Salvation Conditional by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 31, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 29.

Salvation Conditional.

By Editor

THOUGH a doctrine should be maintained or admitted on the strength or correctness of its principles, in the minds of some an objection is suffered to obscure a principle, however well it may be established. Many have been so thoroughly indoctrinated in the idea that the death of Christ is equivalent to the Atonement that it is really difficult for them to appreciate our argument on justification by faith, and to understand the relation of such justification to a future Judgment. And again, by assuming that the death of Christ and the Atonement are identical, they are involved in endless controversy in regard to the application of the benefits of the Atonement. It will not appear to be out of place to further notice these points.

We read that Christ died for all. Some who take the view that the death of Christ is the Atonement, readily conclude that the sins of all have been atoned for, and argue thence that no condemnation can remain to any. The argument is reasonable, but the premise is defective.

Others, assured from the Scriptures that all will not be saved, that some do now and will finally rest under condemnation, are shut up to the conclusion that the Atonement is not made for all. They also regard the death of Christ and the Atonement as the same thing, and therefore are necessarily precipitated to the opposite extreme, that Christ did not die for all, but only for a chosen part of mankind. Here again, the difficulties of ultra Calvinism lie in the assumption on which their argument is based. The distinction herein advocated and sustained by plain Scripture facts and declarations, removes the errors of "Universalists" and "Partialists," and, if recognized, would bring all together on the harmonious testimony of the word of God.

And we would urge upon the consideration of the reader that, assuming that the Atonement was made on Calvary, one of the above positions must necessarily be admitted. Either the death of Christ was for a limited number (as the Atonement is), or else the sins of all have been atoned for, and all must be saved. If the Atonement be already made, if the sanctuary be already cleansed, and sin blotted out by an act long passed, we are unable to see how the destiny of man is to be affected by the proclamation and belief of the truth. It will be said that our faith lays hold of that which has been done for us; and if the declaration referred merely to what the Scriptures say has been done, it would be correct. But if our sin was removed or blotted out long before we were born, it is hard to see how the fact could be more a fact, or made more certain by our belief of it; or if our sins were not so blotted out, our unbelief could not affect the omission. But "Christ died for all;" and yet the impenitent will be "punished with everlasting destruction." This is in harmony with what has been shown in commenting on Rom. 5:10, pages 193-195, namely, that the death of Christ does not of itself save any one, but it makes salvation possible to every one. It is a matter of wonder that Bible readers have ever for a moment recognized as true the idea that death makes an atonement, when the Atonement is always represented as the work of the priest, performed in the sanctuary, with the blood of the offering.

The position of an individual who is justified by faith may be illustrated thus: A owes B a sum which he is not able to pay, and C engages to take the responsibility of the debt on certain conditions; and in order to make it sure, C deposits with B an amount sufficient to cover the debt. Now it is stipulated that if A fulfills the conditions, B shall cancel the debt from the deposit made by C. And as long as A is faithfully fulfilling the conditions, so long is B satisfied in regard to the debt; and of course he will not trouble A for it, knowing it is secure. Thus A is accounted just, in the sight of B, though not really just in himself, because he fails to pay a just debt. He is considered as just, or justified through obedience to the conditions of C, who is his surety. But if A refuses or neglects to fulfill the conditions, the deposit of C no longer avails for him; he falls from the favor of B, which he had enjoyed through this arrangement, and the debt stands against him as fully as though C had never engaged to pay it on any condition.

That justification by faith, or the pardon we receive while on probation, is a conditional pardon, is proved by our Saviour's words in Matt. 18:23-35. Here is presented the case of a servant who owed his lord ten thousand talents; but having nothing to pay, and manifesting honesty of intention, "the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt." But this servant met his fellow-servant, who owed him the trifling sum of two hundred pence; and who plead for mercy in the same terms in which the first had so successfully plead before his lord. But this servant would not show mercy; he thrust his fellow-servant into prison till he should pay the debt. Hearing of this, his lord called him, and said unto him, "O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?" And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. This we say is the Bible view of forgiveness in the gospel, or justification by faith, while we are waiting for the decisions of the Judgment. And on this plain case we are not left to merely draw a conclusion; the Saviour has made the application for us, and from this application there can be no appeal. He says: "So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

That this is a true representation of the position of the penitent, is evident from the declarations that "he that endureth unto the end"—he that is "faithful unto death"—shall be saved; while he that is justified by faith may, by disobedience, lose that justification, and his righteousness will not be remembered. The blood of Jesus is the bounteous supply—the rich deposit where all may find a covering for their sins; but whether their sins are actually atoned for and removed by that blood, depends upon their acceptance of it and their faithfulness to the conditions of acceptance. Without faith and obedience this deposit will never avail for any one.

Yet we hear many say, with the utmost assurance: "My debt is all paid; I cannot be lost, since Christ has died for me." But this is not the language of trust; it is rather that of presumption. Faith claims the promise of God on the fulfillment of its condition. We cannot consent to the idea of unconditional salvation. Whether they are aware of it or not, this is the position of all who expect to be saved because their debt is paid, or because Christ died for them. Every human being can say the same.

But we must notice the real point of this doctrine, namely, that God chose a certain part of mankind, and predetermined that they should be saved, passing by or reprobating the remainder. In 2 Cor. 5:14 we are told that "Christ died for all;" in Heb. 2:9, "that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man;" and in 1 John 2:2, that he is the propitiation "for the sins of the whole world." Did Christ shed his blood for these reprobate ones? Is he their mediator? And some of this faith will answer in the negative; they will say that he did not die for them, but only for the elect. But if he did not die for them, was anything done for them? And how can they be said to "neglect so great salvation" (Heb. 2:3), if no salvation was provided for them? or trample on divine grace, which was no grace to them?

On account of the inherent repulsiveness of the doctrine known as "Calvinism," we often find persons claiming to hold it in a modified form. But that is impossible; it cannot be modified. It is fixed and inflexibly rigid in every feature. It is a belief that God irrevocably decreed and determined all things; and the belief can no more be modified than a fixed decree of Deity can be modified. It may only be exchanged for something else; but in itself it admits of no degrees; for the moment that a condition is incorporated into it, it is something else. Calvinism teaches unconditional personal election; and unconditional personal reprobation is its converse and necessary attendant.

EDITOR. (To be concluded.)