Article 45
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the first four books of the New Testament, tell of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Acts, the fifth book, tells of the actions of His followers after His ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Romans, the sixth book, was written by the Apostle Paul, who is the theologian of the New Testament. He tells us the meaning of these events.
Six is man’s number. The book roMANS was written for man. In the first three chapters, Paul tells us that the Gentile man is a sinner, that the Jewish man, who has had some advantage, is also a sinner, and that there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In chapter 3, verse 10, he says, “As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one”. Paul is quoting Psalm 14 and 53, which say the same thing. And Job asked the question, “How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water”? (Job 15:16 )
Man is in bad shape. Sin confused man and confused man crucified the son of the living God. When Peter pointed this out to the Jews, they were pricked in their hearts and asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do”? Peter told them to repent and be baptized. When the Philippian jailer asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved (?)”, Paul said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved”. (Acts 2:38 ; 16:31 )
It should be clear that man has no righteousness, and in order to be saved he must believe and repent. The focus of evangelistic efforts is to get man to believe, to make his decision for Christ, and to repent, which means not only sorrow for sin but also a turning away from sin. A popular Christian Crusade is named, “The Hour of Decision”. Altar calls are given as man is to make his decision for Christ by coming down front in a public confession. He is to sorrow for and turn away from sin. Make your decision today before it is too late. And whosoever will, let him come. Clearly, the Bible teaches that man must believe and repent. How can there be another view of salvation? How can this clear teaching of scripture not be correct? What other view could there be? Of course, man can decide to refuse the offer of salvation.
Man must believe and repent is Biblical truth. Is it all the truth? No, it’s not all the Biblical truth. To find all Biblical truth, precept must be upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little. (Isaiah 28: 9, 10, 13) Truth must be added to this basic truth: man must believe and repent.
Is man saved by man’s decision for Christ … or is man saved by Christ’s decision for man, not my will, but thine be done. Man is saved by the decision Christ made for man in the Garden of Gethsemane . (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42) Salvation comes because of Christ’s decision for man … and not man’s decision for Christ. Is this puzzling? Can man make a decision, and come to Christ?
The words of Jesus are clear. “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him”. (John 6:44) “No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” (verse 65). Man, fallen, weakened and confused by sin cannot come to Jesus, cannot make a decision for Jesus. Man cannot come on his own but must be drawn. And how is this done? Again, the words of Jesus in John 12:32 , “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me”. (Also, see John 3:14 ; 8:28 .) On the cross, Jesus was lifted up between heaven and earth. All men will be drawn to Jesus. The work of the Holy Spirit is to convict men of sin and to point them to Jesus as their Savior. All will be drawn to Jesus. All mankind, everyone will be drawn to Jesus.
Since the Bible is clear that all will not be saved, yet all will be drawn, it appears that fallen, fallible, finite man, so weakened by sin that he cannot come to Jesus but must be drawn, has enough will left to resist the drawing of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit draws man to his pardon, even Jesus, but if man refuses to be drawn to his pardon then he has no pardon. This is the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 12: 31-32; Mark 3: 28-30; Luke 12:10)
In the Garden of Eden, man was not forced to comply with God’s wishes. Neither is man forced to accept his salvation which is in Jesus Christ. Being lost is 100% man’s responsibility.
Yet if man must believe and repent in order to be saved, and sin has so weakened man that he cannot make a decision for Christ, how then can he be saved? The Holy Spirit draws all men to Jesus … and if man does not resist the drawing, he is given faith and repentance. The faith to believe, the sorrow for and the turning from sin, repentance, are gifts to man from an all merciful God who knows man’s condition and man’s need.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (faith) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”. (Ephesians 2:8)
“… God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith”. (Romans 12:3)
When Peter was asked who Jesus was, he said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God”. Jesus replied, “… flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven”. (Matthew 16: 16, 17) God gave Peter the gift of faith, the ability to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ.
Likewise, repentance is a gift to man from God. Why was Jesus exalted to sit at God’s right hand and made to be a Prince and Savior? “… for to give repentance to Israel , and forgiveness of sins”. (Acts 5:31 )
“… then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life”. (Acts 11:18 )
“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth”! (2 Timothy 2:25)
In order to be saved, man must believe and repent. This is the first view of salvation. If man could believe and repent, he would have a part in his salvation. Confused and weakened by sin, he is unable to do this. So a loving God draws man to Jesus and, if he doesn’t resist, man is given faith and repentance. Salvation is God’s work from beginning to end. Man has no part in it whatsoever. It is what man does – resist – that causes him to be lost. All will be saved unless they resist. This is the second view of salvation. Salvation is 100% God’s responsibility. Being lost is 100% man’s responsibility.
Why is man a sinner? Is it because of something he did? No, no. It is because of something Adam did. God created Adam and God is responsible for what Adam did. Has God met His responsibility? Yes, yes. Every descendant of Adam has been saved by God’s work of grace in the Person of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. Every fallen human will be drawn to Him, and those who do not resist will be given faith, repentance, and will be saved.
It is not man’s fault that he was born in sin. It is Adam’s fault. The father is responsible for his children. Adam, a sinner, could not meet this responsibility, so God has given us a new father, a new head of humanity, who has paid the price and redeemed humanity, all humanity from sin by His perfect life and atoning death on the cross. (Isaiah 9:6; Romans 5:12, 18, 19)
Would it be fair to condemn a child born cripple because he cannot walk properly? It would be the height of injustice, a grievous crime. Man has been born a sinner with a crippled will and cannot make a decision for Christ or come to Christ on his own. He must be drawn, given faith and repentance, because of his sinful condition. Man is not condemned because he has been born a sinner. That is not man’s fault. His only fault will be to resist the salvation worked out for him at such a great cost. (See, Article #2, “TO GOD BE THE GLORY”, at christianitysconfusion.com or request a copy through the mail. It shows Christ’s sacrifice to be more than we usually think.)
Is it confusing to man to be told he must have faith, repent, and make a decision for Christ by coming to the altar when he is not capable of doing this? Why do you think the word “decision” is found only once in the Bible? (Joel 3:14 [KJV margin] it is rendered “concision or threshing”.) How many altar calls are recorded in the Bible? Charles Finney (1792-1825) is credited with devising the altar call. There are no altar calls in the Bible. Why not? It is an effort of mankind to have a part in salvation.
Two Views: Man and Salvation
Man must believe, make a decision for Christ, and repent. This is man’s part in salvation.
All are drawn to Jesus and those that do not resist are given faith and repentance. Salvation is
100% the work of God. Being lost is 100% man’s work.
Number 1 above is a confused gospel because man cannot believe and repent but must be given these by God.
The only decision that man can make is to resist the drawing of the Holy Spirit. He is saved BY NOT MAKING A DECISION! If he does nothing, HE WILL BE DRAWN TO JESUS and HE WILL BE SAVED! All will be saved except those that resist the drawing.
When Christ is lifted up as explained in the above reference, He will be seen in a most precious light. Man will be awed by the great price paid for man’s existence, for man’s privilege of being, of thinking, of feeling and making decisions. ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME!