(Continued-Chapter XIII- Salvation Through Jesus the Messiah)

From this quotation we see that the three personalities of the Holy Trinity are deeply concerned in the elect and are doing everything for their advancement, both in time and through eternity. With this knowledge, we can see that all things work together for good for those who love God, even those who are called according to His purpose (vs. 28). These for whom everything is working for good, God foreknew. He foreordained that they should be conformed to the image of His Son in order that He, Christ, might have the pre-eminence. Those whom He has foreordained in this manner, He has also called; whom He has called, He has justified; and whom He has justified, them He has also glorified. From this position there can be no escape. These verses, figuratively speaking, give us the blueprint covering the life of the elect. This plan was worked out in the council chambers of the Almighty before the foundation of the world. God will work this plan out both in time and eternity for everyone whom He has foreknown. Not one of those whom He has foreknown will be lost. Everyone will enter into the glory. Those who are thus foreknown, called, justified and glorified can trust God for everything. He who "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all …" shall, together with him, give us all things that are necessary to life and godliness. They being thus united to Christ, nothing can separate them from Christ and the love of God.

In this connection it becomes necessary for me to emphasize the fact that the election which is mentioned in Romans, chapter 8, is that to the individual to eternal salvation and glory. On the other hand, the election that is mentioned in Romans 9:1-21 is the election of Israel to service. This latter election is spoken of throughout the Old Testament as Israel's election and place in the plan of God during this life. To take any passage or verse in Romans 9:1-21 and to apply it to the individual's election unto eternal life is to do violence to the Scriptures. At the risk of being tedious I must repeat that the election set forth in Romans, chapter 8, is that of the individual to eternal salvation and glory, whereas that mentioned in Romans 9:1-21 is the election of Israel as a nation to service and a special place in the plan of God during this life. A failure to recognize this fact has brought countless errors and untold confusion into the theological world.

In John, chapter 1, we are told that Jesus came to His own but that they who were His own received Him not, "But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name; who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12,13). These people believed and received Christ and were thus born again. Their believing and receiving Him entered into their election. Without question, these must be considered as in the number of the elect.

As we have just seen, believing and receiving Christ on the part of the individual enters into the election. This of course is from the human side. One view of the divine side of election is set forth in Hebrews 10:1-14. In the beginning of this chapter the apostle showed that animal sacrifices which were offered yearly could never take away sin. After God had schooled Israel sufficiently by the ceremonial services of the law of Moses, He made a further disclosure that those sacrifices were only of a temporary nature, typical in character. They foreshadowed the sacrifice of the Son of God who, back in the councils of eternity, declared that He would come and do God's will perfectly. From this statement it appears that the animal sacrifices did not satisfy the holiness of God in respect to the sin question but that the offering up of the Son of God would meet every requirement of His majestic holiness. Concerning Christ's laying down his life for men and thus doing in every particular the will of God, the apostle declared, "By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all … For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10:10-14). From this passage we see that the sacrificial death of our Lord is the thing that satisfied the holiness and the will of God and made possible our being sanctified once and for all. The information concerning the divine side of the scheme of redemption as here set forth supplements that of the human acceptance of the same.

Those who are thus elected are exhorted to "Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness lowliness, meekness longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful" (Col. 3:12-15). The walk of the elect should correspond to his profession. The Apostle Peter urged his brethren to supply in their faith the Christian graces and concluded his exhortation with these words: "Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (II Pet. 1:10,11).

Many people have been greatly concerned to know definitely whether or not they are of the elect. For the benefit of those who are thus disturbed, let me say that the one who has believed and has received Jesus Christ, and into whose heart the Lord has come, need have no doubt whatever concerning his election. He has the proof of his election in his own soul. Satan will try to make a person doubt his salvation, but to such I would say, Withstand the devil "steadfast in your faith," and he will flee from you (I Pet. 5:8,9).

That there is another class called the non-elect is absolutely certain from many passages. For instance, in Matthew 7:13,14, we have the following statement from the Son of God:

13 Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby 14 For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life; and few are they that find it.

The elect, as I have shown, are those who accept the invitation and into whose hearts the Lord comes. They will walk the narrow way and enter through the straight gate into the eternal city of God. On the other hand, the great masses of humanity never heed the call, go on in their stubbornness, and travel the broad way, entering in at the gate of destruction. This latter class without doubt constitutes the non-elect.

