WE HEARTILY AND JOYOUSLY PROCLAIM THE AMAZING GRACE OF GOD

Thomas B. Warren

Taken From Spiritual Sword 1976

 

During my college, seminary, and university years, I spent quite a bit of time studying under denominational professors and associating with fellow students who were members of various denominations. In listening to lectures, I often heard the accusation leveled against members of the Lord’s church that they believed in salvation by works and not in salvation by grace. This accusation was usually accompanied by the affirmation that members of the church (the church of Christ) believed that they earned salvation by the works which they did. Also, this sort of discussion (on the part of both faculty and students) usually involved the further accusation that members of the church believed in “water salvation” rather than in salvation by the blood of Christ!

I just want to say that never at any time did I hesitate to make clear in such situations that God’s people were being misrepresented by such accusations. Also, I want to make clear that I do not presently hesitate to make such clear wherever the situation may call for me to do so.

Now I am hearing that same accusation—that we reject salvation by grace and affirm that salvation is by meritorious works—being leveled against those who stand for the truth by those who have espoused the basic “liberal” stance. But this accusation is just as false when it comes from our own brethren as it is when it comes from denominationalists.

I have been listening to gospel preachers preach the gospel all of my life, and in all of those years, I have never heard even one gospel preacher contend that anyone is saved by meritorious works. The truth of this matter is that grace, faith, love and acts of obedience all have crucial roles in God’s plan of salvation.

If men are saved, they are saved by the grace of God (Tit. 2:11; Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 15:11; et al.). No one is—or can be—saved by meritorious works (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 11:6; et al.). But this truth does not mean that men are saved only by grace (on the part of God) without any works at all (on the part of men). If grace were the only consideration, then all men would be saved (Tit. 2:11). Yet, Jesus made clear that “few” would be saved, in contrast to the “many” who would be lost (Matt. 7:21-23).

While God offers—through His grace—salvation to all men (Tit. 2:11; cf.; John 3:16; Heb. 2:9), this offer is not un-conditional! God offers salvation to all men, but He conditions that offer with the contingency that men by faith lovingly obey the requirements which are set out in God’s word. Even though men are saved by the grace of God—and not by any meritorious works—it is still the case that Jesus taught that it is those who do the will of God who enter the kingdom of God (Matt. 7:21-23). The writer of Hebrews made clear that Christ (by whom the grace of God is offered to men, John 3:16) is the author of eternal salvation not to those who say, “I am saved by the grace of God, so there is nothing for me to do,” but to those who obey him (Heb. 5:8-9).

It should be obvious to any man who has studied the Bible to any profit at all that no man can be saved without trusting in the grace of God (i.e., in God to save him by the saving power of the blood of Christ, Rom. 5:8-9), but it should also be obvious that one appropriates the grace of God by lovingly obeying the instructions which God has given to man in his word (Gal. 5:6; James 2:24-26; Matt. 7:21-23; Heb. 5:8-9; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; et al.).

While some men may not like it, the Bible still teaches that even though men are not saved by meritorious works, they are saved by the works which God demands (James 2:24) in the sense that they cannot be saved by the grace of God without doing these works! This is the case in spite of the fact that after one has obeyed these works, he is still to recognize that salvation from sin is a gift, not a wage (Rom. 6:23; cf., Lk. 17:10).

It is not necessary to cast reflection on faithful preaching of the gospel in order to make clear that men are saved by grace and not by meritorious works. For many, many years I have heard denominational preachers loudly affirm that no man can do anything to be saved. But when Saul of Tarsus asked, “What shall I do, Lord?” Jesus did not say, “There is nothing which any man can do to be saved.” Rather, He said, “Rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do “(Acts 9:6). When, in obedience to the instruction which was later given to him, Saul was baptized (so that his sins would be washed away, Acts 22:16), he did not earn the remission of his sins by being baptized, but he did have to be baptized to be saved—it was necessary (note Acts 9:6) for him to be baptized in order to be saved by the blood of Christ (that is, by the grace of God, cf. Acts 20:24).

When are men saved by the grace of God? Men are saved by the grace of God when their faith leads them, as penitent believers, to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38). To be so saved is not to be saved by meritorious works but by the grace of God. Such is not “water salvation,” as some men claim. It is salvation by the grace of God. Involved in “the gospel of the grace of God” there is at least some sense in which men act in regard to their own salvation (Acts 2:40; Phil. 2:12).

On a number of occasions, I have affirmed in public debate that, for the penitent believer, baptism (immersion in water) in the name of Jesus Christ is unto (to obtain) the remission of past (alien) sins. I will still affirm that basic proposition. I have seen no reason to do otherwise. I know the Bible teaches it.

Also, in recognition that the Bible teaches that the gaining of eternal life is conditional (Gal. 6:7-9), on a number of occasions I have affirmed in public debate that it is possible for a child of God (one saved by the blood of Christ) to so sin as to finally be lost in hell. I will still affirm that basic proposition. I have seen no reason to do otherwise.

And may it be noted that the fact that remission of past (alien) sins is conditional and that the fact that the gaining of eternal life is conditional in no way compromises the fact that men are saved—if they are saved at all—by the grace of God!

For one who knows the Bible, there can be no doubt that men are saved by grace. There can be no doubt that men are saved by faith. The crucial question is: when are men saved by grace? When are men saved by faith? The answer is: when they are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; cf. Gal. 2:26-27; Rom. 6:3-5; 2 Tim. 2:10). And, after being saved (after becoming children of God), men must “walk in the light”(1 John 1:7). Children of God who die while walking “in darkness” will be lost (Eph. 5:3-14; Acts 17:30-31; 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 John 1:5-7).

This editor affirms—without the slightest fear of successful contradiction—that no man can be saved by the grace of God without being obedient (doing the acts of obedience which are taught by the Bible to be necessary to salvation) to the will of God (Heb. 5:8-9). The fact that the apostle Peter instructed the people on the day of Pentecost to save themselves from that crooked generation was in no way a forsaking of the doctrine of grace. Let no man who wants to uphold the wonderful, amazing grace of God allow himself to be so misled by the forces of Satan as to deny the plan of salvation which the Holy Spirit gave to us through the apostles and prophets (Eph. 3:51; cf.; Acts 2:38-40).

It is indeed unfortunate that some in the Lord’s church today have felt constrained to cast aspersions on the work of faithful men who preach not only the grace of God but also the necessity of certain actions of obedience without which—the Bible makes clear—no man can be saved (2 Thes. 1:7-9; Matt. 7:21-23; John 3:3-5; Acts 2:38; Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 17:30-31; Gal. 3:26-27; 6:7-9; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 1:5-11; et al.). No true soldier of Christ can allow such teaching to go unnoticed.

May God help us all to be united on the truth which is the gospel of Christ. May we all preach the gospel and contend earnestly for the faith. God will not be pleased if we do otherwise.