Plain Facts About Saltation What Saltation Is and What Salvation Is Not. The Necessity o f Regeneration By REV. FRANKLIN W. HULING 1. Only One Way
for most people. But I am built on different lines myself, and I have a plan of my own for my initiation into the lodge. It is true that it differs from your plan, but it suits me and I believe it will be just as well.” Ho you know what the lodge would say to such a man? Without any hesitation they would tell him, “ You will either come in in the way we have prescribed, or you will stay out.” And no one would question the right of the lodge to take that position. Salvation is God’s Gift and Heaven is God’s Home. God has marked out the Way by which we may receive His Gift and finally enter His Home. The Way of God’s providing is His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we are di rected to believe. Jesus said, “ I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6). The Cross of Christ, with its arms outstretched is an invitation, “ Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and -I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28.) But the Cross is also a barrier, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6.) This is not due to arbitrariness on God’s part, but because of God’s nature and our nature and because of wBat salva tion is. And we will not see things straight until we recognize that we must be saved in God’s way or not at all. Jesus said that any one who attempted to climb up “ some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1.) It makes no difference what “ other way” we take. God can save only those who take His Way. We make certain and inevitable our spiritual ruin for time
In response to man’s question, “What must I do to be saved?” God answers, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:30-31.) God has no other way of saving sinners. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12.) However, many feel that while this is God’s way of saving most people, they themselves are so individual and so different from other folks that they do not need to take this way; in fact, they think they are at liberty to choose any way of being saved that appeals to them. Joining a Lodge ' If we used common sense in consider ing this matter of our salvation, as we generally do in matters of purely earthly interest, we would save ourselves from this pitfall. Let us suppose a case. Here is a man who desires to join some lodge. The lodge prescribes just how he shall make application for membership, and he complies with their requirement. His name is voted upon and he is accepted as a candidate for initiation into the lodge. A committee from the lodge waits upon him, notifies him of his ac ceptance as a candidate, instructs him how to prepare himself for the initia tion, and advises him when and where to present himself. Can you imagine this candidate addressing the committee from the lodge in some such way as this: "Thank you, gentlemen, I under stand that this is your usual method of procedure, and I believe it is all right
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