At Antioch in Pisidia, the Apostle Paul with Barnabas preached the Word of God in the synagogue. They were asked to remain and give another message the following Sabbath, which thing they did. Satan stirred up opposition on the part of many of the Jews who, when they heard Paul give his second message, blasphemed, doing all that they could against the gospel and its messengers. The facts appear in the following quotation:

46 And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the uttermost part of the earth. 48 And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region (Acts 13:46-49).

Here we see the two classes--the elect and the non-elect. Only the human side--either the believing and receiving the Lord, or the rejecting Him and His Word--appears in this passage; nevertheless, we see clearly the two groups.

From many scriptures we see that the saved will be with God forever and ever, but the lost will be banished from the presence of His power and the glory of His might. The doom of the non-elect is set forth in Revelation 20:11-15. The eternal condition of the elect is likewise described in Revelation, chapters 21 and 22.

We have seen that all men are lost; that God wills the salvation of all; that from one standpoint the atonement was and is universal for all; that the gospel call is given to all in sincerity; that there is a group which we call the elect; and that there is another group which we call the non-elect. These are facts, set forth in the Scriptures, which no one can question who believes the Bible to be the very word of the living God. Can we harmonize these facts and work them out into a logical, plausible explanation? Many attempts have been made, but none are entirely satisfactory.

We have already seen that the holiness of God demands satisfaction and that the love of God has provided the required atonement in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is pleading with men through the preaching of the gospel to be reconciled to Himself, but all will not come to Him in order that they might have life. "Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life" (John 5:39,40). But, as I have already set forth, those who come trusting are received by Him and become the elect. There are other factors which enter into this question, which I shall not discuss, since it is not necessary for our purpose here. To do so would involve an unnecessary enlargement of this volume.

The gospel has gone forth and God is now calling all to come to Him. The Lord Jesus, in tenderness and love, appeals to you, dear sinner friend, saying, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30). If you will accept this invitation, He will in nowise cast you out. According to the gospel, it is "Whosoever will may come." In the eternal world, figuratively speaking, we shall look back to the road over which we came and see that those who are included in the "whosoever will" are the ones who have been elected from before the foundation of the world unto eternal salvation. Let us therefore not enter into any academic discussion of these profound theological questions. Let us rather, in true faith and trust, accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour and the Hebrew Messiah. Let us adorn the gospel of Christ by consecrated living, bearing the fruit of the Spirit and being blessed forever and ever.

VIII. VICTORY IN CHRIST

Satan would have us believe that Christians must live a defeated life by continuing in sin. He has deceived many people by causing them to place a false interpretation on Romans 7:7-24. This passage, as we have already seen, discusses the man who, during the Law Dispensation*, was living a defeated life; but since Christ has come and has opened up the new and living way, there is no necessity for one's living as he formerly did--in sin and disobedience. Christ has won the victory for us and we can stand upon that fact and live for God. In proof of this position, read carefully the following statement concerning our position in Christ:

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: 7 because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: 8 and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: 13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him (Rom. 7:25-8:17).

Since Christ has come, He has provided us with all things that pertain to life and godliness. We are no longer under condemnation but have access to a throne of grace to which we may come in every time of need and obtain mercy for the past and grace for the present (cf. Heb. 4:14-16).

The law of Moses could not enable anyone to keep it. There was not sufficient power granted under the old dispensation to lift one to the high plane of absolutely holy living. It is entirely different now. The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus--the Holy Spirit has made us free from the law of sin and death--sin in the flesh. The victorious life has been made possible by our Lord's coming in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemning sin in the flesh in order that the righteousness of the law, or rather the requirements of the law, might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. To those who are in Christ the Spirit of God gives power which enables them to carry out both the letter and the spirit of the New Testament teaching--to meet the requirements exacted by the holiness of God.

