The redeeming purpose of God, including a statement of the Scriptural idea of the doctrine of holiness and its advancement in the church

Front matter

wmk RM |||

Purpose iiillBllimilll!

Copyright N°

Foreword

The chief object of this volume is to show the way of salvation, which contemplates God’s eternal purpose concerning man.

In no way is there any claim of originality for the plan of this volume. It is the result of patient reading and study of many of the writings of the most able divines on the plan of salvation during the last thirty years in the Christian ministry.

The author has studied to know the truth and nothing but the truth, and hopes that these well-meant truths will be kindly received by all Christians.

The prayers of the reader are solicited that the blessing of God may rest on the book and the author.

Contents

ChapteS Page

I. Redemption Provided - -- -- -- n

II. The Gospel Plan of Salvation - - - 21

Chapter 1

In the doctrine of salvation we have the solution of one of the oldest and most stressful questions propounded to man. It is the first, the greatest, and the most important subject that can be presented to the human intellect. More important than this Infinite Wisdom has nothing to teach ; greater than this man has nothing to learn. In the investigation of any subject we must have a correct standard if we are to proceed discriminately, and reach any well defined and consistent conclusion. An assertion proves nothing. Simply to deny or affirm without some underlying fundamental principle as an accepted rule of judging can never rid ourselves of confusion, error, and falsehood, or fix upon any valuable point of facts. A fair-minded person is willing for his belief to be sifted and tested to the uttermost, for he knows the truth will stand any real, legitimate test. Then, too, the more truth is tested, the more it is seen to be the truth. There are some who have written quite extensively on the plan of salvation, but have discussed the subject without basic facts, or any standard of truth. Such persons are not safe thinkers for the people on so vital a subject as that of human destiny.

II

Whatever else may be our weakness in discussing this vital question we shall adhere strictly to the fundamental principles of sound philosophy, common sense, and Bible facts. That which is false in moral philosophy cannot be true in the plan of human redemption. We come now to the plan of human redemption, as proposed by the Almighty.

Purpose of Design. We believe that God’s purpose of design in the plan of salvation was to save the human race. The divine purpose is first to save the man then men. In the plan of redemption God has pledged to do for the race what He does for the individual man. In Gen. 3:15 we find that God there contemplated a sacrifice for the whole of humanity. Our blessed Redeemer has made that true sacrifice which is not one of exclusion, but of an infinite and joyous inclusion. The plan of salvation embraces one common purpose, namely, the salvation of the whole human race. The infinite love of God would lead Him to save all men ; for the reason infinite love cannot have respect of persons.

God’s redeeming love embraces the earth and the fulness thereof, all the inhabitants of the earth, all nations, classes, and kindreds of mankind — the whole human race, Jew and Gentile, white and black, brown and tawny, all mankind.

The following principles laid down and conclusions deduced by Dr. Adam Clarke is a masterpiece of logic and fundamental facts :

1. He [God] is the Creator of all. 2. He made of one flesh and blood all nations of the whole earth. 3. He mads man in His own image and likeness that he might be happy. 4. In this original purpose, and creating act, He had in view all the posterities of that one human pair which He created. None were created but Adam and Eve; all the rest came by natural generation from those two. There were no distinctions of original families, created at different times or for different purposes; two persons only were created and whatever was designed for them was necessarily designed for the whole of their posterity, all of whom were seminally included in this first, and only created pair; being properly and physically and ,a part of themselves and continued partakers of their being. And as God intended that man should spring from man after this creation, so He considered them as one stock, one family, of which Himself was the Father, and the Head; and however He might in His Providence scatter them over the earth, assign them different habitations, and different bounds to those habitations yet, in reference to their immortal spirits and their eternal states, He made no distinctions; but, as declared here, willed the salvation of all; for all men necessarily takes in the whole posterity of the first pair, and that posterity is a continuation and extension of the being of the human stock. It cannot appear strange, therefore, that God should will all men to be saved; for this necessarily follows from His willing the salvation of any; for that nature has not been divided and every portion of it falls equally under the merciful regard of the Father of the spirits of all flesh.

