever told an alien sinner he could not believe or obey the
gospel. In fact, Paul was critical of some of the Romans because they had not
obeyed the gospel (Rom. 10:16). If they could not obey the gospel or if it did
matter whether they obeyed it, why does Paul use that kind of language?
There are a number of key words we
must examine when we discuss salvation as a gift. Do you have any idea how many
times Bible writers use the word "do?" It appears 576 times in the
New Testament. Sometimes it refers to what God does or has done. But many times
it tells us what we must do. In his great Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told all
men what they had to do. "Not every one who says unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father
who is in heaven.... Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does
them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock"
(Mt. 7:21,24). Does Jesus mean we have to do the will of God to receive
salvation as a gift?
The word "do" is one of
the key words in understanding and applying the book of James. James uses the word
"do" twelve times. For example, "Therefore to him who knows to
do good, and does it not, to him it is sin" (Jas. 4: 17). He uses the word
"doer" five times. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers
only, deceiving your own selves. For if any man be a hearer of the word, and
not a doer, he is like unto man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he
beholds himself, and goes his way, and immediately he forgets what manner of
man he was. But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues
therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man
shall be blessed in his deed" (Jas. 1:22-25). If salvation as a gift does
not require any action on our part, why does James speak of our being
"doers of the word?" Why would we have to continue in the word?
Have you examined the many times
the Bible writers use words like "must," "should" and
"ought.”? Jesus told Nicodemus: "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of heaven .... Marvel not that I said unto you, You must be born
again" (John 3:5, 7). If men have nothing to do to receive salvation as a
gift, why did Jesus tell Nicodemus he had to do anything? Does God force the
new birth on people? Do we not choose whether we will be born again? Can a
person reject the gift if he does not want it or is the choice wholly God's?
I do not have the time in today' s
lesson to discuss other words that make no sense if men have nothing to do to
receive salvation as a gift. I encourage you to study words like
"remain," "abide," "work" and "obey." I
shall read two verses that have a bearing on our study. Paul told Titus what
constituted good preaching. "This is a faithful saying, and these things I
will that you affirm constantly, that they who have believed in God might be
careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto
men" (Tit. 3:8). If salvation as a gift does not demand obedience, why
must anyone maintain good works? The author of Hebrews says very plainly:
"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things that he
suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to
all them who obey him" (Heb. 5:8-9). Is he the author of eternal salvation
to those who do not obey him? If we must obey him to enjoy the promise of
eternal salvation, there are conditions to our receiving salvation as a gift.
My correspondent sent me a copy of
a pamphlet entitled "Our Suffering Substitute" by Charles Haddon
Spurgeon, one of England's most influential Baptist preachers. Spurgeon was a
radical Calvinist. But he was involved in what was known as "the
Down-grade Controversy." In his outstanding book, Ashamed of the
Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World (Wheaton:
Crossway, 1993), Dr. John McArthur, Jr. provides a number of excerpts from
Spurgeon's sermons. He quotes Spurgeon as saying: "Biblical truth is like
the pinnacle of a steep, slippery mountain. One step away, and you find
yourself on the down-grade." Spurgeon encouraged his listeners:
"Count you the cost, and if you are not willing to bear Christ's cross, go
away to your farm and your merchandise, and make the most of them; only let me
whisper this in your ear. 'What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole
world and lose his own soul ", (p. 21)? Spurgeon must have believed there
were some strings attached to receiving salvation as a gift.
Would it surprise you that some
preachers do not believe we have to be holy to receive salvation as a gift? In
his book, The Challenge of Cults and New Religions (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), Dr. Ron Rhodes has one brief section with the
heading: "Maintaining Holiness Is not a Condition of Salvation." Dr.
Rhodes argues: "The view that one must maintain holiness to sustain one's
salvation goes against God's gospel of grace as clearly delineated in
Scripture" (pp. 274-275). Dr. MacArthur expresses concern that "the
modern gospel promises heaven apart from holiness" (p. 36). Has Dr. Rhodes
read and does he believe these words from the book of Hebrews: "Follow
peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord"
(Heb. 12:14)? Did the author of Hebrews not know that salvation as a gift
requires nothing on the part of the recipient?
After we have accepted the gift of
salvation, can we ever reject it? If we can, the gift has conditions. The book
of Acts records the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Christ instructed him to go
into Damascus and there he would be told what he had to do. God sent Ananias
who said to Saul: "Why are you waiting? Arise, and be baptized, and wash
away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). Paul
explained to the Corinthians that he could be a castaway. "But I keep my
body under me, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I
have preached to others, I myself might be a castaway" (1 Cor. 9:27). The
Greek word translated "castaway" literally means one has been tried
and found wanting. Some versions render the Greek "disqualified" or
"rejected." Charles Williams translates the Greek "unfit to
run."
No book in the Bible more clearly
teaches the possibility of apostatizing than Hebrews. The inspired author
warns: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief, in departing from the living God" (Heb. 3:12). The word
"brethren" shows conclusively that the author is referring to members
of the body of Christ. The word "departing" comes from the Greek apostenai
- the Greek word
from which we derive our word "apostatize." We can reject the
gracious gift of salvation by turning our backs on the Lord. If we do not
repent of our rebellion, we will be eternally lost.
But no one need fall away. God has
given us an infallible guide to Christian living and to acceptable worship. If
you are not a Christian, will you not this very day confess your faith in
Christ and be baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins? If you have
obeyed the gospel and have turned back to the weak and beggarly elements of the
world, you can be forgiven and restored to your salvation. I urge you to spend
the rest of your life in service to God and to your fellowmen.
Winford Claiborne
The International Gospel Hour