The Spirit dwells in the hearts of the believers and imparts life and strength to each one who trusts and yields his life to Him. In this connection, may I repeat an illustration which I have already used? There is in the physical world a power which we call gravitation and which pulls all objects toward the center of the earth. In the spiritual realm there is the power of sin and death in our mortal bodies--spiritual gravity--which pulls us downward toward a life of rebellion and sin against God. Those who are in Christ and are fully surrendered are given strength by the Spirit, which power counteracts the downward pull of this spiritual gravity, and which holds the trusting child of God upon the high and holy plane of consecrated living. Thus the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus counteracts the downward pull of the law of sin and death and enables the trusting one to fulfill all the requirements aimed at by the law.

In agreement with this teaching is that set forth in Romans 12:1,2: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. 2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." It is possible, therefore, for one to yield himself to God and to be strengthened by the Spirit in the inward man so that he can demonstrate "what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." That such is possible is clearly stated by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me; and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me." The apostle affirmed that he was living a victorious life in Christ. He was not doing this by his own strength and power. The secret was Christ's living His life in him.

Paul urged the church at Philippi to live on this high and holy plane.

14 Do all things without murmurings and questionings: 15 that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world, 16 holding forth the word of life; that I may have whereof to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labor in vain. (Phil. 2:14-16).

"God's commandings are God's enablings." Since man in his own strength cannot live as directed here, but must depend upon God for supernatural aid, it is certain that the Lord does supply that which is necessary to enable him thus to live. His grace is sufficient to meet all our needs. "And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (II Cor. 12:9).

To Hebrew Christians Peter gave the practical side of the life of victory in Christ. Thus he urged the brethren to supply in their faith in the Lord Jesus the seven Christian graces and assured them that, if they, by God's strength, would do this, they would never stumble.

5 Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge; 6 and in your knowledge self-control; and in your self-control patience; and in your patience godliness; 7 and in your godliness brotherly kindness; and in your brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. 10 Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall, never stumble: 11 for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (II Pet. 1:5-11).

God supplies the power and strength, which enable men to live this holy life. Man cooperates with God by trusting Him, by yielding his life to Him, and by stepping out upon the divine promises, giving diligence to supply these Christian graces in his life. By so doing, he can reach the point where he never stumbles.

In my repeating what Peter said relative to living this perfect life, let me warn the reader against the thought that a person can reach a stage in his Christian experience when he cannot sin--when the old nature has been completely removed. This is not true. John warned against this error. "If we should say that we do not have sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us" (literal rendering, I John 1:8). The Scriptures hold out no promise to anyone that he may have a holy and spiritual experience which will eradicate the old nature. On the contrary they teach that we may yield ourselves to God and that by the Spirit we can put to death the deeds of the body. "So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: 13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Rom. 8:12,13). In this way, and in this way alone, can the power of sin be broken in the life.

Past victories are not sufficient for the present. One must continue the yielded life and must look to Jesus Christ the Lord for strength to meet every crisis. In this way only can one live on the high and holy plane to which his Lord invites him. In so doing, one can live in the closest and most intimate fellowship with his Maker. May the Lord enable us to trust Him to lift us up to that higher plane of godly living and service in His cause.

The question which confronts you and me, my friend, is this: Have we been born again? Have we accepted Jesus Christ as "the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world"? Have we allowed the Spirit of God to come into our hearts, regenerate us, and add us to His body?¹ If you, my friend, have never, in a personal way, accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, I plead with you to do it now. Believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and confess with your mouth that He is Lord.

9 because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: 10 for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:9,10).

Having accepted Him, show your faith in Him by being obedient to Him in baptism as He instructed in His Great Commission:

19 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit: 20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the World (Matt. 28:19,20).

Having done this, take your stand for Jesus Christ, live for Him, work for Him, trust in Him, regardless of what comes or goes, and He will see you through.



Footnotes:

* Recognizing that the correct grammatical interpretation of this passage demands our applying it to those under the law during the Mosaic dispensation, we can still apply the principle involved to those under similar circumstances. One who has never enjoyed the liberating power of Jesus Christ--whether he is the heathen, the Jew still under the law, or the nominal follower of Christ--is living in defeat as described in this passage. Victory is to be had only in Christ.

¹ The body of Christ is in the New Testament also known as the church. It is called by other names. It came into existence on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ. See Acts, chapter 2. Those constituting the church at first were Jews. The Spirit of God came upon them and formed these individuals into a living spiritual organism. All the saved are added to this spiritual communion. For more details regarding it read the Epistle to the Ephesians.