Truth Magazine

By Ron Halbrook

We need to understand the fundamental principles of salvation. The place that faith plays in our salvation is misunderstood not only by denominational people, but also by many brethren. The Bible is the final authority on the subject of faith, as it is on every religious question.

A reading of Eph. 2:1-10 will reveal statements regarding the Ephesians in “Times Past,” in their “Present State,” and then how they moved from that past to this present state, or “How Saved.” Their condition in “Times Past” is expressed in these words: “dead in trespasses and sins;” “the course of this world;” “according to the prince of the power of the air;” “the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience;” “the lusts of our flesh;” “the desires of the flesh and . of the mind;” “the children of wrath.” When Paul said they “were BY NATURE the children of wrath,” he meant by nature of their walking in sin (as lie described in several terms) and not by nature of their birth in sin, as the Calvinists and some other Protestants have it. The Bible knows nothing of inheriting sin and its guilt by birth, but speaks often of coming under sin and its guilt by practice of life (Ezek. 18).

But what of their “Present State?” These expressions apply; “you hath he quickened” (made alive); “quickened us together with Christ;” “ye are saved;” “raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus;” “that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace;” `saved;” “his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” That is quite a change! How did it come about? “How Saved” is seen in these terms: “God . . . is rich in mercy;” “his great love) wherewith he loved us;” “by grace;” “riches of his grace;” “his kindness toward us;” “through Christ Jesus;” “by grace are ye saved through faith;” “not of yourselves;” “the gift of God.”

A study of these various terms, expressions, and phrases gives real meaning to the simple statement, “Ye are saved” (v. 5). They had passed from death to life, from disobedient living to obedient living, from being “children of wrath” to being inheritors of “the exceeding riches of his grace.” One thing is crystal clear regarding this change of condition and life. Faith plays a vital part. In some way, in some sense, by some means, faith saves. The purpose of this study is to better understand how faith saves in the plan of God.

Another thing is abundantly clear from our text. Salvation is not accomplished by any ONE thing. Salvation has been described by some in the Protestant Reformation as Sola Gratia, or solely by grace; Solo Christo, or solely by Christ; Sola Fide, or solely by faith. The more popular way of stating this among the denominations is that we are saved by grace only and by faith only. Sometimes men will add by Christ only or even by Scripture only. But “only”, comes from one-ly and means by ONE thing alone. Grace cannot be the ONE(ly) thing that saves if faith is the ONE(ly) thing that saves!! It must be one or the other one-it cannot be both and still be one! If we add one plus one plus one plus one, we get . . . one? ? ? No, four! If we are saved by grace ONE-ly, plus faith ONE-ly, plus Christ ONE-ly, plus Scripture ONE-ly, then we are saved by how many things? Just one??? If a man steadfastly says it is still ONE-ly, then we demand to know which one??? If it’s all four, then it’s not one-and, there’s no two ways about it! “Oh, we do not mean just one thing alone, we mean . . . .” We respond, “Quit saying one or alone or solely, then, and say what you mean.” Paul said what he – meant in Ephesians 2 and he did not attribute salvation to anything ONE-ly. ; Instead, he spoke of God’s part (love, mercy, grace, kindness, gift) AND Christ’s part (through Christ and in him) AND man’s part (faith, maintain good works).

Therefore, faith does not save by being the one and only thing that saves. How does it save, then?

Faith, An Activating Principle

We must understand what faith is in order to understand how it saves. The theme of the book of Romans involves the relationship between the gospel, faith, and life. “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ . . . it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth . . . For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:16-17). At that Great Judgment Bar when time is no more, the Judge will pronounce the final verdict and its eternal sentence. If He says, “Guilty,” He will say, “Death.” If He says, “Innocent, just, right,” He will say, “Life.” “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).

But Paul convicts Jew and Gentile alike of sin. Paul concludes his air-tight case, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (3:23). If all have sinned, then all will stand guilty and condemned. Is there no escape from this fatal end? Yes, by the gift of God. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (v. 24). How is this gift obtained? By faith, as the case of Abraham shows.

In that Abraham was justified by faith, he “is the father of us all” (Rom. 4:16). “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (v. 3). When Abraham and Sarah were beyond the normal child-bearing age, God promised a son which would make Abraham “the father of many nations.” In spite of all outward appearances, Abraham “against hope believed in hope” — “being not weak in faith”–” he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness” (vv. 18-23). The very nature of the faith by which God justifies us is demonstrated in the life of Abraham. God commanded him to go from Ur to an unseen land; he went. God gave him circumcision, both as a seal and an act of faith. God promised him a son in his old age; he believed God; he went in unto his wife and she conceived. Later he was commanded to bring Isaac to the altar as an offering; again he obeyed. The nature of Abraham’s faith is summed up in four words: “By faith Abraham . . . obeyed” (Heb. 11:8). Whenever Abraham obeyed God, as by offering Isaac, “faith wrought with his works . . . And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness” (Jas. 2:21-23).

From Abraham’s life, we see that faith: (1) accepts God at His Word, (2) fully trusts His promises, (3) obeys exactly His command. This may be seen also in Hebrews 11, where we learn by faith Abel offered a sacrifice, Noah built an ark, Abraham obeyed, Sarah received strength, Abraham offered Isaac, Issac blessed Jacob, Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons, Moses was hidden, Moses chose to suffer with God’s people, Moses kept the passover, Israel passed through the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho fell, Rahab received the spies, and other actions were accomplished: subdued, wrought, obtained, stopped, quenched, escaped, were tortured, etc., etc.

Not only is faith an action required on man’s part, it is the principle that motivates action. Faith is not the one act that saves, apart from any other act of obedience. Rather, faith activiates obedience and therefore saves. Christ said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (Matt. 7:21). What activates and motivates such obedience? Faith. Christ “learned . . . obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb. 5:8-9). What activates our obedience in order that we might be saved? Faith. When faith accepts God’s Word, trusts His promises, and obeys His command, then and only then does faith save.

How does faith save, then? By activating obedience. The same faith that saved Abraham will save us. Abraham accepted God’s word, trusted His promises, and obeyed His will. “And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead” (Rom. 4:23-24).

Not Works

Ephesians 2:9 and Romans 4:4 teach that since our own works cannot save us, we are saved by God’s grace. Have we contradicted these passages when we say faith saves as it activates obedience? No. Ephesians 2:9 and Romans 4:4 agree in teaching that man cannot earn (deserve, as by labor or service), deserve (to earn or be worthy of), or merit (earn by service or performance) salvation. The only kind of labor or performance which could make man worthy of salvation would be a perfect life. Only by presenting God a record of sinless perfection-having never sinned throughout a lifetimecould man truly MERIT salvation. Is this what we mean by faith activating obedience?

Not by any means! To the contrary, seeking salvation through obedient faith is admission of sin seeking forgiveness! This is easily seen in Romans 4:1-8, where we find that since Abraham’s own record of works could not save him, faith was necessary to save him. His obedient faith was “counted unto him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3). If he had already been innocent, just, and right in God’s sight, there would have been no need to regard his faith unto righteousness. The recognition of Abraham’s righteousness would have been a matter “of debt” (v. 4). David spoke of “the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works” in Psalm 32, from which Paul quotes in Romans 4. David’s righteousness was not a matter of debt on account of sinless perfection. Righteousness, forgiveness, justification was counted unto David as he came to God through obedient faith-seeking forgiveness of sin. David repented, confessed His sin to God, and prayed forgiveness. On account of obedient faith, he could exclaim, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

We must work the work of God. Faith itself is a work (Jn. 6:28-29). Faith saves, but not faith only. Faith saves as it activates obedience. “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (Jas. 2:24). Yet after we have come to God in obedient faith, our obedience does nothing to earn, deserve, or merit justification. Forgiveness is conditional. That does not change the fact that we are undeserving, unworthy, redeemed with a price we can never repay. “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do” (Lk. 17:10).

So, to say we are not saved by a perfect life of works, does not eliminate the obedience which inheres in saving faith.

Obedience: Necessary or Only the Fruit of a Saved Life?

Most every denomination teaches that faith saves before any other acts of obedience; then obedience follows as the fruit of a saved life. Actually, spiritual life begins and continues on the basis of obedient faith. “The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17). That faith is not a one-time act within the mind, which then saves regardless of all else. That faith which saves involves obedience to the gospel commands. “Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin . . . ” (Rom. 6:17-18). That faith which saves continues in obedience to the will of God. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Moved by that faith, the Christian will avoid “the works of the flesh” and bear “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:19ff). The grace of God teaches him to deny “ungodliness and worldly lusts” and to “live soberly, righteously, and godly” (Tit. 2:llff). “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” (Jas. 2:14) “The just shall live by faith”-not as a one-time act, but as a pattern of life.

Are We Under Law?

Someone might gather from all this that we are under law today. That is exactly what he should gather! Without further contortions and twistings of Scripture, denominationalism cannot account for the New Testament teaching that Christians are saved “by the law of faith,” must continue to live according to “the law of the Spirit,” are “under the law to Christ,” must look into “the perfect law of liberty,” and also must fulfill “the law of Christ” which is “the royal law” (Rom. 3:27; 8:2; 1 Cor. 9:21; Jas. 1:25; 2:8; Gal. 6:2).

But men (mis-)guided by denominational doctrine will object, “what if a limb falls on one who is about to be baptized? Surely faith, not obedience to diving law, saves.” Others seem to – echo the sentiment, only in application to one who is already baptized, “What if a Christian sinned and was killed in a car wreck before he could repent? Surely faith, not obedience to the law of repentance, saves.” THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS THAT NO PASSAGE IN ALL THE NEW TESTAMENT PROMISES SALVATION IN SUCH CASES. If God saves men who died just before they heard, others just before they repented, others just before they confessed Christ, more who died just before baptism, and still more who were Christians but died with unrepented-of sin, THEN THAT WILL BE GOD’S BUSINESS. But in the meantime, it is our business to preach just exactly what His law says. His law says faith saves as it activates obedience. Nowhere does His law teach that faith saves before obedience. Let us speak where the Bible does and leave off all speculations.

Foy E. Wallace, Jr. reportedly used this comparison. We are in the position of lawyers in the courtroom, who have only the right to explain and apply the law as it is. God is in the position of the Final Judge, who alone has the power to exercise clemency. Let us declare God’s law without addition, subtraction, or alteration of any kind. If we will do our job, it is certain God will do His and do it right! Since we do not know the final judgment God will render, we dare not offer anyone the least false hope. We do not have to answer the question of exactly what God will do in each case. Here is the question we MUST answer: WHAT SHALL I PREACH?

Conclusion

Salvation is by faith-by obedient faith, not disobedient “faith” (which is really a contradiction in terms). The sinner comes to God in the words of a song: “Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me . . . .” God has provided His grace on the condition of obedient faith. When the sinner comes to God by faith, the sinner is far from entering a plea of “not guilty-perfect by works.” Rather he is throwing himself upon the mercy of the court: a mercy provided by grace upon the condition of faith. Meeting the condition is acceptance of the mercy. Rejecting the condition of obedient faith is rejection of the only mercy revealed by a loving God. Truly, we are saved “by grace through faith.” We are not saved “of ourselves”-that is how we are lost! Rather, our salvation is “the gift of God.”

Truth Magazine XXI: 26, pp. 409-411
June 30, 1977

By Donald P. Ames

My youngest son recently returned home from Bible class and proudly announced what he had learned in class: “God talks to us through the Bible, and we talk to God through prayer.” This truth is readily recognized by those of us who are older, but I wonder if we have ever really considered its full impact? I wonder what kind of communication we really have with God?

One-Sided Conversation

Have you ever tried to talk to someone who could care less if you were there or who seemed determined not to talk with you? Maybe they patiently “listened,” but never actually heard one word you said. It is indeed a very frustrating experience, especially if you feel you have something important to say and they seem determined to “tune you out.” You find yourself calling upon all the resources you have available to find the words that might finally penetrate that barrier and get their attention.

God is indeed faced with that problem. He speaks to us through the Bible, as we see in Heb. 1:1-2. Jesus said those who listened to the apostles were listening to Him (Luke 10:16), and promised that the Holy Spirit would guide them (the apostles) in all their teaching (John 16:13, 1 Cor. 2:13). But so many today do not want to listen to God. They are not interested in the Bible or anything it may have to say to them. God has used many avenues therein to try and arouse their attention: prophecy, the death of His Son on the cross, the recorded miracles, the lives of the apostles, the church, and the word preached. by those who paused long enough to listen and obeyed His soul-saving message. But, they are determined not to be bothered.

Others sit in church every Sunday, going through the ritual of “listening” to God, when in reality that is all that it is-a ritual. God’s message is “tuned out”-except for a key expressions they want to hear. And when God listens for their response, it is not there. They have no time to talk to God. Perhaps they have “out-grown” prayer and God, or feel too “preoccupied” to be bothered. In either case, they seek to “tune God out.”

But even God will not force His communications upon us. His efforts are limited to His revealed word (John 20:30-31, Rom. 1:16, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, 2 Pet. 1:3) and the efforts of others to tell us about it (Rom. 10:1415, Matt. 28:19-20). If we refuse to listen, eventually God will tire of trying (2 Thess. 2:11-12, Rom. 1:26ff), and turn to those more willing to hear (Matt. 7:6). The tragedy here is some will not bother to listen until it is too late (2 Thess. 1:7-8). None of us like to be snubbed, but how freely we sometimes snub God!

“No Conversation Drop-Out”

Have you ever been engaged in a conversation, and been interrupted by someone who catches only a fragment of the conversation? Usually his remarks are completely unrelated to the topic under consideration, a rehash of what has already been established previously now being set forth as some great new idea. Generally, we grin, and quietly perhaps remark that “he has no intentions of becoming a conversation drop-out.”

Again, in talking with God we find the same problem. Many who do not bother to listen to God seek to impress others by injecting themselves as conversational authorities. They have little real grasp of what God is saying, but feel ready and willing to start commenting and expressing their views on morality, salvation, eternity, doctrine, etc. Sometimes they even resent the efforts of others to help them or to redirect the conversation back. No one, I guess, likes to admit they were caught in such a blunder.

Those interested in listening to God can see the folly of such comments, but cannot always afford to “grin and wink” at such, lest others be led astray and turned from the true conversation (2 John 9-11, I John 2:4, Rom. 16:17), and the vital message gets side-tracked on another subject (Gal. 1:6-7). Much credit goes to Cecil Willis, Ron Halbrook and others in their efforts to stop these “no conversation drop-outs” on the subject of God’s grace and fellowship today. Others have also held true to God’s message in opposing neo-pentecostalism, institutionalism, the “new morality,” etc. As Christians interested in helping others listen to God’s important message, we need to beware those who would side-track the conversation with some unrelated comment (Jude 3).

The Monopolizer

Then there is that boring fellow who always wants to monopolize the conversation completely. He is always busy telling us all he has done, or to be sure we know about all of his aches and pains. He is not interested in your . problems, only the chance to tell you his.

Some treat God the same way too. They are not interested in listening to God or trying to assist God with His problem (saving lost souls). If God seeks to correct that which they are doing, they do not hesitate to interrupt with their boasts of “good works” and to continue their side of the conversation again. Yet, on the other hand, they expect God to have a willing ear to listen to all their projects of human wisdom (so much better than His, of course), and to be ready to assist them any time they feel like pouring out to Him all their problems, desires and goals.

Certainly God wants us to communicate with Him in prayer (1 Thess. 5:17), but let us be careful we are not acting like the tax-gatherer (Luke 18)-so busy telling God of our great deeds and projects that we do not have the time to listen to His instructions too (see Matt. 7:21-23). Nor can we expect God to constantly be ready to hear. and answer our pleas if we do not intend to also hear His (Prov. 28:9).

Yes, talking with God is a wonderful and rewarding experience, but let us make sure it is a two-way communication, and not a one-sided dialogue. The latter no one sticks around to listen to for very long–and neither will God! Are YOU talking WITH God?

Truth Magazine XXI: 26, pp. 407-408
June 30, 1977

By Jeffery Kingry

Anyone who has ever had experience with people has observed how sin affects physical well-being. Apart from the obvious effects of sin such as obesity through intemperance, drunkenness through drinking, birth defects, and brain damage through drugs or smoking and its attendant damage (emphysema, cancer, heart disease etc.), our bodies react to sin. Our bodies react very definitely to what our conscience condemns. Stress through fear, anger, resentment, or anxiety’ produces a slow breakdown of our bodies.

Have you ever been caught in a sin, or done something you were deeply ashamed of? What did your conscience do to your body? Your mouth became dry, your heart began to pound in your head, your face flushed, and a “nervous sweat” broke out on your body. Your throat constricted, your ears roared, your eyes watered, your knees felt weak, you may even have become nauseated. You did riot like the reaction, and may ‘have thought, “I have a bad case of ‘nerves’. ” There is nothing wrong with your nerves or emotions-they, are working just as God designed them to work. They are confronting you with a definite rebuke, and instant recognition that you have sinned. Often people who fall apart at the seams are said to have “emotions that are not working well.” Their emotions work only too well. The answer is not in prescribing tranquilizers and drugs to mask the feeling — but to remove the sin that produced the feeling to start with.

