FIRST PRINCIPLES OF SALVATION

Salvation is the greatest thing in the world. It represents the grandest condescension on the part of God ever witnessed by angels, the most glorious experience ever received by man and it produces the sublimest lives possible on earth. It is so simple that the most unlearned may receive it; yet, it is so profound that the greatest intellects cannot explain it upon a purely scientific basis.

There are many things which young Christians ought to know about salvation. In living the Christian life one often faces difficulties and problems which require encouragement, explanations and spiritual help from others to solve. In setting out to afford this needed help, we should first discuss the great First Principles of Salvation.

1. It is Obtainable and Retainable in this Life. Naturally, most folk would think only in these terms; but not everybody does. There are those who believe that we have nothing to do with our salvation; that we are born to be saved or lost, and nothing we can do would change that eternal verdict. This, however, is not the case. Turning to God's Word, our only source of true information, we find the following statement: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world," Tit. 2:11, 12. Two things are here made plain: That all men can be saved; and that we are to lead a clean, righteous, God-fearing life in this world.

Salvation saves people from their sins. "For He shall save His people from their sins," Matt. 1:21. Some people teach that it is impossible to live free from sin in this life, but God's Word says, "He that committeth sin is of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin," I John 3:8, 9. That is, the real Christian does not commit willful acts of wrong. Sometimes people confuse sin with human short-comings and infirmities, or faults. "Sin is the transgression of the law," I John 3:4. Faults, blunders and natural infirmities are not transgressions of God's law and are not sinful in the sense of bringing condemnation to the Christian. It is only when we see our faults and refuse to confess and amend them that they bring condemnation. It is not so much the fault within itself then that fosters the condemnation as it is the unwillingness to confess and rectify the matter. By faults I mean such things as speaking out of turn, speaking too sharply; thoughtlessly doing or saying something, which of itself was not sinful, but was misunderstood by someone or perhaps caused some one to feel hurt, and other human short-comings of like nature.

A true Christian does not wish to do or say things which he realizes are wrong or sinful. If he does have such desires for a moment, they are either the outcropping of the carnal nature which may spring up and momentarily demand attention, or else, if he constantly realizes desires to do wrong, he is deceived in thinking he is a Christian. Sin cannot reign in the heart of a saved person. Either he will conquer it, or it will conquer him. But do not too easily become alarmed. He will not backslide without realizing what he is doing. As for that person who is determined to live right, God will see to it that there is a sufficiency of grace furnished to him to overcome, however hard the temptation. Even if the young Christian stumbles and realizes the need of forgiveness, "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." I John 2:1. He may be restored to favor with God and go on his way rejoicing. But this fact does not grant us license to sin at will and repent at leisure. People who are in this state usually mistake themselves for Christians when at heart they are not.

It is one of the supreme delights of the Christian religion that we do not have to be constantly losing and finding it; sinning and repenting, up today, down tomorrow. Thank God, with St. Paul we all can say, "He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day," II Tim. 1:12. Jude 24 says He is "able to keep you from falling," and Rev. 3:10 adds, "I will keep thee from the hour of temptation."

2. It is Intelligible. Yes, praise the Lord, this is a "know-so" salvation, not a "hope-so" religion! Even in his far off day Job said, "I know that my Redeemer liveth," Job 19:25. Of Christians Jesus said, "The sheep follow Him: for they know His voice. And a stranger will they not follow," John 10:4, 5. That is why the false teachers cannot deceive a real child of God; he can detect the devil in their voice! St. Paul adds his testimony: "I know whom I have believed." II Tim. 1:12. John the beloved said, "We know we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren," I John 3:14. St. Paul explains how this knowledge is had in these remarkable words: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God," Rom. 8:16. "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself," I John 5:10. We do not have to be told that we are saved by some friend or worker. The blessed Holy Ghost Himself will tell us, and He will continue to bear witness as we walk in the light and obey God.

Now this "witness of the Spirit" is twofold in its nature: 1. God's Spirit bears witness to us that we are accepted of Him. 2. Our own spirit bears witness to our inner consciousness that we are saved. In other words, we know that we are saved by the same sense of knowledge, psychologically, that we know anything else in the world, only this knowledge is spiritually imparted and spiritually discerned. The witness of the Spirit is an impression made upon our consciousness that we are pardoned from our sins and reconciled to God.

We know that we are saved, then, first of all by the witness of the Spirit. There are also other evidences which accompany salvation. "If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creature," St. Paul says, "old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new," II Cor. 5:17. Old desires, habits, ways, actions, songs, amusements, sinful chums and places of indulgence are passed away. What a change is wrought! New songs of praise to God, new desires, ways, actions; new places of spending our time, the service of God instead of the amusement center, new friends, and an entirely new outlook upon life. Know we are saved? Certainly, a person could not undergo such a change as this without being most fully aware of it. We find one comforting thought in this fact: if we are truly saved, our lives and experiences in grace harmonize with the Word of God.

3. It is Reasonable and Practical. This is an age of "unreasonable and wicked men," who try to argue away everything God has said. They say Moses did not write the Pentateuch; that Jonah was not swallowed by a whale, Jesus was not virgin born, and many other wicked things. Within the pale of the church some are ever ready to cry that no one can live free from sin in this life; that too much religious fervor is dangerous as it tends to make folk think religion is too strict a matter; that holy living is a fanatical idea, on which a sane person had better not embark. But St. Paul reasoned quite differently. In Rom. 12:1 he said to "present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, was our "reasonable service". Luke said in his gospel (1:74, 75) that we were to "serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life." God never expected nor asked anything unreasonable of anyone.

Salvation is the most reasonable thing in the universe. It brings one back into the originally intended relationship with God, which is the only reasonable .moral state for mankind. The highest degree of Christian holiness attainable in this life is the most reasonable thing that could be expected of one who intends to take the full benefits of the atonement. This is a day, spiritually, when most people are trying to see how little religion they can have and get to heaven, instead of endeavoring to live deep, godly lives. But beloved, let us steer clear of this type of worldling Christian and take the "narrow way that leadeth unto life."

Salvation is also very practical. That is, it is capable of every day exercise and usefulness as applied to our daily living. This is what Christ meant when He said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me," Luke 9:23. Serving God is an every-day business; there is no such thing as a "Sunday Christian," as he is no more Christian that day than any other. If a person does not have religion every day, he does not have it any day!

The Christian religion is so practical that it works at all times, in all places and under all circumstances. A real Christian will not go anywhere he cannot take his Lord, nor will he knowingly practice anything which is contrary to his convictions of right. Practical religion is the application of the principles of real heartfelt, genuinely experienced religion to our every day business, professional, shop, factory, social and home life in such away as to demonstrate the reality of our experience by the manner of our conduct and lives. If . it does not mean this to you, it is not functioning at its best in your life. True religion is more than a philosophy of life, a set of ideals, or a code of beliefs and doctrines. It is a life to be lived, a daily practice of the great principles of the New Testament, and is only made possible to us through the medium of a gracious experience of saving grace and the Holy Spirit's cleansing power. Certainly, it is doctrine, theory, philosophy and ideals, but it is more: it is experience in heart, morals in conduct and ethics in practice.

No matter how hard the battle or long the test, God's grace is sufficient to help us to live the life and put His standards of vital godliness into action.

4. It is Enjoyable. Some people have just enough religion to make them miserable, but God proposes to give us enough to make us happy, sunny dispositioned Christians who will be attractive toward this wonderful grace. If some professing Christians' dispositions were taken as samples of religion, those who are unfamiliar with it may be led to think it is a very gloomy and hollow life. Their faces look more like sign boards for a vinegar factory than advertisements of a joyous Christian experience. God has no sign boards in this world but the faces of His people. What is on your sign board, reader? It is true that righteous actions and deeds have a profound reaction upon the world, but how much greater when it is done with a face that is illuminated with the glow of heavenly joy.

Isaiah said, "With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation," Isa. 12:3. Brother, are you drawing out of this well? To see some people turning their religious windlass one would hardly know whether it was joy they were drawing out or not. In some cases, the decision would be definitely negative.

"The joy of the Lord is your strength," Neh. 8:10. No wonder some Christians are so weakly; they have so little of this overflowing joy in their souls. Joy is a source of strength in any avenue of life, and certainly none the less in matters of spirituality.

St. Paul admonished, "Rejoice evermore," I Thess. 5:16. Salvation puts a well in our souls from which we may ever draw pleasures of His giving; full salvation sinks this well to artesian depths, from whence there springs up a constant stream of holy joy in our lives. One may not feel emotionally joyous at all times, but deeply hidden in his spiritual nature is the fountain from which proceeds all his pleasures and joys; one which in spite of sorrow and shadows gives forth a gracious stream of serene satisfaction, far surpassing anything the world can offer. How delightful is such an experience in the soul!

Of what does salvation consist anyway? St. Paul tells us that "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost," Rom. 14:17. Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you," Luke 17:21. That is, the above mentioned things of which it consists being in one's heart, he has heaven within his soul.

Many other references could be adduced, such as: Psa. 16:11; 125:5; Acts 8:8; Gal. 5:22, all of which show God's salvation to be a joyful experience. Away with this dry joyless religion! The Lord wants to give us something that makes our hearts glad, our tongues to sing His praises and our faces radiant with His blessing.

5. It May be Lost. Great and blessed as is this state of salvation, it still leaves a man on probation with freedom of choice. If through carelessness, indifference and neglect a saved person reaches the place of in consideration, or the place where temptation is yielded to, this sweet and joyful experience may be lost. Of this the Bible gives ample proof. Not only may he lose his experience, but he may, in the words of John Wesley, "so fall from grace as to everlastingly perish." This also is a Scriptural position. St. Paul warned, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall," I Cor. 10:12. He himself watched against the danger of becoming a "castaway," I Cor. 9:27.

"But I thought you said salvation was retainable, did you not?" someone queries. Indeed, I did. But mark this: it would be foolishness to speak of a thing being retainable if there was no possibility of losing it! Possibility of retainment is itself an argument in favor of the tragic possibility of losing it. However, the fact that one may lose it need not keep us alarmed, but merely serve as a warning against carelessness and failure to do our duty.

King Saul is a sad illustration of this fact. God gave him a new heart, (I Sam. 10:9) signifying a change of heart, and he was among the sons of the prophets, doubtless testifying to God's marvelous, saving grace. But the last glimpse we have of him, he is saying, "God is departed from me, and answereth me no more," I Sam. 28:15. He soon filled a suicide's grave and went to a backslider's hell. Note: How could God have departed from him if He had not been with him?

Listen to poor backslidden David's prayer, as he seeks to get back to God. "Restore unto me the joy of my salvation; . . . Then will I teach transgressors thy ways: and sinners shall be converted unto Thee," Psa. 51:12, 13. Away with that wicked heresy that says, "David only lost the joy of his salvation." Imagine it, a man who takes another man's wife, then has the poor innocent husband murdered, yet he only loses the JOY of his religion! Ordinary decency forbids the idea; common sense is repugnant at such a theory! If David had not repented, he would have awakened in hell where every other backslider will if he does not bestir himself, repent and straighten up with God, regardless of what he believes. Multitudes of professing Christians today need to pray the prayer that David prayed, and with the same accent of earnestness in it. If they would, more sinners would be brought to God and the church would begin to take on new life.

Jesus spoke of a class who "in time of temptation fall away," Luke 8:13. If there had been no such thing as falling away He would not have spoken of it. He also said, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned," John 15:6. What can this mean but the fact we have already set forth? How can he be "cast forth" if he is not in Him? "Withered" suggests it was once alive, but is severed from the vine, and the mention of "fire" indicates his eternal undoing. How is this brought about? If a man abide not in me,,, suggests that the individual is responsible for the severing of this relationship. Certainly Christ is never responsible for it.

Of the apostles, one denied, another betrayed and all forsook Christ, (See Mark 14:43-72), yet before this their names were all written in Heaven (Luke 19:10 ) . They simply backslide just as thousands have done before and since. Notice the Word says, "Judas by transgression fell, Acts 1:25. From what? His office as an apostle, certainly, but more: from the grace of God. We are told that "Satan entered into him," John 13:27 and how could he enter into him if he had never been cast out of him?

Paul said, "Demus hath forsaken me, having loved this present world," II Tim. 4:10. There is no evidence that he ever got back to God. That is the fearful danger in backsliding.

The writer of the Hebrews admonishes us thus: "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip," ("run out as leaking vessels," as the original has it) Heb. 2:1. Too many people today have spiritual "leaking heart." The sure cure for it is to get rid of the "old man of carnality," who is usually responsible for prying open the leaks.

St. Peter describes the backslider thus: "The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire," II Peter 2:22. It is a tragedy to be in such a condition in life, and how much more to die in that state. I remember the case of a poor backslidden woman on the island of St. Kitts, on one of our missionary trips. She had told the lady missionary that when the special services were held, she was "coming back." It was one day from the time. The services were to begin the next night. Early in the day the missionary received a call to visit her at once, as she had a heart attack. Upon entering the room the poor backslider lifted her smitten face and said sadly, "He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be cut down!" (The Scripture was slightly misquoted, but how true in her case.) She died that night without hope, so far as could be known-one week too late. It does not pay to trifle with these great, eternal matters.

"But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak," Heb. 6:9. Thank God, we do not have to backslide. He has provided keeping grace. "For that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted," Heb. 2:18. While these things need to be held before us as a warning of the dangers that lurk near, they need cause no depression and gloom in the heart of any true and trusting child of God. If we are determined and do our part, "in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us," and "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heighth, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom. 8:38, 39.