The Everlasting Gospel by Francis Monroe Burg

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 22, 1914

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 41, No. 37.

The Everlasting Gospel

By Francis Monroe Burg

The Gospel Age — What Does It Embrace? — How Were the People of the Old Dispensation Saved?

By FRANCIS MONROE BURG

"THE law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." Luke 16: 16. The gospel is defined to be the "power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Rom. 1: 16. "Every one" is not to be limited in its application in respect to time or condition. The offer in the gospel is to every one of every class and in every age, on one condition only — belief in Jesus Christ, "whom God hath sent." John 3: 16 means no less to the people of one generation, or to the people of one class, than to those of another. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

THE UNIVERSAL OFFER

Paul also, in Rom. 10: 6-13, presents the universal offer of salvation, on the simple terms already mentioned: "The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. . . . Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

THE GOSPEL ERA

There seems to be general agreement among Bible believers relative to the offer of salvation on the simple terms set forth in this language, when applying it to what theologians are wont to term "the gospel era." Right at this point is the danger of divergence from the truth to a most dangerous error.

There is scarcely a more misleading designation to Bible readers than that of "the gospel age" as referring to the time since the first advent of Christ as contrasted with the ages previous to that event. Because of this use of the term, many people do not readily see the gospel in the setting of the Old Testament writings.

HOW MEN WERE SAVED ANCIENTLY

In the first place, it seems almost impossible, to the writer, that any one could conceive the idea of God's saving men of one age or generation on terms different from those required for salvation in another "dispensation." In the last analysis of this great question of man's salvation, there can be only one way by which the sinner can be brought back to peace with his God. The sinner must have died and been forever lost had not his Creator stayed the hand of justice and paid the debt for him. And in the nature of things, the only condition on which this intervention could avail for the sinner is his sincere repentance and confession of his sin, and an unquestioning faith in the vicarious Sufferer.

"SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD"

Christ, who paid the price, dying for man's redemption, was "slain from the foundation of the world." Rev. 13: 8. In every age since the fall of man, redemption has been offered through Him, and on the same terms on which it is offered where the gospel is preached to-day.

Paul states that the gospel was preached to Abraham: "The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." Gal. 3: 8. And in writing to the Hebrews, he again says, "Unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them." Heb. 4: 2.

THEY HAD THE SAME GOSPEL

This makes it clear that the ancient Jews had the same gospel we have in these last days. The name of Jesus, and the blood shed for man's redemption, had the same power and efficacy then as now. The gospel that saves men through the power of God is called, in Rev. 14: 6, 7, the "everlasting gospel."

Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last; and when redemption is completed, and the saved from all ages sing anew the endless song, it will be to Him who redeemed them to God through His blood out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation. Rev. 5: 9.