by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of your selves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Christ must be the Son of God, else He could have atoned for only one person. His Calvary work must have been sufficient, else God would not have said, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but accord ing to his mercy.” An active heart-faith must be the basis of salvation, else John 3:36 would not written thus: “ He that believeth on theSon hath ever lasting life.” Romans 10:9-10 makes a tremendous declaration re garding salvation and the new birth: “ 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.” Endeavor to twist these verses to conform to your reli gion (if you reject Christ and His way of eternal salva tion) and you will find yourself a beetle against a boul der; a mouse against a mountain; a gnat against Niagara. You will place the puny mind of finite man against the irrefutable verdict of infinite God. Read the ultimatum, “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son . . . hath not life” (I John 5:12). I quickly drew the automobile to the curb and rushed with the other passengers to the still form that lay bloody and mangled near the highway’s edge. We tore the blood- soaked garments from his neck, hoping against hope that he would visibly breathe. Could he ever breathe again after being hurled, with terrific impact, through the roof of his antiquated car to the pavement. A large cattle truck had evidently loomed suddenly out of the mass of traffic striking the small car head-on with such force that the front axle had been twisted perpendicular to the highway and the entire machine demolished. Two of the onlookers had run to summon the ambulance and police, when a gray automobile circled the congested traffic and stopped. A professional gentleman stepped from the car and asked if a doctor were needed. An anxious affirmation came from a dozen voices. As the physician bent over the motionless body, his sensitive hands felt for some indication of life. The gathering on lookers watched with silent interrogation written on each face. One primary question was uppermost at the moment. Do you suppose we were asking “ Did the old car have good brakes?” or “Was the cattle truck on the wrong side of the center line?” or “Was either exceeding the speed limit?” or “ Don’t you think, Doctor, that old cars should be banned from public highways?” We would have been imbeciles to be playing with minor queries when a life was at stake. The only question our lips could utter was: “ Doctor, is he living or is he dead?” He was alive! Spir itually, are you living or dead in sin? Have you the Son of God or not? “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” W ill you reject the Son of God so that you can continue to hold to a false theory presented to you by a friend or a parent who had not time to search out its truthfulness? Take your Bible and for yourself find these verities and see if these be not even as we have stated. Make cer tain that your religion has as its sum and substance the Person of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, not a preacher nor a priest, nor a code of ethics nor a social service program, not an idea nor a notion, but the Person of the Son of the living God whom we have believed, whom we love, serve and for whom we daily look. “ Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” END.
ceding presentations false, consequently, about what can we be positive?” is a common question. Granted that you are not an atheist, agnostic or infidel for there will be none (as such) in hell. The unbeliever will then be convinced of the existence of a just and living God who once presented a salvation by blood. If you follow after the teachings of God, why do you accept the doctrines which you believe? You answer, “ Because I can see them no other way, and they satisfy me.” A ll right, if you are convinced of the strength and purity of your religion, you are then willing to give it the acid test, are you not? Certainly! And if we find that your coins are counterfeit, that your material is not genuine, that you have an eleven-inch foot-rule or a thirty-five-inch yardstick, if we find that you have as your standard a fifteen-ounce pound or a three-quart gal lon, if we find that your religion does not stand the test, will you be willing (and I think you will — any logical person would) to accept a standard that is “up to par” ? “Well, what is the test, sir?” you ask. First, let us mutually agree that there are false religions which lead only to despair, condemnation and eternal destruction. The Bible says — and we hold to the Book of books as inspired — in I Timothy 4, “ that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (demons); speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats . . .” Let us agree, then, that there are false religions, some that worship even at the shrine of the Prince of Demons. Second Peter 2 says, “There shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you; whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” “ Even denying the Lord that bought them — ” there is the heart of the true issue. That statement excludes the blood sacrifice (as a propitiatory vicarious offering) of the sinless Son of God (Jesus, the Christ) for the other wise unpardonable sinful fall of all humanity. If you can exclude these verities, then the religion you follow with such fervor is classed with the above “ damnable heresies.” According to God’s Word, this denial of the Calvary work does not have to be blatant and audibly blasphem- ous, but can be a mere acquiescence to the statements given by more outspoken disbelievers. “Man looketh on the outward appearance,” whereas “ God trieth the (heart)” and knows whether your outward formality includes an interior regeneration or not. Further, this denial of Calvary and the blood work may not be an opposing mental attitude, but rather a heart neglect. One can believe all about the Lord Jesus Christ and still be following a false theory. I believe Satan’s most subtle lie today is this (as he speaks to your heart): “ Of course you may believe about God and Jesus and Calvary and all, but you need not be so fanatical as to humble yourself to receive Christ into your heart.” There is the capstone of modem lies, effecting a mental assent to the exclusion of saving faith. Put your religion in the acid solution and ask yourself if this is its foundation: “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). Does your religion include that? “ Oh, yes,” you say, “ and more, too.” Ah, if you add to that statement you make God’s Word insufficient. Some of you with sincerity try to add works, but Ephesians 2:8-9 cancels all addition by saying, “ For
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