Actions Produce Feelings

Many feel that feelings precede actions, but this is not the truth. We act, and the action produces the feeling. Confidence proceeds from preparation. The college student studies for the test, knows the material, and enters the testing room with a feeling of confidence. The indolent student can only wonder at this confidence, for his only feeling on entering the same room is fear, depression, and dread. The housewife who is diligent in her housework is confident and unafraid when the doorbell rings. But, have you ever answered the doorbell at ten o’clock in the morning in your housecoat, patting your hair into place, and kicking dirty clothes and toys under a chair? The feeling is hardly one of confidence and assurance. The man who knows his job and does it well falls into his bed each night with a sigh of satisfaction and contentment. But, the idle man, though he have all he could want physically, tosses and turns upon his bed (Ecc. 5:12). The feeling always follows the action.

The Lord said to Cain, when he saw that Cain was discouraged and depressed, “Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him” (Gen. 4:5-7). If Cain had offered what God had demanded, he would have had no cause for his fallen expression and behavior. God pointed out that if he “doest well” (present tense), or stopped feeling so angered with his brother and made a proper sin offering, God would lift the feeling of guilt and anger through his forgiveness. But, if he continued in his sin, sin as a beast of prey would continue to lie at his door (the conscience) to devour him every time he sought to step out. Rather than let sin devour you in guilt and anger, repent and do right, that “thou shalt rule over him” or control the passions that produce sin.

Jay Adams in his book Competent to Counsel points out the problems that arise when people elect to follow the feeling rather than the commandment. God demands obedience, even when we do not feel like it: “Often the argument takes a subtle form, which at first seems plausible, even pious. For instance, a husband and wife may say, “I guess there is nothing left to our marriage-no love-no feeling-nothing,” and thereby hope that the Christian will concede that a divorce is allowable on other than scriptural grounds. If they can get him to agree on this, they hope that their bad consciences may be salved in that which they have already determined to do. But instead the Christian must respond, “I am sorry to hear that. I guess you will have to confess your sins and learn to love one another, then.” The reaction to this is usually pure astonishment.

“But,” they protest, “we told you that we don’t feel anything for each other anymore!”

“I understand, but that is irrelevant; God says that you must love one another. When you learn to do so, the feelings will follow. Love is not feeling first; it begins with obedient living.”

“What! Do you mean to say that we must try to love one another contrary to all of our feelings?”

“Exactly!”

“But, wouldn’t that be hypocrisy?”

“No. That would be obedience to God, who has commanded, ‘Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it’ (Eph. 5:25). God says that you are responsible to love your wife. Love begins with the husband, whose love reflects the love of Jesus Christ (1 Jn. 4:19).”

“Oh, I couldn’t love her that way.”

“Well then, start at a lower level. Christ demanded “love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matt. 22:39). As Paul observed, she is your closest neighbor; you live with her (Eph. 5:28-31).”

“I don’t think I could do that either.”

“All right then, we will begin at the lowest level of all: ‘Love your enemies’ (Matt. 5:44)! You see, there is no escape; God commands love, even toward an enemy. The two of you must repent of your sins and by the help of God learn to love one another, even if you begin by loving as enemies.”

“But how can I love an enemy?”

“Love is not feeling first. Hollywood and TV have taught us that fallacious doctrine. Christians must reject it. Love is not getting but rather is giving: “For God so loved the world that he gave . . . ” (Jn. 3:16). “He loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). When you invest enough of yourself in another person, you will feel what you wish for him: “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also” (Matt. 6:21) (Adams, The Christian Counselor’s Manual, pp. 119, 120). Brethren, if you feel badly about yourself, if your “nerves” are killing you, then the time has come for change. Sin is killing you-physically and spiritually.

Psalms 32

David spoke directly from experience and Divine revelation on the relationship of sin and physical well-being. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile” (32: 1,2). It is a happy man who is not secretly guilty of sin, in whom there is none of the deceit necessary to cover and conceal sin. Those who must constantly keep a facade erected to protect the rottenness behind can never be secure or happy. Indeed, “The wicked flee when no one pursues: But the righteous are as bold as a lion” (Prov. 28:1). A guilty conscience leads to guilty behavior. A righteous man, with a good conscience is confident and bold in his behavior.