When God proposed the creation of man He willed his happiness, and therefore gave them such a kind of being, endued with such capacities and perfections as could be brought into intimate communion with Himself and were capable of receiving such influences, or emanations from the divine perfections, as to constitute an incredible sum of ^intellectual happiness. When man sinned and lost by transgression that righteousness and true holiness which constituted the image of God in which he was created, and so lost his happiness and became sinful and miserable, God, who is an invariable source of benevolence toward His intelligent offspring willed his salvation, which implies that state of darkness, sinfulness and misery, into which he had fallen; his restoration /to the divine favor, by being again made partaker of the divine image, and consequently his restoration to that state of happiness, which he had lost by sin. Therefore, His willing the salvation of all men is only a consequence and revealed expression of that will or divine determination that the human creature, that which He had designed to make, should be a happy being, and as he was originally, because he was holy, so God designed to restore him to holiness, that he might repossess that happiness which was his portion in the beginning of the creation of God. Whatever new forms this design might assume or through whatever new circumstances it was necessary to be manifested, it was still essentially the same in itself, and invariably with regard to its object.

This is a conclusive argument founded upon fundamental principles, and should satisfy any unbiased mind.

As a further proof that the divine intention was to save the whole human race the Word of God has positively declared it to be a fact. St. Paul says, “He [Jesus] died for all.” “He tasted death for every man.” “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2:3-4). “He is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe,” for “He gave himself a ransom for all.” Thus the Word of God makes a place in the plan of redemption for all men. Here let it be observed that by no legitimate mode of interpretation of Scripture here or elsewhere can it be truthfully said that Christ died for any select chosen or elect part of the human family exclusively, but for all mankind. Moreover the plain and forcible declaration of Christ Himself is a positive proof that the purpose of God in the scheme of redemption was to save all mankind. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Here is a fact so thoroughly undisputed and indisputable that Christ’s incarnation and shed blood was for the whole world. Furthermore, the 17th, 18th, and 19th verses are proof that Christ died not only for those who believe, but also for those who will or do not believe and finally perish. Read Rom. 14:15; I Cor. 8:11.

Once more, the universal invitation for all men to accept Christ as their personal Savior is another proof that the plan of salvation is for the human race. Rev. 22:17: “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Literally, whatever person ; any person, man or woman, Jew or Gentile, whoever he or she may be, may be saved if he will be, for all mankind are included in the Gospel invitation. God’s willingness to save all men is proved from the command for all men to repent. “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 1 3 : 3 ~ 5 ) • Mark 16:16. The command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in order that we might have eternal life, and condemnation or damnation if we refuse to do so, warrants the fact that God intended to save all men.

The incarnation is another proof that the divine intention in the plan of redemption was to save the human race. The Son of God took human nature that all who possessed that nature might be saved. The Son of God became the Son of man that all the sons of Adam might become the sons of God. The whole ministry of the incarnate Son of God was for the entire human family. The wisdom, holiness, and goodness of the Triune God are eternally concerned and energetically employed in the work of human redemption. Divine Revelation has assured us that it is the will of God that all men might have divine life. I Tim. 2:6, “Who gave himself a ransom for all.”

We come now to consider:

1. The purpose of result in the plan of redemption.

2. The purpose of result is the divine method of saving the individual.

The purpose of result implies the application of the atonement to one’s own personal redemption. This implies the essential act of receiving Christ by faith. Redemption through faith is the saving effect of the atonement. The teachings of Christ are proof that our personal salvation depends on faith in Him. “He that believeth on him is not condemned : but he that believeth not is condemned already’’ (John 3:18).

All who do not believe perish without hope, because they wilfully and persistently refuse to receive Christ; and all who obediently believe have everlasting life.

It becomes a personal matter if we would share in the atoning merit of Christ’s blood to yield obedience and by faith apply the cleansing blood of Jesus and experience personal salvation. St. Paul says, “Unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.”

We have shown that God’s purpose of salvation embraces the whole human race; that the work of Jesus Christ and all its saving benefits were truly provided alike for all mankind ; but it is equally true that no man will be benefited by the atonement unless he personally applies to Christ and through faith appropriates the merit of Christ’s blood. “He that believeth shall be saved” is a fact sustained by voluminous and indubitable evidence from the Word of God.

Then, too, the awakening call to each and every sinner is another proof that salvation is conditional and is dependent upon man’s personal volitional act of coming to Christ for salvation. “Come unto me,” says Jesus, “and I will give you rest.”

The Spirit’s awakening call in Rev. 22: 17 bears witness to this fact: “And the Spirit and the bride say.

Come And whosoever will let him take the

water of life freely.” In John 3:16-21 our Lord has very clearly placed before us two facts, namely: 1. That they who believe in Him shall be saved. 2. That they who do not or will not believe in Him shall be damned. Furthermore, we can trace out these two facts in the parables of Christ and His general teaching. Read Matt., chapter 25, also Luke 16: 19-31, and like parables n

which make clear as human language can possibly state a fact, namely, that the righteous shall enter into “life eternal” and that the wicked shall go into endless or everlasting punishment. The righteous have been loving, faithful, obedient servants of God ; the wicked have been slothful and disobedient.

We have noted the fact of a just retribution elsewhere.

The Scriptures point out redemption from eternal punishment, and the sanctification of the soul. Through the fall man was rendered guilty and impure. As guilty, he needs pardon, which cannot come by the law. As unholy or impure, he needs cleansing, that he may be holy; without which no man shall see God. As God is the author of holiness and of man’s being, if He save man at all it is essential to His honor and the plan of redemption that the soul be pardoned of guilt that he might be rendered innocent in the estimation of the law and the eyes of God, and also that he might be cleansed from all moral corruption ; that sin and Satan might not only have no triumph, but that sin might be destroyed and Satan eternally confounded. Anything less than salvation from all inward and outward sin could not have entered into the plan of human redemption. The following facts shut us up to this conclusion : I. Man in the beginning had no more holiness and perfection than was suitable to and necessary for the nature of his being, and the end for which he was created, for the reason there could be nothing redundant in man for that would argue want of material ; and there could be no defect in man for this would mean that God was lacking in skill. Man was made complete in the image of God, so that there could be no defect in him. Now if God redeem man at all the eternal fitness of things demands that he l8 THE REDEEMING PURPOSE OF GOD

be brought back into the same state of holiness in which he was originally created. If man be not thus saved from his fallen state God’s design in his creation will not only be unfulfilled, but the devil has done a work that the Almighty cannot undo. 2. But when we consider that the wisdom, holiness, goodness, and omnipotence of Jehovah are immediately and energetically employed in the work of human redemption, notwithstanding the malevolence of Satan and the infernal contagion of sin, the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse the soul from all its spiritual disease and eternally confound Satan.

The Scriptures further point out the Lord Jesus, the Almighty’s Fellow, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and was thus made the God-man, the Mediator between God and man, and all who by faith in Him and filial obedience to Him are saved from sin.

Thus God has found a suitable mediator, who is no less a personage than the eternal and only begotten Son of God, the only Mediator between God and man; who has made a full and complete atonement for sin, that He might produce in man a state of purity. The means proposed by the Almighty should forever settle this question. That redemption necessarily involves I. Justification from all sins. That is, man is guilty and needs pardon. 2 . It implies entire sanctification. That is, man is not only guilty on account of his commission of sin, but he is by nature born polluted and needs cleansing. These two fundamental doctrines are quite thoroughly discussed in other portions of this volume.

It is certain that God in His goodness made man in His own image, capable of communion with Himself. He could have continued in this relationship with his Creator forever. However, he chose evil and disobeyed God. The goodness of God would not suffer sin to be without a remedy. This principle is the very foundation of man’s salvation. Infinite mercy and goodness must interpose for fallen man, else he must eternally perish. This remedial measure provided for sin was not almost satisfactory, but one adequate to redeem from sin and restore to the divine image. This we assume for the following reasons :

1. The mercy and goodness of God suggested the plan. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

2. His infinite wisdom devised the plan. Nothing less than infinite intelligence could have found out a plan all-sufficient, all-comprehensive, all-embracing; in a word, absolutely perfect.

3. His Almighty power executes the plan.

4. Infinite Holiness required it.

5. So necessary was it that nothing less than God incarnate making atonement could have met the urgent necessities of the deep need of the soul.

These five propositions meet in the plan of redemption.

God made man perfect in his possibilities; but man was not all he should have been in his achievements. By an upward and onward progress he could have reached his eternal fortunes.

The plan of human redemption was so important and so extensive that nothing less than the adorable Holy Trinity could effect it.

Christ made an atonement for sin that He might save man from sin.

