Leaves Of Gold

A Call To Return To Biblical Teaching

“…to contend earnestly for the faith…”

Year Two, Number 10 OCTOBER 2007

Master Outline Number 21 “So Great Salvation”

(These outlines are from “The Christian Life Bible” published by Thomas Nelson. Notes by Porter L. Barrington)

MASTER OUTLINE NUMBER TWENTY-ONE

So Great Salvation

Jesus' ministry began with the marvelous message, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt. 4:17). In Hebrews 2:3 we have a question that no one can answer: "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They had the answer: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:30, 31). Had the jailer asked, "What must I do to be lost?" they would have replied, "Nothing, because you are already lost:' Jesus said, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned (judged]; but he who does not believe is condemned (judged] already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:17, 18).

Salvation is more than "great;" it is "so great" for the following reasons:

(1) It was first preached by the Lord Jesus Christ. He said to Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:9, 10).

(2) After His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, the Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to proclaim salvation to the lost through the apostles and all believers (John 16:7-15; also Acts 1 :8).

(3) This salvation is the only salvation. "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Christ, in His humiliation, was nailed to the cross for our salvation. But He was resurrected, exalted, and given a Name above all names. When He comes in judgment, every knee shall bow—in heaven, on earth, and in hell. And every tongue will confess that He is Lord.. Those who did not neglect “
so great salvation” (Heb. 2:3) will bow the knee and confess His name with great joy, but those who neglected "so great a salvation" will bow the knee and confess His name-but it will be too late (Phil. 2:5-11, cf. Matt. 7:21-23). You will bow the knee now and accept Christ as your personal Savior, or you will bow the knee at the Great White Throne judgment, and be lost forever (Rev. 20:11-15). If you are not saved-before you read any further-will you stop and ask God to open your eyes to the truth, and make salvation plain, so that you can be saved and know it?

21-A. So Great in Love, 1 John 4:8. Salvation is so great in love because “God is love”, v. 8. Love is t he essence of God’s eternal and holy nature. God does not love you because you are worthy of His salvation; He loves you because He is God. Being eternal God, He love you with an everlasting love and draws you to Himself with loving kindness, Jer. 31:3. The love of God draws the lost to Christ for salvation. Jesus said: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day”, John 6:44. Again Jesus said: “And I, if I am lifted up (on the cross) from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself”, John 12:32. God in His everlasting love is drawing you to Himself with the cords of eternal compassion, John 3:16.

Again, in this verse, we have that little word so that reveals the degree of God’s love. God does not just love you, He so loves you t hat He gave His only begotten Son to bear your sins in His own body on the cross, so that you, by faith in Jesus Christ, may have eternal salvation. God the Father did not send His Son into the world to condemn you, but to save you, because He loves you with eternal love, John 3:7, 18. There is no greater love!

21-8. So Great in Giving (2 Corinthians 8:9)- The price for your salvation, paid by the Lord Jesus Christ, was the greatest ever paid for anything. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (v. 9). This verse reveals that "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" is the grace of giving:

(1) God the Father demonstrated the grace of giving when He "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16) ..

(2) God the Son demonstrated the grace of giving when He gave His life on Calvary to redeem your lost soul and make you a child of God (John 1:12).

(3) God the Holy Spirit demonstrated the grace of giving when, on the Day of Pentecost, He came to this earth in a special way to convict men:

(a) "Of sin, because they do not believe in Me" (John 16:9).

(b) "Of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more" (John 16:10).

He convicts us of our need of Christ's righteousness (Rom. 10:4).

(c) "Of judgment, because the ruler of this. world is judged" (John 16:11). So are all unbelievers: "He who believes in Him is not condemned [judged]; but he who does not believe is condemned [judged] already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18).

You may know the grace of God factually, but you will never begin to comprehend God's grace of giving until you experientially accept His gift-salvation by grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only then will you begin to understand the great transformation taking place in your life. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).

To know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, you must know that, "though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor" (v. 9). He was rich in eternity past with God the Father; but He left the Father's side for this sinful world. He left the glory of heaven for the sorrow and gloom of this sin-cursed world. He was rich in the care and worship of all the angels of heaven. The Father said, "Let all the angels of God worship Him" (Heb. 1:6). Yet, for your sake, He became poor, allowing sinful men to mock Him, curse Him, crucify Him, and put Him to shame. He, "despising the shame" (Heb. 12:2), endured the agonies of hell on the cross that you might be rich with Him in glory forever and ever. Jesus Christ, the God-Man, suffered physically (Is. 52:14), spiritually (Is. 53:3-6), and emotionally (Matt. 27:46). He "Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Pet. 2:24). Never did a man suffer like this Man. It was all for you, that you might be rich in this life and eternally rich in the life to come (John 20:30,31).

21-C. So Great In Power, Acts 4:12. The power of the gospel is concentrated in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Paul says: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” 1 Cor. 1:18. It is the most profound doctrine in the Bible. We often hear it called the “simple gospel”. In one sense this is true, yet it is also profound. Peter said, “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish, and without spot”, 1 Pet. 1:18, 19. The gospel is incomprehensible to the unregenerate mind, because it came from the infallible mind of God and is beyond sinful man's fallible comprehension (1 Cor. 2:14-16).

Paul said the following things about the gospel (Rom. 1:16-18):

(1) "I am not ashamed of the gospel [Good News] of Christ." Paul was not ashamed of the gospel because he was not ashamed of Christ, his Messiah (cf. Mark 8:38). Death on the cross was so degrading and dishonorable that it was not spoken of in public. But Paul would go to Rome and preach the death of Christ on the ignominious cross.

(2) "For it [the gospel] is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes." The gospel of Christ will not deliver you from sin until you believe "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:3, 4). This gospel, the principal doctrine of the Bible, is:

(a) Christ died on the cross bearing your sins in His own body (1 Pet. 2:24);

(b) He was in the tomb three days and nights (Matt. 12:40);

(3) "For in it [the gospel of Christ] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith." Christ is the righteousness of God; the believer is made righteous with the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). Faith is the believer's principle of life: "as it is written, 'The just [those who have been declared by God to be righteous in Christ] shall live by faith: "

(4) "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress [or, hold down] the truth in unrighteousness."

In these last days the human race is fast losing God-consciousness, because it is no longer sin-conscious. People are not conscious of the wrath of God that will be poured out on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. There is only one place that man can hide from the wrath of God; that place is in Christ.

21-D So Great in Grace, Ephesians 2:8,9. Salvation by the grace of God rules out all human effort in accomplishing God's saving work. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves" (v. 8). Saving grace is not of yourself, "it is the gift of God." Even faith is not of yourself, it too is the gift of God. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17, page 1140). Saving faith comes from God as the sinner hears the Word of God.

God's grace is inexhaustibly rich in saving and keeping power. Your sins may be great and many, but God's grace is greater. "But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" (Rom. 5:20). God's saving grace is limitless, inexhaustible, and eternal. Christ settled the question of sin on the cross; now you must settle the question concerning the Son-what will you do with Jesus? Will you accept Him by faith as your personal Savior, or reject Him? You will accept Him by faith or reject Him in unbelief, but you cannot ignore Him. When you are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you enter the state of eternal salvation, with all the rights of a born-again child of God. Describing the greatness of this grace, the apostle John says, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:1, 2).

21-E. So Great in Invitation (Revelation 22:17)-The time is coming when God, in love, will extend the last invitation for the lost to come and be saved by His grace. Before John closed the last book of the Bible (The Revelation of Jesus Christ), it is as though God said, "John, give the invitation one mote time for the lost to come and be saved," for in verse 17 John wrote:

(1) "And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' "The Holy Spirit, who indwells the bride (the church), will invite the lost to come and receive Christ and be saved.

(2) "And let him who hears say, 'Come!''' All who are saved at the time of the last invitation will join the Spirit and the bride by inviting others to come and be saved.

(3) "And let him who thirsts come." Jesus gave the same invitation in the temple almost two thousand years ago. He said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink" (John 7:37). At Jacob's well Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:13, 14). When you accept God's invitation to come to Christ by faith, and drink the Water of Life, God's promise is that you "will never thirst." In other words, salvation through Jesus Christ satisfies forever. "Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (v. 17). Salvation is free, but not cheap. It cost the lord Jesus Christ His life's blood.

