God's Plan with MenMartin, T. T. (Thomas Theodore)
Religion
God's Plan with Men
Martin, T. T. (Thomas Theodore)
Salvation
Let the reader consider two cases that will show conclusively that the
teaching of salvation by character is absolutely contrary to the
teaching of the Saviour. "The chief priest, mocking him, with the
scribes and elders, said: He saved others; himself he cannot save. If
he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we
will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he
will have him; for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also that
were with him, cast the same in his teeth."--Matt. 27:41-44. Let the
reader notice that both the thieves "that were with him, cast the same
in his teeth." Then "one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on
him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other
answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou
art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the
due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he
said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be
with me in Paradise."--Luke 23:39-43. From the time that both thieves
"cast the same in his teeth," to the time the one made his earnest
plea, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom," there had
been no time in which this thief could have formed, developed a
character that merited salvation. Hence, when Jesus said, "To-day
shalt thou be with me in Paradise," to this thief, He branded the
teaching of salvation by character as not from Heaven. The one who
does not see from this case that the cruel, heartless, selfish
teaching of salvation by character contradicts the Lord Jesus, will
never see anything contrary to his own preferences and preconceived
opinions.
The second case is just as conclusive. As the Saviour was reclining at
meat in the house of Simon the Pharisee, a woman, noted as a sinner,
came in and stood behind him weeping. "And he said to the woman, Thy
faith hath saved thee; go in peace."--Luke 7:50. The Saviour said the
woman was saved, yet she was of notorious character,--she had no
character.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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