"WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?"
IT is a Bible question; it admits of a Bible answer and no other. It was a sinner that asked the question, "What must I do to be saved?" It was the legate of Jesus Christ that answered him: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:30, 31. "For God so loved the world," says the great Teacher, "that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. This is all that is necessary, belief, faith, in Jesus Christ. "But," says one, "I thought that you people who observe the seventh-day Sabbath taught that more than faith is necessary." We do not; that is, no well-instructed Christian so teaches. Why should we teach otherwise from what is taught by our Lord and his apostle? "But why," persists the questioner, "do you keep the seventh day? Is not that a denial of faith? Is it not returning to old Jewish customs for justification?" Let us ask a question: Do you believe in Christ for salvation? The answer of course is, "Yes, most assuredly." But do you worship idols, take God's name in vain, dishonor your parents, steal, commit adultery, covet, etc.? And you reply with warmth, "Certainly not." But again we ask, Is it not returning to old Jewish customs to keep the commandments which forbid these things? For all the truth of the Bible came through the Jews. The God of the Bible has proclaimed himself to be the God of Israel. The prophets were Jews, the apostles and New Testament writers were Jews, and Jesus after the flesh was a Jew. More, he himself declares to one of another nation, "Salvation is of the Jews." John 4:22. Then if it be going back to Jewish customs to keep one of the Ten Words which God gave to the world through the Jews, is it not doing the same thing to keep other commands of that same law, given in the same way? But what is it to believe? It is not to give mere assent to a thing. Thus it is that the demons believe, and many people who are yet in their sins. The apostle tells us, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." Rom. 10:10. Righteousness is right-being and right-doing. The belief, the faith, which stops short of right-being and right-doing is spurious, and he who trusts to it will be deceived. The righteousness to which belief has respect is the righteousness of God. "But now the righteousness of God without the law manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference." Rom. 3:21, 22. The righteousness is God's righteousness. It is given through faith in Christ. It is the same righteousness that is taught by the law and by the prophets; for the law and prophets witness to its genuineness. It is the righteousness wrought out by the obedience of Christ, for "by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous." But to what was Christ obedient?—To the Father's commandments. John 15:10. He kept God's law, every one of the Ten Words of the Decalogue in their fulness, and so fulfilled or filled up in himself God's righteousness, that he might fulfil the same in others. Jesus Christ obeyed God; he did it in every particular. "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." "Sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. "Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Rom. 7:7. The law which says, "Thou shalt not covet," is the Decalogue. Therefore if Jesus Christ "did no sin," he did not transgress the law that pointed out sin; and therefore he must have kept that law, as he assuredly did. His enemies accused him of breaking the Sabbath day, but he said that the good works that he did on that day were "lawful," according to the Sabbath law. Matt. 12:12. Then the obedience of Christ by which the believer is made righteous is obedience to the Decalogue. God imputes to us through faith the righteousness which Jesus wrought out. For our love of self is imputed his love to God. For our covetousness he gives his unselfishness. For our Sabbath-breaking is imputed his Sabbath-keeping. That is, if we by faith yield to God, God grants all this for Christ's sake. He not only forgives past sins by imputing to us his righteousness, but he changes the heart, puts a new spirit within us, even his own Spirit, and thus makes us righteous. Before this work is wrought through faith the carnal mind reigned, and "the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh can not please God." Rom. 8:7, 8. But here is expressed the change after the carnal mind has been taken away, and the mind of Christ is given: "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." Verses 9, 10. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Verse 1. And all this comes simply because we believe with all the heart, believe unto righteousness, or right-being. Christ makes the tree good. "The Obedience of Faith."
But does not the Christian work? Will he not do good works? Of what use to save him if he did not? Jesus "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:14. These works are the results of his faith. They are the right-doing of the right-being. The right-being, the tree, must be first; the right-doing, the fruit, follows, or else the tree will be cut down as a cumberer of the ground. "Let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous." 1 John 3:7. And being made righteous, the believer bears "the fruit of righteousness." His faith is the "faith which worketh by love." Gal. 5:6. His love is that which keeps the commandments of God, "and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3. "That the righteousness of the law [not a part of it] might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8:4. Now these works are not wrought to earn salvation. They are not performed that we may have faith; they are the fruits of genuine3faith, of belief "unto righteousness." And he who thinks he has faith which does not produce works is deceived; his faith is dead, being alone. The works which God requires, the obedience which he demands, are a test of our faith. They are given in mercy and love, to develop faith and to save us from deception. "If ye love Me, keep My commandments." "Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." These, reader, are the words of Inspiration. God has commanded the fourth commandment as truly as the first or sixth. Genuine faith will obey every one without question. If it does not obey, it is not the faith of Jesus. He kept, in the obedience of faith, every precept; if we have the same mind and same faith, we will follow him. Our right-doing will be his right-being in us.