The apostle Peter tells us that we are "not redeemed [bought back from Satan and sin] with corruptible things, like silver or gold, ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Pet. 1:18, 19). The blood of Jesus is precious because

(1) it cleanses you from all your sins-not some, but all-past, present, and future (1 John 1 :7);

(2) without the shed blood of Jesus, there is no remission (forgiveness) of sin (Heb. 9:22, );

(3) Jesus loved us and washed us from all our sins in His own blood (Rev. 1:5).

(These studies will continue each month)

XVIII

Faith and Works

From the book “Rightly Dividing The Truth” by Clarence Larkin, chapter XVIII

We hear a great deal about "Faith" and "Works.~ Some say we are saved by "Faith" alone, others make a great deal of "Works." Some say that both are necessary to salvation for the same reason that a bird cannot fly without two wings, or that you cannot make progress in a boat without two oars. One quotes Paul, who says” That a man is justified by FAITH, WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW" (Rom. 3 : 28), the other quotes James, who says-"Ye see then how that by WORKS a man is justified, and not by faith only." James 2: 24. But the Apostle James is not speaking of the "Doctrine of JUSTIFICATION," but of a man justifying himself before men. The illustration he uses is that of Abraham offering up his son Isaac. Abraham was a man of faith, but the only way he could make it visible to the men of his generation was by his WORKS, so God commanded him to offer up his son Isaac. Gen. 22: 1-2. Abraham's works had nothing to do with his salvation, but simply bore witness to his faith, for Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness. James 2: 21-26.

So great was Abraham's faith in God's promise as to Isaac being the one through whom the promised seed was to come, that he believed that if he offered him up as commanded, that God would raise him from the dead. Heb. 11 : 17-19. In like manner Rabab's faith was justified or made visible by her works when she tied the "Scarlet Cord" in her window. Josh. 2: 15-21. And to show the relation of "Works" to "Faith" the Apostle ends by saying-"For as the 'body' without the 'spirit' is dead, so faith without 'works' is dead also," that is, is DEAD FAITH, for if a man does not make his faith visible by his works it is a question whether he has any faith at all.

Now it is noteworthy that the Apostle Paul uses this same incident of Abraham offering up his son Isaac to prove that Abraham was justified by "Faith" without "Works."

"If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; BUT NOT BEFORE GOD. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham BELIEVED GOD, and it was COUNTED UNTO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Rom. 4: 2-3. Gen 15: 6. So we see that it was Abraham's "Faith" that justified him before GOD, and his "Works" that justified him before MEN.

But I think I hear some one ask-"Does not the Bible say-That we are to 'WORK OUT OUR OWN SALVATION?'" Yes, the Apostle Paul in writing to the Philippians says-"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is GOD WHO WORKETH IN YOU both to will and to do His good pleasure." Phil. 2: 12-13. But a man cannot work out what he has not got. He must first have "Salvation" before he can work it out. Paul was writing to the "Saints" at Philippi, to those who were already saved. The doctrine the Apostle desired to express was that "Salvation" included more than the mere escape from the "Penalty of Sin," it meant also escape from the "Power" and "Presence of Sin," and this meant that they must work or strive with "fear and trembling" to overcome indwelling sin, for it was God who would work in them, if they would let Him, to make the fruits of Salv-ation complete in, their lives. So we see that we are saved by "Faith" and not by "Works," but "Works" have their place in the Believer's life as we shall see.

1. FAITH

The Bible definition of "Faith" is - "Faith is the SUBST ANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen" (Heb. 11: 1), and in the remaining verses of the chapter the Apostle illustrates his definition by the conduct of the Old Testament worthies that he names. I hold in my hand a check, it is the substance (on paper) of the money I hope to get when I cash it, and the evidence (in black and white) of the money that I have not as yet seen.

One of the most remarkable illustrations of "Faith" in the Scriptures is that of the Prophet Jeremiah when he was told to purchase the “Field of Anathoth”, Jere. 32:6-44. At first sight it seems to be the wildest real estate speculation on record. Jeremiah had just prophesied that the Children of Israel were to be carried away into captivity to Babylon for 70 years, then why should he purchase the "Field of Anathoth," for he would not live to return and claim it, and probably none of his relatives would. But to show his faith in the Divine promise that at the end of the "Seventy Years" the Children of Israel would return and claim their possessions, he tells us that he paid the money for the "Field," and took the "evidences of the purchase" or deeds, and put them in an earthen vessel. Why in an earthen vessel? Because an iron vessel would have rusted, or a wooden vessel decayed in the "Seventy Years." Now we learn how this transaction that Faith is an INVESTMENT IN THE DIVINE PROMISES.