The wicked flee in many different ways: by over sensitivity, by aggression, by withdrawal, or by attack. Unforgiven sinners are very vulnerable people. Those who rebuke their sin, or rebuke them personally become stressors. They cannot be around the preacher, elder, or mature Christian whose example, teaching, or rebuke they despise without a feeling of great stress. They will either withdraw in hurt silence and sullen murmuring, or they will become intensely combative and defensive, looking for opportunity to make a personal attack. Sometimes, lacking the courage for a direct confrontation they will “snipe” or attack incidentals-family, “attitude”, mannerisms, or minor mistakes and slips.

However, the man who is at peace with God is confident and invulnerable. Unfair, or incorrect criticism, personal slights, unfairness, injustice, and personal wrong do not overly concern him, except as he is concerned for this sin’s effect on the sinner. If convicted of sin, the righteous man repents and seeks reconciliation, thus returning to peace with God and man.

But, David tried to conceal his sin. “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all day” (Psa. 32:3). David, quite aware that he had sinned grievously, did not confess it, not even to himself. He suffered greatly in conscience. It was not till Nathan said “Thou art the man!” (2 Sam. 12:7) that he admitted his sin. So he suffered much real, physical pain because he sought to suppress his sin. His bones ached because he was groaning and grieving in his heart for his hidden sin.

“For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me. My moisture is turned into the drought of summer” (32:4). God brought depression to David-his hand literally pressed him down. Both day and night he was pressed his sleep was destroyed from worry. Crushed by guilt, David felt as dried up and worn out as a half dead tree in a hot dusty land.

In Psalms 38 the Holy Spirit gives us the perfect picture of one loaded down by a load of unrepentant sin: The sinner is depicted as one with barbed arrows sent from God pricking his body. His wounds (conscience irritated sins) stunk and were putrid, giving off a foul odor. He was wrung out, bowed down, felt feeble, and broken. His bowels were “in an uproar”– as a “loathsome disease” he had a kidney infection. His heart raced like after a run, even the pleasure ordinarily found in the environment was passed away as if he were blind (Psa. 38:1-10).

How were these debilitations overcome? How was the depression lifted? David said “I acknowledge my sin unto thee and my iniquities have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin” (Psa. 32:5).

After his confession David said it was as if God had taken him from his trouble and surrounded him with those who sang the joy of his deliverance. “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him round about. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, ye righteous and shout for joy, all ye that are of upright heart” (vss. 10,11).

Sin — unconfronted, unacknowledged, unconfessed, and unrepented will bring depression, sorrow, and pain. Confession and reconciliation brings relief, happiness, joy, and peace (cf. Prov. 3:1, 2, 8, 16; 4:20-22; 1 Pet. 3:10-12 etc.).

Our responsibility to one another includes a godly rebuke, confrontation with a push for change in behaviour (Heb. 3:12, 13; Jas. 5:16; 1 Jn. 1:9). We need to pray for one another that we might be healed, not only of the spiritual damage caused by sin, but the physical as well.

Truth Magazine XXI: 26, pp. 405-407
June 30, 1977

By Mike Willis

In 1 Tim. 2:5, Paul wrote, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” This was a novel idea expressed by God to the pagan world. The pagan world not only imagined a number of gods, they also imagined that a number of intermediaries existed between God and man. For Paul to teach that there was only one God was not new; they had been acquainted with Judaism for years. However, to go the next step to speak of one mediator between God and man was new.

Jesus is the only mediator between God and man. “The word `mediator’ is meshes, `one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or to form a compact or ratify a covenant.’ Our Lord is a mediator in that He interposed Himself by His death, and made possible the restoration of the harmony between God and man which had been broken by sin” (Kenneth S. bluest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, Vol. II, “The Pastoral Epistles,” p. 41). Jesus is our mediator. Whereas we once were enemies of God (Rom. 5:8-10), we are now God’s adopted sons because of the reconciliation made possible to us through Jesus Christ.

Since there is but one mediator between God and man, man can be saved only through the reconciliation made possible through Jesus. Jesus recognized this when He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (Jn. 14:6). Jesus is man’s only access to God. Any religion that tries to approach God in any other way than through Jesus Christ is worthless. Hence, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mohammedanism, etc. are just so many worthless and false religions. One can have access to God through the one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ.

There is no other way to approach God.

