Salvation Conditional by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Aug 7, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 30.

Salvation Conditional.

By Editor

(Concluded.)

THE Scriptures clearly teach these things, namely: free grace, justification by faith, and the necessity of good works to salvation; and these are all in harmony.

It is not our purpose to examine at length the various texts quoted on this subject; but rather to notice the principles on which the true doctrine rests, and introduce texts sufficient to corroborate the principles.

The great question to be decided is this: In what respect is the gospel plan unconditional, and in what respect is it conditional? If there is anywhere such a distinction, and if we can clearly trace the line, the subject must thereby be relieved of much difficulty. Examining this, we find that,

1. The introduction of the gospel, or setting forth of Christ as the way of salvation, was unconditional. But,

2. The application of the gospel to individual salvation, is conditional.

We do not see how any, who believe the Bible, can dissent from either of these declarations. It is not said to the world, nor to any class in the world, that if they would do some certain thing Christ should die for them. But it is said that if they will believe and do certain things, they shall be saved by his blood as freely shed for the sins of the world. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. Freely and unconditionally he gave his Son to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, to die for all; but not so that they will be saved from perishing if they refuse to repent and believe. Salvation was freely purchased by the death of Christ, but will never be given to those who neglect it. Heb. 2:3. Eternal life through Christ was freely and unconditionally brought to man; Rom. 6:23; yet, if they would not perish, they must "lay hold on eternal life," 1 Tim. 6:19, which they can only secure "by patient continuance in well-doing," Rom. 2:7; and so "work out their own salvation with fear and trembling." Phil. 2:12. But in uniting works to faith we detract nothing from the grace and glory of Christ, for we can do nothing in our own unassisted strength. John 15:5. With this distinction in view we find no difficulty in harmonizing all the Scriptures. But we will notice a few texts to further show the conditional nature of God's promises to man.

When the Lord sent Moses to the children of Israel, it was with this message: "Say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which was done to you in Egypt; and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey." Ex. 3:16, 17. Again he said to them: "And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burden of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for an heritage; I am the Lord." Ex. 6:7, 8. Yet, direct and positive as this promise was, the Lord did not bring them into that land, but destroyed them for their disobedience.

Again, it was said to Pharaoh: "Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my first-born. And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy first-born." Ex. 4:22, 23. The first-born was the highly-prized and beloved. Yet on the institution of the Passover, they would have been destroyed with the first-born of Egypt, if they had not remained in their houses and sprinkled the blood on their door-posts; and were afterwards destroyed as noticed above. This teaches us that God's chosen—his first-born, will continue to enjoy his favor only on condition of continued obedience. The conditional nature of his gracious promises is shown by his word through Jeremiah, wherein he commanded Israel to obey him, saying: "That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers." Jer. 11:3-5. And again, where he has shown the fixed principle upon which he fulfills his promises and threatenings. "At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy; if that nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them." Jer. 18:7-10. And this is true not only of nations, but of individuals. Thus the Lord said to Eli: "I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me forever, but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." 1 Sam. 2:30.

It is argued that he that has an interest in the Saviour cannot or will not lose it. See what our Lord himself says: "I am the vine, ye are the branches. . . . If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered." John 15:5, 6; and in verse 2: "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away." This completely overthrows that doctrine which affirms that if any one be in Christ by faith he cannot be taken away. He may "depart from the faith." It is urged, and with truth, that none can pluck them out of his hand. But this supposes that they "bear fruit," or continue faithful. He that endures to the end shall be saved. As the Jews were rejected because of their unfaithfulness, so Paul says to the Gentile converts, who, by faith, were grafted into the good olive tree, they must continue faithful or they should be cut off also. According to the unconditional personal election scheme, there could be no danger of it, and if so, the warning of the apostle was deceptive. He says also that they in whom the Spirit of God dwells, which can refer only to accepted believers, are the temple of God; and if they defile the temple of God, that is, themselves or their own bodies, God shall destroy them. And Peter affirms that some shall arise in the church who shall deny the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 Peter 2:1.

Again, it is said we are chosen in him before the foundation of the world. But all must admit that there is a time when we become Christ's, come into him, etc. "As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." We are also said to receive Christ by faith. So it is evident that we are not "in Christ" before we have faith—before we have put him on. Prior to that event, we were the "children of wrath, even as others." Eph. 2:3. That we are personally and unconditionally elected before the foundation of the world cannot, therefore, be the sense of that scripture. Jesus Christ was the one chosen—"the elect"—to be the Author of salvation to all who believe and obey; and all who receive him and put him on, or are baptized into him, become one with him, members of his body; and, of course, are partakers of his privileges and his election. That the election was a prior event is admitted; but that we have any part in it before we become members of Christ's body is denied. The choice is of Christ, and through him all that are "in him;" but, personally, does not reach them that are out of him, children of wrath, as we were all by nature. With this view, we see the reasonableness of Peter's exhortation to make our calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1:10; but with the Calvinistic view, it cannot be made to appear reasonable. And so of all the exhortations and threatenings in the Bible; if man is not free to choose or refuse, to obtain through obedience or lose through disobedience, they cannot be what they purport to be.

The truth on this subject we chiefly rest on the difference between the death of Christ, and the Atonement, to the argument on which we refer the reader.