GOD’S PLAN IN SALVATION.
By G. W. Copley
Martin Luther took issue with the Papacy on the doctrine of righteousness by faith in Christ. The pope’s error was in that he trusted in works or penance instead of in Christ direct for salvation. Hence, the pains and penalties monks and nuns are compelled to endure, and the extortion the laity are obliged to submit to in the purchase of absolution and release from purgatory. We are justified by faith in the atoning blood of Christ which He shed for all mankind. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom. 5:1. But all have sinned, and are consequently under the sentence of death—the second death. Now, if we have faith in Christ sufficient to move us to repent, and confess our sins, and reform our lives, He will come forward and offer to be our substitute to satisfy the demands of the eternal law. But “faith, if it hath not works [the works of God], is dead, being alone;” while faith that gives expression by works, the keeping of the law in love to God and man, is eternal life. Therefore, we must obey the law in Christ or we can not be saved. The plan of salvation is simple enough to be plainly understood when we go back and seriously consider first principles. I will sketch it briefly as follows:— Adam was the single seed from which sprang the whole human race. Adam sinned and fell under the penalty of death. Hence, the entire human race are, like Adam, sinful creatures, and, being such, are subject to death—the6second death. This is the result of one man’s sin. Since sin is the transgression of the law of God, the penalty of which is death, it seems but reasonable that Christ (one Man) who is the only-begotten Son of the Infinite God, Himself an Infinite Being, could, by an infinite sacrifice, satisfy the demands of the violated law for all mankind. So He came to this earth, the theater of sin, and took on Him the form of a man, was tempted in all points as we are, and yet without sin; was crucified for our transgressions; poured out His blood in this sinful earth unto death; was raised from the dead by His Father; and is now at His Father’s right hand, a qualified Priest, Advocate, Judge, and King, for all mankind. He was made of God the second Adam, a quickening Spirit, with power to raise the dead. All men will not avail themselves of the atonement, His shed blood; but only such as obey the law, through faith in Christ, can be saved. Adam sinned of His own free will. Man must return to God of His own free will, and plead the merits of Christ’s blood for pardon; for God will force no man’s will. The law knows only justice. In the language of Bunyan, “The law alone is terrible as a lion; the law through Christ is gentle as a lamb.” But Christ has not abolished the law of Ten Commandments, as some teach. He Himself says: “One jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matt. 5:18. And all will not be fulfilled till the redeemed are fully established in the new earth, to say the least. Justification by faith reveals God’s character as the embodiment of all that is noble, good, just, merciful, glorious. He never uses force as men do to reform or punish criminals. Adam had the perfect exercise of his will in making his decisions. But he, by his decision, brought sin and death upon all mankind. Christ has made it possible for us by our decision to return to God, obtain pardon, be restored to Eden. It is free will, free will, all the way from Eden lost to Eden restored. We are at liberty to obey or reject the law of God; and our reward or punishment will be determined by the way we exercise our own free wills.