The plan of salvation

Front matter

Class

Book

Copyright^?

Chapter I. The New Birth

Alan has by observation and experience learned that the laws of God are deep, high, and wide; that, after ages and ages of study, he is still confronted with many secrets and unexplored fields of beauties and harmonies in the created and the laws governing such.

Man was placed in a world teeming with all kinds of birds and fowls; animals, wild and domestic; waters, in all shapes and depths; and upon the earth, all kinds of plants and trees; in the earth, all kinds of metals; and planets, huge in size, flying with electric speed around and above us. Although creation is marvelously wonderful, the laws by which the created are governed are almost as wonderful as creation itself. Everything, from the smallest to the greatest, has a governing law.

The moment that man begins the study of himself and his relation to the created and to his Creator, he enters the greatest field of thought permitted man to pass through — that the law of spiritual life, the principles and power that God has instituted to work and influence the actions of man, to prepare him for eternity, in a new world, is the climax of thought and the greatest of all laws.

Mankind seems satisfied to stay as long as possible, and has gone to work and out of the created materials has constructed machinery in accordance with the laws that be until this world is a grand machine shop. But a time is coming when man will cease to construct, and every wheel stop, and a new creation ushered in by Him that made the present worlds. Man's abode is to be changed.

Among the many wonderful things made known to man is the possibility of a new birth. Nothing in heaven or on earth is so important. Entering the kingdom of God stands first as to man's duty. "First seek ye the kingdom of God" is every man's privilege and duty. Jesus had a conversation with Nicodemus on the subject of the new birth, to which we invite your attention. (John 3: 1-8.)

The idea of a new birth was startling to Nic-. odemus. He said : "How can these things be ?" He thought of a reentering of mother's womb and being born again. Do you claim this new birth, or are you in doubt? We believe that somebody is yet mistaken about this birth. Jesus, in his explanation, emphasizes and tells

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him of what a man must be born: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God/'

Jesus came that a new kingdom might be set up. John the Baptist said: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." A new order and rule of heaven is about to take place; and for man to enter, he must be born of water and of the Spirit — not water alone nor Spirit alone, but both.

The birth of flesh is one birth ; and of water and of the Spirit, another. Some claim that the birth of water refers to that of mother's womb. But that will not hold good. Jesus is telling Nicodemus, a man born of the flesh, of what a man must be born to enter the kingdom of God. If a man had a dozen mothers, that would not change it. The word " except' ' settles the question as to what a man is to be born of and the conditions of entering.

Nicodemus was told of something relative to the future — how a man could enter "the kingdom at hand." He could not enter "the kingdom at hand" until set up. John the Baptist made ready a people for the Lord. He told them that a great One was coming, having authority and power for salvation. But John the Baptist did not set up the kingdom. "For a testament is of force after men are dead." (Heb. 9: 17.)

On the day of Pentecost the Spirit came and the kingdom was set up. Compare Isa. 2: 2, 3 ; Dan. 2 : 44, 45 ; Mic. 4 : 1, 2 to Luke 24 : 44- 47; then read Acts 2, and we find the fulfillment. Peter, in referring to this day (Acts 1 1 : 15), calls it "the beginning." Jesus had said that it should begin at Jerusalem. According to the foregoing, at Pentecost is the time and place. Every kingdom must have a king, and at this time Jesus had gone to the Father and was made King.

That we may better understand what Jesus means by being born of water and of the Spirit, we think the sure plan is to find out what the apostles taught and see what the people did after the kingdom was set up. The apostles preached the terms of admission, and thousands entered the kingdom under their preaching. Jesus explained through the apostles what man must do in order to be "born of water and of the Spirit."

If the people who obeyed on the day of Pentecost entered the kingdom, and the record says they "were added," our contention is, they were "born of water and of the Spirit," for Jesus had said, "Except." Therefore we conclude that to be born is to be saved ; that to be saved is to be pardoned of sin; that the new birth is the completion of pardon.

What is it that is to be born? Jesus said, "Except a man," meaning the entire man.

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Also notice, "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit/' just as "that which is born of the flesh is flesh." There is a new spiritual creation — a new being formed by the power of God through gospel law.

In the following chapters we wish to show how a sinner is pardoned and what it is to be "born of water and of the Spirit. "

The kingdom mentioned is spiritual, and man must be born of the Spirit to enter. In the kingdom of nature lives no man that has not the birth of the flesh. Infants are not subjects of this law. A babe has no personal sin. It has violated no law. It knows not law. Sin is a transgression of law. Therefore a babe needs not this new birth.

God planted two trees — the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life — in the garden of Eden. Adam, the father of all, ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and for his disobedience was driven from the garden. It seems that the tree of life bore fruit, of which if a man continued to eat he would not die. He being taken from this tree, physical death was the result. He was in a sense physically dead, because his access to this tree was cut off. There was no chance for him to return. No law of pardon at this time.

Adam's disobedience resulted in a physical death to all of his race, because taken from the tree of life. The effect of Adam's sin puts every person in the grave. But through Jesus the human family will be raised. So there is a fixed penalty and a fixed resurrection. Death is a debt that every human being will have to pay. But, by the grace of God through Jesus Christ, death is only an open door into eternity.

Jesus said, "Except a man," referring to all mankind and to an age of reason and accountability. It is our own personal disobedience that necessitates the new birth. When we appear at the judgment bar of God, we will not be punished or rewarded for what Adam did. The only debt unsettled of Adam's disobedience is death, and that we must pay.

Natural birth has its mysteries, but that does not prevent new births. We will never understand all the deep things about spiritual birth, but that will not prevent new births. The wisdom and power of God in spiritual law for birth is as superior to that of the natural as the spiritual is above the natural. The law of spiritual birth is as natural to spiritual birth as the law of nature is to the natural.

Jesus, in telling Nicodemus about the birth of the Spirit, mentions the wind. It comes and goes. We hear its sound, but we cannot tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. We can tell the direction it comes and goes in passing, but we do not know how long before

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reaching us it was in a current moving in a different direction, nor how high nor how low. We do not know how long after it passes before it is in a current moving in an opposite direction. Who can tell one hour before or after the whereabouts of the wind that is now passing?

Remember that the idea of a new birth was new teaching for the world at that time. Jesus makes mention of the wind to teach that the birth of the Spirit is invisible; that man can no more see this birth than he can see the passing wind. We have never seen our own spirit nor the Spirit of God. The kingdom of God is not of this world. We have an invisible King, kingdom, and birth.

Jesus taught much by analogy. In speaking of the invisible kingdom, he refers to natural, material objects, that we might get the idea of the ruling principles of the kingdom. He mentions "a mustard seed," "pearl of great price," "marriage of a king's son," "man traveling into a far country," "talents," and so on, each one explaining something of God's love and mercy and man's responsibility and reward for labor.

Mankind is divided into two classes — the ins and outs. All men, whether in the kingdom or out, are subjects of the final result of a judgment. God rules the world, and the man that will not be ruled in obedience will be ruled in punishment. This kingdom is not marked off by geographical lines, but by lines of uprightness and godliness, thereby making a separation of the obedient and disobedient.

The gospel tells how to enter the kingdom and what to do after entering. This kingdom is not carried from one country or community to another as a visible object; but the gospel, the principles of the kingdom, must be carried. Principles have not bodily form. Their force and power can be heard and felt as the passing wind, but you cannot see them. We can only feel and observe the effects. "So is every one that is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus thought of a visible birth, and Jesus, to correct this, mentions the wind and its mysterious movements.

A man born of the Spirit can no more see the mighty workings of God in this birth than the man in the field could see the wind. It is invisible, takes place by an invisible power, and born into an invisible kingdom.

Chapter II. The Begetting Power— The Gospel

Birth in no case imparts life. There is life before birth. Birth is the change of a living being from one stage of existence into another. This is true of the natural and also of the spiritual. The imparting or beginning of life is in the begetting.

God has law and order in everything. He has given germs of spiritual life in his appointed way, just as he has given germs of natural life. Both are by law and are wonderful. We, like Nicodemus, marvel at the mystery of a new birth, but such is the power of God.

"For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. " (1 Cor. 4:15.) Notice: One Father; begotten in Christ Jesus; Paul, the agent; the gospel, the power or seed. (Luke 8: 11.)

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature/' Has the gospel anything to do with salvation? Has it any power? "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ : for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Rom. 1: 16.) It is the power, not a power. Power of whom? "Of God." Power for what? "Unto salvation/' For whom? "Every one that believeth." The gospel has commands; and when obeyed, you have used the power of God in the gospel for salvation. Spiritual life comes through the gospel, the law of life.

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing : the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6: 63.) There is life, there is spirit, there is power in the word of God. When this old world is fired by the eternal powers of God and burned up, the word of God will be living. We are certain two things will survive the destruction and pass into the next world — our character and the word of God.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a living word. It has living principles, and is the power of God formulated into law. The written word is the expression of the principles that God has put forth for man's redemption. The Code of Georgia is a written book, but the book itself is not law, but the principles it contains. Just so with the written word of God. The Spirit and power of God for new life is in it. The virtue of the gospel is not in the ink and paper upon which it is written, but in God. So it matters not in what language it is written; if the facts and their order are preserved as given by inspiration, it remains the one and the same gospel. When we refer to the gospel and its power, we mean the eternal truths of God in the New Testament.

'Tor the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Heb. 4: 12.) The body goes to dust and the spirit to God. There is a separation of the joints and marrow — "dividing asunder/' How is this done? By the word of God. His word is law expressed.

Jesus said a sower went out to sow seed. He tells where the seed fell and the results. In his explanation of the parable he says the seed is the word of God and the field is the world. One object of the parable is to teach man to give the seed an opportunity; hence the warning: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Jesus told the results of the sowing to teach man the adversities, devouring enemies, and hindrances to a growth and perfection of the natural grain, and that the spiritual seed and their growth and perfection of fruit in the life have hindering causes. Spiritual seed are to grow up in the life of man and bear fruit, as the natural grain grow up from the soil. The seed sown by the sower were the same in kind, but the unfavorable conditions of the soil and want of cultivation prevented a general harvest.

"The good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it." He gives heed to the word, and thereby learns the value of obedience. Such a man brings forth fruit, and is commended by the Master. Jesus does not teach that the created condition of man is like the fruitful and unfruitful conditions of the soil, but that without proper understanding, care, and cultivation they would prove themselves to be as the unfruitful soil. A harvest is what the sower wants. That is why he sows. Man can, by his carelessness, negligence, and resentfulness, prove himself to be like the unfruitful soil. This is the lesson, and Jesus asked them to hear it.

The germ of life is deposited in natural seed and not in the soil. Yet the soil is necessary for its growth and perfection. The life germ of spiritual life is in the seed of the kingdom of God. The fruit grown is as natural to the seed as that which grow of wheat is to its seed. The seed represent the truths, the facts, the principles of the law of the kingdom of God. The seed must fall in heart soil in order to have a spiritual harvest. It is just as impossible for a man to be begotten into new life without the seed of the kingdom as it is in nature. The heart is the seed bed. Out of it are the issues of life. Set right the heart, and that corrects the life.

In order to have a begetting there must be a cohabitation. This is true of the vegetable kingdom, the human family, and spiritual birth. This law stands between the sinner and the kingdom of God, just as the law of nature stands between the unborn- and the kingdom of man. There is nothing so powerful, so sacred as the word of the living God. By his word he can shake the earth, crumble mountains, and fire the seas. Man's exalted position in creation is proof of a spiritual creative demand, and this demand is fully met in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is higher, nobler, and more perfect than all other provisions made for man.

What could the apostles or any other set of men do without the seed of the kingdom? Take away the word of God, and you take away the plan of salvation. Take away the word of God, and you take away man's guide to the Savior. When the seed of the kingdom is conceived in the heart, a soul is begotten — a new life begun. "How can a man believe in him of whom he has not heard? " Preaching the gospel is seed sowing. Man's creative spiritual possibility would be a blank without the word of God, and the gospel would be a failure without the existence of such a possibility.

Seed and their law of production is a wonderful thought. To every seed is given its own body. It matters not how small, it has a place and a mission in the world. The seed of the kingdom have a mission far more important. New life thoughts and principles are implanted in the heart, and spiritual fruit ripen in the life.

You may admire the symmetry, fragrance, and beauty of plants and flowers, but a life beautified by heavenly graces is God's chief delight. Flowers were made for man to admire, but the fruits of spiritual life are for time and eternity, the most valuable production that will ever grow.

Man can as easily walk to the moon as he can go to heaven without the seed of the kingdom in the heart. The world would be perfectly helpless without the word of God. The gospel has a wonderful power in it, and that is why God ordained that it should be preached. It is the sword of the Spirit, and the first thing pierced in the heart is: "God so loved the world." There is no rock crusher so powerful as the love of God. It is a silent, gentle power, but has crushed many stony hearts.

Men before they accept the teachings of

God are natural men — carnal-minded, not subject to the law of God. Such minds are to be changed or renewed, and the gospel is the power. Light comes by the entrance of God's word. "Go ye therefore and teach all nations." The object of teaching is to instruct, and by instruction the carnal mind is enlightened, thereby becomes subject to the law of God. No man is a prepared subject of the law until taught. Men that were dead in trespasses and sins when the gospel came to them were certainly carnal-minded, and, according to gospel record, they were changed and became subjects of God's law and obeyed it.

God does not save men independent of the gospel. The plan of salvation is in and through the gospel and not on the outside. The first impressive touch of power divine is made by reaching the heart with the seed of the kingdom. Spiritual seed have spiritual life germs ; and when they germinate in the heart, then the first stage of new life is begun. Evil seed have their growth in like manner. The youth of our land suffer from the evil teachings of books filled with the seed of highway wickedness. Wickedness and righteousness have their beginning or infant stage and grow from seed. First the sowing, then the stalk, then the blade, then the ear.

Chapter III. Faith

God has given evidence of his power and wisdom in both natural and divine law. His teachings in all ages have been to prepare man for a greater usefulness and blessings. There is something greater for man than the present world affords. God's approach upon the human family has been through revealed truth. His word consists of facts divinely attested by miracles, the idea being to lay a foundation for man's belief — something by which he can take hold, something about which he may reason.

The natural disposition of fair-minded men is to reason with given evidence. As man is the only creature of earth that is able to consider the wonderful works of God in creation, God has by that means put his work of creation in evidence for man to realize the wonderful power of his Creator. This evidence of supernatural power no man has been able to explain away satisfactory to himself nor to any one else.

If God made one grain of sand, he made the mountains; if he made one drop of water, he

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made the oceans; if he can create worlds, he can make a heaven; if he can by natural law people the earth, he can by spiritual law prepare man for a spiritual eternity. From objects grand and momentous to the sublime and glorious is the span of faith.

The evidence of God is his plowshare to prepare heart soil for the seed of the kingdom. God has never required man to believe without first giving evidence, telling him what to believe and what to do. "He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." God has come to man with evidence, commands, and promises. Man meets God in obedience.

Faith within itself is not a self-generating principle, but the result of facts and causes of God's power and teachings brought to man's consideration and knowledge. Unless there is something to believe, man cannot believe. There must be something to believe, and man must have knowledge of what he is to believe.

How, then, does faith come? "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." In the word of God there is something to be heard, and faith comes by hearing his word. Man is to hear understandingly, rightly considering the word of God in the light of evidence and reason. It is not by some abstract influence independent of the word of God.

In natural life there is first a begetting, and this first stage continues to live and grow until birth and then emerges into future life. So the spiritual begotten of God is to grow until spiritual birth into the kingdom of God ; and, as a new-born babe, the milk of the gospel is necessary for future growth, the first stage of spiritual existence developing and living.

We do not beget ourselves. The gospel is to be heard. Man is to believe it. God begets through his law. This is a fixed law, the same as the begetting by his natural law. We are spiritually begotten when the spiritual seed of the kingdom is conceived in the heart, but a spiritual growth must be made before there can be a spiritual birth. A natural child after it is begotten must grow before birth.

The natural child has no will, no knowledge of its being begotten, growth, and birth. In spiritual begetting, growth, and birth the reasoning power of man is addressed, and he is required to act according to the law of life in the gospel. It is with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength.

The Bible is not a dictionary, but Paul defines faith: "The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Invisible promises are made visible by faith. It has a substance by which future joys are made so certain that a hope is created. When a man

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believes God, the future, with its promises, is evidence, although unseen.

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God/' We know that worlds exist, but were not eyewitnesses of the creation. We have not seen God ; neither have we seen Jesus Christ. We have never witnessed a resurrection, but others have. There are many things in our native State we have not seen, but others have. We see a part of what has been written in the Book with the natural eye, and that which we do not see we accept as true from what we do see. The evidence in what we do see causes us to believe in things not seen.

In order that we may better understand the nature and working power of faith, we call your attention to a few examples.

On one occasion there was a man who had palsy. He was carried by some parties to the place where Jesus was stopping. The press was so great they could not get close to him. They went upon the house top, tore up the roof, and let the sick man down in his presence. When Jesus saw their faith, he saith unto him : "Man, thy sins are forgiven thee." What did Jesus see? Their faith. It was seen in their efforts to get the sick man to the Master. The sick man, no doubt, was anxious to go. Jesus had been healing, and this evidence of his power produced their activity.

The same is true of the sinner zvoman who washed the Savior's feet with her tears and did wipe them with the hairs of her head. Faith takes place in the heart, and is not seen until expressed in action. A still faith is a dead faith.

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days." If they had marched around but once, would the walls have fallen? By faith they did as commanded. We may not understand why certain requirements are made in order to bring about certain things, but we must trust God for the results. One of the evidences of faith is trust. No doubt, from a human standpoint, it seemed impossible to them; but God's power was trusted by doing what they were commanded. If they had marched around the walls seven times the first day and once the seventh day, the walls would not have fallen. Unless we do exactly as commanded, it is not by . faith.

When God promises man a blessing and tells him what to do, it is by faith that he expects the blessing through obedience. "We walk by faith." By faith we go from one command to another, enduring the hindrances and unexpected trials.

"The elders obtained a good report" by faith. It is what we do by faith that counts with God and makes up the good report. You show us a

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man of great faith, and we will show you something that he is doing. It is by faith we obey, expecting the unseen promises. "Without faith it is impossible to please God" — impossible because without it man cannot and will not obey God.

Chapter IV. Faith— Continued

Paul, in his writings, shows the relation of faith to the law of works given by Moses. "The righteousness of God through Jesus Christ was declared that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." It is not by our righteousness that salvation came, but by his. By his atonement, conditional terms of pardon were made for us, and that without any work on our part.

It is by grace. "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Grace is one among the first causes in man's justification. Some have the idea that it is mysteriously infused into the heart by a direct operation of God, when really it is an opportunity given man through Jesus Christ. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying unrighteousness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." (Tit. 2: 11, 12.) The grace of God comes with teachings and commands. When we accept the teachings and

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obey the commands, we accept the grace given us through Jesus Christ.

Abraham is the representative character of the faithful. Adam is the representative character of the human family, by whose offense judgment came upon all men to condemnation. "By the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Adam's guilt had not been canceled. The whole world was under condemnation from this guilt. Jesus made atonement for all ages and all people. All the money of earth and all the works of all men combined cannot make or purchase atonement for sin; therefore it is by grace of God through Jesus Christ. It is true that death was passed upon all men, but the death of all men cannot atone for sin.