Within the Christian religion, men have added other mediators in addition to Jesus Christ. I would like to mention just a few of these; perhaps others can add cases to the list which I have left out. However, these are cases of instances in which man must approach God through some mediator in addition to Christ.

1. The Catholic Priest. The Catholic system of worship places the priest between God and man as the dispenser of salvation. He has the right to grant absolution from sins. Absolution, in Roman theology, is the act by which the priest declares the sins of penitent persons to be remitted to them. The Council of Trent gave the priest the right to remit the sins of penitent sinners. Hence, the Catholic who sins must go to the confessional booth, confess his sins, and allow the Catholic priest to absolve him of the guilt of his sins.

One of the major doctrines which Protestantism rebelled against was the doctrine which gave the priest the right to forgive sins. Whereas Catholicism has a standing priesthood in distinction to the laity, Protestantism believes in the priesthood of all believers. According to Protestantism, every Christian has direct accessibility to God and can get forgiveness by appealing directly to God for it. We need no mediator other than or in addition to Jesus Christ. Quite properly, the Protestants emphasized that there is only one mediator between God arid man.

2. The Baptismal Formula of Jesus-only Pentecostals. Sometimes, men place mediators in addition to Jesus Christ between themselves and God quite unconsciously. The Jesus-only Pentecostals have done this. According to their theology, one’s baptism is not valid, regardless of how sincere a believer and how penitent the person might have been, unless the proper formula is said over the person being baptized. Hence, one’s salvation depends, not only upon one’s own faith, repentance and immersion in water, but also upon a formula being said over the subject to be baptized. Unless the proper formula is said, the baptism is invalid. Hence, the person saying the formula stands between the sinner and God. He is a mediator in addition to Jesus Christ.

Any system which posits a mediator in addition to Jesus Christ is a corrupt system which has departed from Jesus Christ. Sometimes the putting of mediators between God and man occurs in subtle manners. We must always be on the look-out that we do not allow such things to happen to us.

The Public Confession

I am afraid that some among us have gotten the idea that the church stands as a mediator between man and God with reference to public sins. Hence, in the eyes of some, the church has become the dispenser of salvation rather than the recipient of salvation. I have talked with saints who thought that they could not obtain God’s forgiveness without making a public confession. Their concept was that the church stood between them and God.

My brethren, there is but one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ. The church is not a mediator between God and man. It cannot confer forgiveness upon anyone. It is a recipient of salvation rather than the dispenser of it. Once we begin to look upon the church as the dispenser of salvation, there is but a short step until we begin to look upon preachers as set-apart ministers who give out salvation to the sinners. Therefore, we need to reconsider what the purpose of a public confession is lest we end up placing the church between the sinner and his salvation.

The passage generally appealed to as authority for a public confession is James 5:16; it says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” The prayers that are made when one confesses his sins to one another are not to be viewed as being necessary for one’s salvation. Otherwise, should the church refuse to pray for a penitent sinner, he could not receive forgiveness. Rather, this is just the case of a man acknowledging his faults and requesting the prayers of his brethren to help him to overcome them. This is the intercessory type of prayer, whereby we ask something from God in behalf of a brother.

“There is no mention here of absolution, either by a priest or any other person . . . . All that it can mean is that God promises pardon to those who are truly penitent, and this fact may as well be stated by one person as another. No priest, no man whatever, is empowered to say to another either that he is truly penitent, or to forgive sin. `Who can forgive sins but God only?’ None but he whose law has been violated, or who has been wronged, can pardon an offence. No third person can forgive a sin which a man has committed against a neighbor; no one but a parent can pardon the offences of which his own children have been guilty towards him; and who can put himself in the place of God, and presume to pardon the sins which his creatures have committed against him?” (Albert Barnes, James, pp. 95-96).

I am afraid that a number of Christians have misunderstood this text to the point that they believe that a public confession before the church is necessary so that the church can grant forgiveness to them. We need to be reminded that no one other than Christ can grant forgiveness. The church is the recipient of salvation and not the dispenser of it.

Conclusion

There is but one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. Neither the priest, a minister who utters a proper formula before baptism, nor the church stands between God and man. One has access to God only through Jesus Christ our Lord. Although public confessions of public sins need to be made, let us understand that the church is not the dispenser of salvation when public confessions are made.

Truth Magazine XXI: 26, pp. 403-404
June 30, 1977