It was necessary that Christ shed His blood, else He would not have done it; for the reason He could do nothing useless. Our Lord Jesus never did anything without a reason. No other consideration could have been sufficient why He should have suffered and died other than to save man from sin. The holiness of God required that man be holy, that he be saved from sin, and nothing else than the blood of Jesus Christ could make this possible. The incarnation, life, passion, and death of Jesus Christ was absolutely necessary, considering the fallen state and wretched condition of the human family. Notwithstanding all this no soul profits by the sufferings and death of Christ who does not personally, by faith, receive, in this present life, God into his heart.

Redemption necessarily implies the fall of man — “sold under sin.” God in His redeeming purpose provided through the incarnation and the shed blood of Christ a full and complete atonement to purchase back man from his fallen condition and restore him to a joint inheritance with His Son.

The character of the Redeemer is highly important. He was not mere man, for man could not redeem ; neither was He God only, for it is equally true that He could not redeem. But the God-man — God clothed in our flesh, possessing two natures, did thereby become a suitable Redeemer. Man is of infinite value ; and if God purchase back man He must give an infinite price. The price of man’s redemption was paid on the cross, and the bodily resurrection of Christ from the grave was proof that the price was accepted and the redemption completed. The redeemed will say with Job, “In my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself. ,, In resurrection the bodies of those who “die in the Lord** shall, says St. Paul, be “raised in incorruption.”

Extol the Lamb of God,

The all-atoning Lamb;

Redemption in His blood Throughout the world proclaim:

The year of jubilee is come;

Return, ye ransomed sinners, home.

Chapter II The Gospel Plan Of Salvation

The plan of human redemption is the most solemn transaction which ever took place between God and man, and for this reason is introduced in the most solemn manner, namely, through the personal manifestation and shed blood of the incarnate God. Here the doctrine of a Mediator must be accounted for, as the only medium of approach to God. Thus man may become wise, holy, and useful.

Experimental holiness is found only in the embrace of God. The incarnation of the Son of God offers a powerful attestation of the doctrine of holiness. It is holiness experienced and exemplified. To deny the doctrine of holiness we must deny the truth or reject the end of His mission. The distinct office and mission of Jesus Christ is the fountain of moral healing. Spiritual soundness and moral cleansing are exclusively from Him who is the Great Physician of souls, the sole fountain of internal purity. Hear the infallible Word of God asserting this fact : His name shall be called Jesus, “for he shall have his people from their sins.” “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

The doctrines of holiness, divine incarnation, the discipline of Christianity have been opposed by strange opinions, subtle and dexterous sophistry, till true and undefiled religion itself seems to have become evanescent. In no age of the world has Christianity been more corrupted than this. The most of modern theology is simply splendid trifling. The Christian church is given over to rites and ceremonies and worldly mindedness. The church is being broken up into religious cults and philosophical sects. There is the Eclectic sect. It is like a city sewer. It catches anything and everything. It is a mixture of the Gospel and Buddhistic philosophy. Nothing clear, nothing certain. All is hypothetical, nothing proved. Then comes the select out-sect, commonly kown as Come-outism ; it contributes its moral share of truth and error. There are also the individuals who stand as the universal “it,” whose opinions are the final court of appeal, and are intolerable to all men of common sense. The precepts of God are ignored. The breaking of the commands is more efficacious than the keeping of them. Water baptism is more essential to salvation than the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the creed of some of our modern “advanced thinkers” assert that “the Bible is an outgrown ethic.”

We are living in a state of spiritual non-age, when the blood of Christ to justify the ungodly and sanctify the unholy is ignored. If we would be wise and holy and useful we must practice the word of God until it becomes a part of our very soul. God’s agreement is, “If ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my commandments, then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me.” But what is this covenant? I answer, the Ten Commandments. Proof, Deut. 4:13: And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments.” The commands are like Himself : His almightiness accompanies them ; His divine presence dwells in them; they can neither shift, change, nor fail. The commands of God will outlive the storms of the ages.

THE GOSPEL PLAN OF SALVATION

Men may drift on the Gulf Stream of speculation, but they are necessitated finally to return to the Good Old Book, “The Book of Books,” to get their reckonings. When we have found God in His holy commands then shall we find the reason why we should be holy. No man has ever lost his soul by obeying God’s commands; but men have lost their souls by disobeying them. If we would be saved we must omit nothing; we must recollect to do all that God has commanded. The Word of God should be to us as the pilot of the ship, guiding the soul through the tempestuous storms and the thick darkness of this deep night of life, crying out to us moment by moment in the voice of God, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” Our blessed, adorable Lord Jesus said, “I am the Light,” “I am the Way,” “I am the Truth,” “Follow thou me.”

A good old moralist once said, “The Bible is not to tell us how the heavens go, but how to go to heaven.” We must first learn to be true to the commands of God if we would be true to ourselves. Disloyalty to God means to be untrue to ourselves. To refuse to be holy is to wrong God of His own by refusing to heed His commands. The Holy Scriptures show us that character determines destiny.

Hear Him : “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still : and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still : and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still : and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Rev. 22:11). “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” On the other hand, not a ray of hope shines upon the unholy. His portion is hell. God puts before us the unflinching truth, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” Our heart and life must be kept up to this most solemn requirement. Every privilege brings duty, necessity, responsibility. The awful crisis is on us, and crisis means, “judgment.” To neglect the duty to be holy is the closing up of the final chance of heaven. ‘‘Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). If sin is not cleansed out of the heart and we be filled with the fulness of God’s love we shall not ascend into His heavenly home. Read the fifteenth Psalm and Ephesians, third chapter.

Unfaithfulness to the command, “Be ye holy,” must be met by condemnation. The test is holy character, found in the heart and life. To neglect this commandment is to be cast out from the presence of God. Since God has required men to be holy, not to obey the command means ingratitude to God and contempt of duty. Those who refuse the blood of Jesus to cleanse from all sin now will, by the continuance of that fixed law, refuse to be cleansed everlastingly.

Fear not to look at the all-comprehending wisdom of our Savior’s judgment, “Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see God.” That is, the pure in heart only shall see God. Here is the startling fact, namely, that heaven is only assured to “the pure in heart,” all others are excluded. Here we have an answer, not of supposition, but of fact, the ultimate standard by which we are to decide this vital question of holiness of heart and life. We cannot evade the fact discovered to us by Jesus that we should be holy: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect,” “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Therefore no laxity or sophistry on man’s part can ever explain away His declarations.

Conscious heart purity, coupled with a circumspect godly life, is the one indispensable fitness for this life and heaven. There is an absolute certainty of the pure in heart beholding the beatific sight. Christ set a high mark in character, namely, holiness of heart; and it is

THE GOSPEL PLAN OF SALVATION man’s duty to reach that high level, that he may finally dwell with the model of purity, Jesus himself.

We see in the teachings of Christ the broad, unqualified, unvarying measure and standard of character to which every man must attain in order for a fitness for heaven, namely, the moral nature of his God, “In his image.” Nothing will satisfy God for a lack of heart purity. The whole man must be enlisted in holiness of heart and life. The divine claim for such holiness is founded in the character of God Himself. “Thou shalt be holy, for I, the Lord thy God, am holy.”

Jesus gave us the true pattern. By His life He showed all men what holiness was and what it meant in concrete form, in living reality. He by His holy life practically demonstrated that all men might be holy. His death and shed blood insured the divine possibility of being sanctified wholly. “The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” To die without holiness of heart is to dwell apart from God throughout the ceaseless age of eternity. Hell is the ultimate of corrupt souls. Hell is the logical goal for sin. Heaven is the final, and eternal, portion of sanctified souls. Corruption in the soul cannot but lead sooner or later to the fire of hell. We can foretell what will be man’s destiny by the side which a man’s heart takes in this life. Jesus is the mighty to save, and whatever the need of the soul He can supply and make us whole.

“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” Christ’s infallible wisdom appeals for universal obedience, His blood is all-sufficient to cleanse us from all sin. He has proved Himself equal to every increasing demand made upon His power. Heart purity which is freely offered to all is impossible apart from association with Christ.

The fulness of the Holy Spirit is a guarantee of the fulness of spiritual power. The fulness of the personal indwelling Holy Spirit is our strength. He Himself will be our life, strength, helper, comforter, and cleanser or sanctifier. This is the secret of entire sanctification. In every sorrow He will be our comforter. He will lead us into all truth. Without the indwelling Holy Spirit there can be no divine or spiritual life. Every grace and every gift is from Him. Reader, have you the evidence in your heart now that you are holy in heart and life, and have you the fulness of the Spirit? If so, continue to walk in the light of God. If you do not enjoy this rich heritage, seek it earnestly and now, and the God of all grace will give it you. Amen.