"The Same Shall Be Saved"
WHOM does the Master mean by "the same" who "shall be saved"? Let Him answer: "He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved." Matt. 24:13. Salvation is conditional. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." But that does not imply that when the ceremony of baptism is over, salvation eternal is assured. "He that believeth" implies continual belief—growing, abiding belief. The mere ceremony of baptism is complete as the soul rises from the water, but the life of which that ceremony is the initial act must be progressive, or the spiritual life will be withdrawn. The old unscriptural argument of "once in grace always in grace" is based on one-sided figures which the Lord uses to impress upon His human, unregenerate children the necessity of a radical change in life and motive if they would be eternally saved. The term "converted" is used, meaning to turn completely about. Matt. 18:3. But it is not even implied that a man can not turn back to the "weak and beggarly elements of the world." Gal. 4:8, 9. He can go back like a dog "to his own vomit," like "the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:21, 22. Marriage is used to illustrate the believer's relationship to his Lord. He is "married . . . to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." Rom. 7:4. But the married woman can leave her husband and become the mistress of another man. If so, her husband is justified in putting her away forever. This relationship of the believer to Christ is illustrated by that of the branch to the tree: "I am the vine; ye are the branches." John 15:5. Now the branch partakes of the life and nature of the parent vine, a closer relationship could not be conceived; yet Jesus declares, "Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit, He [the Father] taketh away." Verse 2. When the branch does not develop and endure as a fruit-bearer, it can not be saved. Another figure used is that of birth: "Ye must be born again." John 3:3. And we are told from this that the child born to a parent must ever be his child and in the very nature of the case can never be otherwise. This contention ignores two things: (1) That whatever figures the Lord may use to express relationship in part, He always respects human choice. "Choose ye this day;" and it is always choose this day—"while it is called To-day." We may follow the Master to the borders of the Promised Land, and then choose to return to Egypt, or to die in the wilderness. He will not prevent us, because He can not in His wonderfully wise plan contravene the human will. 2. The change implied by "ye must be born again" primarily refers to character, the building of which is based in the very life of God, but that birth is not completed in its fullest sense till the soul stands physically immortal in the sinless, everlasting kingdom of God. There must be change, real, radical, fundamental change in the life of the unregenerate human; for the soul-life can never develop a spiritual man. Yet every step of the way it depends upon the choice of the soul; for eternal life here is held by faith, and man may neglect its channel and turn from its Source. "By faith ye stand." 2 Cor. 1:24. Over and over in God's word are His children warned of the awful danger of backsliding and its sure result in destruction if sin is persisted in. Israel were accepted of God as truly as a people could be. When they crossed the Jordan into Canaan, the reproach was rolled away. In God they stood complete. Yet were they repeatedly admonished to take heed and persevere; and they were explicitly told that they should "surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God." See Deut. 8:11-20, et al. Saul, son of Kish, was called to be king over Israel. He humbled himself before God, and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he had a change of heart, he became "another man." 1 Sam. 10:6, 9. Yet failing to meet the tests in after life, he became utterly apostate. 1 Chron. 10:13, 14. The apostle Paul, whose conversion was a combination of marvelous and miraculous manifestations, places before Christians these important truths: "I declare unto you the Gospel, . . . which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are SAVED, IF ye KEEP IN MEMORY what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." 1 Cor. 15:1, 2. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So RUN, THAT ye may obtain. . . . I therefore so run, not as uncertainly [as the earthly racers do], so fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; LEST that by any means, when I have preached to others, I MYSELF SHOULD BE A CASTAWAY." 1 Cor. 9:24-27. This admonition and the personal experience are worse than worthless if there is not danger of falling and utterly failing. Once more in that marvelous book of Hebrews: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To-day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. FOR WE ARE MADE PARTAKERS OF CHRIST, IF WE HOLD FAST THE BEGINNING OF OUR CONFIDENCE STEADFAST UNTO THE END." Heb. 3:12-14. Conversion places man on a new plane before God, opens to him the great storehouse of His grace, and assures the soul of victory; but that soul must choose, willingly, freely choose in heart, must by choice crucify the flesh by the Spirit of God, till the conflict ends and victory is complete. "He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved."