THE PLAN OF SALVATION IS NOT AN EXPERIMENT.
By H. F. Phelps
THE plan of salvation through Christ, who is the power of God, is not an experiment. It was laid in the beginning in the eternal purpose of God. He is the mighty God. He is no respecter of persons. Acts 10:34; 1 Peter 1:17. He changes not. “I am the Lord, I change not.” Mal. 3:6. “With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17. He is “the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever.” Heb. 13:8. He declares the end from the beginning. Isa. 46:10. These declarations are full of significance. This is his own witness concerning himself. It is, then, but a just conclusion that the eternity of God’s purpose embraces the universe of worlds. The thoughts of God are “higher” than our thoughts, even “very deep,” so all-embracing that they take in all the intelligences of all the eternal worlds, and cover duration from the eternity of the past to the eternity of the future. We repeat that the plan of salvation of a lost world, through the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation to all that believe, is not an experiment devised after the fall of this world, to meet an unexpected emergency, an unforeseen event; but it is the carrying forward of the same one eternal purpose of saving all the universe, if only the universe would believe. And all the universe of worlds believed, except this one world, and they are saved by that same power of God. And that same power of God, which is the gospel of Christ, which is Christ himself, is still held out to all in this world who will believe, as the only means of their salvation. And it is a salvation not only from the consequences of sin, but from sinning; for it is a present salvation as well as a future salvation. Inasmuch as it is not an experiment devised to meet an unexpected emergency, but is the carrying forward of the one eternal purpose of God in the presentation and manifestation of his creative power through Jesus Christ, there is no possibility of a failure. And this the very existence of the eternal worlds declares. For, being able to bring into existence countless millions of worlds, and able to hold them in their places, suspended in space, resting upon nothing but the power of his word, which brought them into existence, he is able by the power of that same word to recreate a fallen world; and that without any possibility of a failure. This he is doing; and this he will accomplish by the power of his own word, whether we believe it or not. Our unbelief makes no difference with the carrying out of the purposes of God; but it will make a great difference with us; for we may or may not enjoy the eternal blessings of the final accomplishment of that purpose, according to our belief or disbelief. In the end, in the ultimate of all this controversy, it will be just the same with this world as if it had never fallen; and with all that believe to the saving of the soul, it will be just the same as if they had never sinned; for we shall be “equal unto the angels” of God. Praise be to his name!