THE way of salvation is set before us in the Scriptures in the clearest and most unmistakable manner yet it is a way which is not followed by men. If they give any thought to a matter of such momentous concern as their soul’s salvation they immediately plan a way of their own to take them to heaven but which shall never lead them there. God’s salvation as revealed in His Word sets before sinners the only way that leads to heaven. It is not a way the wisdom of man would have planned nor a way in which his natural heart finds any delight. His whole fallen nature is averse to it and the wisdom of this world has arraigned it and condemned it as foolishness. Yet, in this way the highest wisdom is manifested and a power, greater than that by which the heavens were created, is at work for rendering the salvation effectual for every one who was given to Christ before the world was. God’s wonderful way of salvation may be viewed from many aspects as a revelation of His grace, love, wisdom, power, etc.; for our present purpose we intend to view it as a revelation of His wondrous grace. Among the blessings which the Apostle Paul mentions as destined in the divine purpose for those who were raised up together and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus is “that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Eph. ii. 6-7). This aspect of the way of salvation cheered the Apostle’s heart and captivated his mind. In his own happy experience he had realised that this was the way, and only way, of hope for a sinner dead in trespasses and sins. But he is led by the Spirit to get a view of this salvation and the grace of God revealed in it which links the present experience of the believer with covenant transactions in the eternity that is past and with the prospect of having shewn to him in the ages to come by the God of his salvation “the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards” them through Christ Jesus. Eternity is not too long for the minds of the redeemed to be exercised on the exceeding riches of His grace and why should not His people delight in that exercise here on earth? It was for them He provided this salvation and they are under an eternal debt of gratitude to His name for what He has done.
-
It was altogether of grace in its origin. They had no part or lot in the planning of the way of salvation neither had the angels in heaven. Before the Lord laid the foundations of the habitable parts of the earth His design to save a countless number who were given to Christ was fixed by unalterable decree. They had no part or lot in the choice of the Saviour who was to be God’s salvation to the ends of the earth. They can make no claim that they saw the necessity of such a Saviour for as yet they had no being. Neither can they lay any claim to having part in their election for they were chosen in Christ before the world was. So far as their salvation was concerned in the past eternity it was altogether of grace. Perhaps a point here should be emphasised which we are ready to overlook, viz., the connection that exists between Christ and His people not only in the day of their effectual calling but in their election, in His death and resurrection. They are chosen in Him—not apart from Him; when He dies they die in Him and when He rises they rise with Him. This gives no room for boasting as far as the sinner is concerned and as he scans God’s marvellous purpose of salvation under the divine enlightenment of the Holy Spirit his heart and mind must unite in saying: “It certainly was grace in the beginning” and the Spirit-taught will gladly render to Him the praise due to His name for this wondrous grace.
-
It is all of grace in the application of God’s salvation. The way was plainly set before them but they did not choose Him. The Arminian way completely fails to take into account all the factors in the sinner’s case such as the total ruin, utter helplessness, the enmity of the carnal mind, etc. It proceeds on assumptions that are contrary to the true facts of experience and ignores some of the plainest statements of Scripture. Man is dead in trespasses and sins—no explanation, however plausible, can get over the indisputable fact that these words proclaim not a partial disablement which might be overcome by a strong effort but a helplessness that is total and complete—affecting every faculty of the soul and every member of the body. The distinction drawn between natural and moral inability by some divines otherwise sound—such as Jonathan Edwards—has been, rightly we believe, criticised and rejected by Dr. Charles Hodge and others. The Westminster Divines have abundant Scripture evidence for what they say: “We are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil.” When the soul is separated from the body it is God’s power and His alone that can reunite it and when the soul is separated from God no power—human or angelic—can re-unite it to Himself but God alone. So wherever this is effected it is to God we must look for its accomplishment. We need not appeal to isolated texts in proof of this; it is woven in the whole testimony of the New Testament so that it cannot be removed. The teaching of the New Testament about the new birth, the work of the Holy Spirit in the conviction of sin and the need of the kind of righteousness God requires, all point in the same direction unmistakably. It may be argued that this presentation of the truth is discouraging, that it forecloses all human effort. Such might indeed be urged against it were it not that the Scripture makes it abundantly clear that while man is utterly unable to do anything the exceeding greatness of God’s power is exerted in raising the dead and giving them that spiritual life which is God’s own gift. The words: “What is impossible with man is possible with God” fixes our attention on the right source of the sinner’s hope. Again, it is by faith they believe, and faith is the gift of God. It may be further argued against what has been said in the foregoing that it is distinctly said in Scripture: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. ii. 12). Does this not imply that the unconverted sinner is exhorted to work out his salvation? In answer to this let it be noted (1) that these words are not addressed to dead, unconverted sinners but “to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi” (Phil. i. 1). These are not dead but living and as the living they are so exhorted and the Apostle says concerning them: “Being confident of this very thing that He which hath begun”—not they themselves—”a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. i. 6). (2) It is to be further noted that it is doing injustice to the truth to stop short where the above words end for the Apostle goes on to add “for it is God that worketh in you both to will and do of His good pleasure” (Phil. ii. 13). This makes it very plain that not only the “doing” but also the “willing” is wrought by God in the hearts of His people. They are not to be inactive in this “doing;” this would be a contradiction but at the same time they are not to forget that alike in the willing and doing it is God that is working in them. So that even as far as believers are concerned they are not to take credit to themselves for any good works they have been enabled to do. This is rather humiliating to the proud boastful spirit of fallen man but God is to be all in all in this salvation so “that in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
-
It is altogether of grace that the Lord’s people are kept. They have an inheritance kept for them in heaven—”incorruptible, undefiled and that fadeth not away” (I. Pet. i. 4) and they are being kept for that inheritance “by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I. Pet. i. 5). When the shepherd found the sheep that was lost he did not make it walk back on its own feet but he carried it on his shoulders. No similitude could more beautifully set forth the sustaining grace of the Good Shepherd. It is no wonder that the lost sinner and the friends of the Shepherd should rejoice when the restoration takes place but surely it will be the wonder of the redeemed in eternity that the Shepherd after all His seeking of the lost and bearing them safely on His shoulders to their destined place of safety that He carried His heavy burden rejoicing (Luke xv. 5). They required grace to lead them into the way of life and they required grace all the way until they took their final step into glory—and they were as dependent on His grace to take that final step as they were in taking the first step that turned their faces forever towards Heaven and their backs forever towards Hell. There will be no jarring notes in the celestial song—complete harmony and unison of sentiment will characterise it as with one voice the thousand times ten thousand redeemed say: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength and honour and glory and blessing” (Rev. v. 12). But between them and that happy day there is an enemy’s country to be traversed—many trials await them—snares and gins are set for their feet, treacherous pitfalls and yawning precipices may be before them but yet with all these there is One who is able to keep from falling and to present them faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy (Jude, 24).
A saint is not free from sin, that is his burden; a saint is not free to sin, that is his blessing; sin is in him, that is his lamentation; his soul is not in sin, that is his consolation.—
William Seeker.
How soon would faith freeze without a Cross.—S. Rutherford.