156
March 1927
T h - k
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
PAS SAGES THAT PERPLEX
Falling from Grace T HE expression used in the head
Paul and Barnabas had no small disputation with them.” From first to last Paul sharply resists the suggestion that salvation rests upon any other basis than grace. To admit circumcision or Sabbath keeping as a condi tion of salvation would lead logically to imposing the rest of the Mosaic law, and grace was then excluded. I ss u e S et tled O n c e ' F or A l l It was decided to call a Council of the churches and settle this isSute once for all. After the conference had proceeded at some length “and there had been much dis puting, Peter rose up.” (Note that he was not the chair man.) He proceeded to show that the law question was settled by the fact that God had undeniably placed the seal of the Holy Spirit upon Gentiles who had received Christ, although they were entirely uninstructed in the Mosaic law. No law had been preached to them. The simple Gospel of grace had led to new birth in thousands of cases and God had “purified their hearts by faith.” Is the issue not settled in the same way today? Facts are stronger than theories. If a man says,-“You must do this or that in addition to accepting Christ in order to be born of the Spirit,” is it not enough to point to the transforming work of the Spirit in hundreds of lives who were saved and sealed by the Spirit upon John 3 :16 alone ? “Therefore,” concludes Peter—since the law never had power to save the Jews, and Gentiles have been saved with out it—“we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved.” Barnabas and Paul then amply confirmed Peter’s argu ment, showing that the effect of simple testimony to Christ crucified and risen had brought wonderful results among the Gentiles. James closed the discussion, showing that God’s plan included a church in which Gentile as well as Jew should receive salvation by faith in Christ’s name. S u m m a r y of t h e W o rks Q u e st io n The apostles and elders of the whole church then sent letters to Antioch, Syria and Cilicia, denouncing the legal- izers. Because of this same issue, Paul later wrote the Galatian Epistle, which is a divine treatise on this matter, a general outline of which follows: 1. We are saved once for all by the operation of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:2-3, 6 - 8 ). 2 . Works have nothing to do with justification before God (Gal. 2:16), Faith alone justifies, but the faith which justifies will not be alone (cf. Jas. 2:14, 24). 3. Salvation produces works, but works have nothing to do with producing salvation (Gal. 2:20; 5:22). 4. If we cbuld be saved by law keeping, there would be no need for Christ’s sacrifice (Gal. 2:21). 5. Who would say how much law keeping was necessary to salvation (Gal. 3 :10-11; 5 :3) ? 6 . Salvation is either by works or by promise; it cannot be both (Gal. 3:18). 7. The purpose of the law is to bring to Christ (Gal. 3- 19-24). Conclusion: “Ye ARE the children of God by faith” (Gal 3:26). . ' “Falling from grace” is therefore seen to be seeking for justification in any other way than through grace alone.
line of this article, and found in , Gal. 5 :4, is often quoted by Christians
who are under the impression that' the words imply that grace is not necessarily permanent. The notion is somehow deducted that eternal life can die; a child of God can be unborn; that salvation is not neces sarily safe. In other words, they make these words teach that a Christian who fails to do the works of the law is “fallen from grace” and therefore lost. Paul’s argument here is, however, the very opposite. He is showing that those who are trying to be saved partly by Christ and partly by worka, are “ fallen away from” grace (not “out of” ). A true Christian STANDS in grace (Rom. 5:2). If personal merit enters as a fac tor in saving a person, Paul argues in Rom. 1 :6 that “grace is no more grace,” for grace means absolutely unmerited favor. To fall back in any degree upon law keeping as essential to salvation is to put salvation upon a platform that cannot be labeled “Grace.” The Galatians were falling away from the teachings of grace through the effort to mix works with grace.' David Dixon, Scottish Covenanter, when dying said: “I have cast my bad works and my good works into one pile and run from them both to lay hold on Christ as my righteousness.” This is grace. Perhaps the most important' chapter in ecclesiastical history is Acts 15. The church came near losing its lib erty in Christ at the outset. Had a wrong step been taken at the Jerusalem council, Christianity would have become a Jewish sect. It was the first battle between law and grace. The conflict over works and grace has never ceased, although it was effectually settled in this first Church Council. The Holy Spirit decided the issue. N ot L ic e n s e to . S in Somehow the proud heart of man resents the idea that it can do nothing toward saving itself. Furthermore, the idea that salvation by grace alone gives one license to sin as he pleases is ever bobbing up. How foolish it is ! God is good; therefore let us act like the devil. Christ has saved me at infinite cost; therefore I owe Him nothing. We are chosen in Him to go to heaven ¿therefore let us live as though we are going to hell. The Apostle Paul gives the antidote to this weak argument in 2 Cor. 5:15: “H e ’died for all that they which live should not hence forth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again.” Spurgeon put it thus to one who argued his license to sin : “Man, you talk like that because you are not born again.” Turning to Acts 15, we find that “certain brethren came down from Judea and taught the brethren,” intro ducing law keeping as an essential of salvation. Erroneous teachers may be very sincere and earnest men. We have their counterpart today in some very conscientious people who hold to the same errors. These men traveled a long distance to foist their ideas upon the Church. It is sur prising how far some will walk today, not to save souls, but to propagate their theories among professing Christians.
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