This is beautifully illustrated in the lives of the Old Testament patriarchs. Noah invested in the "Divine Promise" when he built the Ark. Abraham invested in the "Divine Promise" when he left his home at Dr and journeyed to Canaan, and when his beloved Sarah died, he bought the "Cave of Machpelah" to bury her in rather than take her remains back to Dr of the Chaldees, because he believed the promise that his seed should inherit the Land of Canaan forever. Jacob invested in the same "Divine Promise," when on his deathbed in Egypt h(' charged his sons to carry his body back to Canaan al,l entomb it in the "Cave of Machpelah." Gen. 49: 29-31. And Joseph did the same when he took an oath of his brethren that they would carry his bones back with them when they returned to Canaan. Gen. 50: 24-26. Moses invested in the same "Promise" when by faith, when he was come to years, he refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of reward, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Heb. 11 : 23-27.

As Christians we should invest in the "Divine Promises" as to our PRESENT SALVATION. There are three elements in "saving I. FAITH

The Bible definition of "Faith" is - "Faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen" (Heb. 11: 1), and in the remaining verses of the chapter the Apostle illustrates his definition by the conduct of the Old Testament worthies that he names. I hold in my hand a check, it is the substance (on paper) of the money I hope to get when I cash it, and the evidence (in black and white) of the money that I have not as yet seen.

One of the most remarkable illustrations of "Faith" in the Scriptures is that of the Prophet Jeremiah when he was told to purchase the “Field of Anathoth”, Jer. 3:6-44. At first sight it seems to be the wildest real estate speculation on record. Jeremiah had just prophesied that the Children of Israel were to be carried away into captivity to Babylon for 70 years, then why should he purchase the "Field of Anathoth," for he would not live to return and claim it, and probably none of his relatives would. But to show his faith in the Divine promise that at the end of the "Seventy Years" the Children of Israel would return and claim their possessions, he tells us that he paid the money for the "Field," and took the "evidences of the purchase" or deeds, and put them in an earthen vessel. Why in an earthen vessel? Because an iron vessel would have rusted, or a wooden vessel decayed in the "Seventy Years." Now we learn from this transaction that Faith is an INVESTMENT IN THE DIVINE PROMISES.

As Christians we should invest in the ”Divine Promises” as to our PRESENT SALVATION. There are three elements in “saving faith”. (1) KNOWLEDGE. A man cannot believe in something he knows nothing about. (2). BELIEF. A man may know about a thing but not believe in it. (3). DEPENDENCE. A man may know about a thing and believe in it, and yet put no dependence on it. To illustrate, you are on a sinking ship, a lifeboat puts out from the shore and approaches the ship unknown to you. Some one tells you of the lifeboat, that is knowledge. You watch the lifeboat as it carries load after load of passengers safely to the shore and you are convinced of its saving power, that is belief. But your knowledge of the existence of the lifeboat, and your belief in its ability to save you, will not save you unless you get in the boat and depend on it to save you, that is FAITH.

Let us take a promise of Christ as to the PRESENT SALVATION of the Believer.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that HEARETH MY WORD (Knowledge), and BELIEVETH ON HIM that sent me (Faith), HATH (not will have some time) EVERLASTING LIFE, and shall not come into condemnation (Judgment); but IS PASSED from death to LIFE." John 5: 24.

Now can you invest in that promise of Christ as to your heavenly inheritance like Abraham, Jacob and Joseph did as to their earthly inheritance? If so you have saving faith.

But you say I do not feel saved. Well, I do not know that when a man receives the "Title Deed" to a property that he has any peculiar sensation or feeling about it. lt is not feeling but the "T1t1e Deed" that evidences his right to the property. You cannot expect interest (feeling) until you have invested the principal, and then you have to wait until the interest is due. Feeling does not come first. Feeling is not the root, faith is the root, feeling is the FRUIT.

We must not only invest in the "Divine Promises" as to our Salvation, but we must TRAFFIC in them, conduct our Christian work and service in dependence on them. If God has promised to supply all our need in Christian Service "according to HIS RICHES IN GLORY" (Phil. 4: 19), then let us bank on that promise and we will never lack the means to carryon His work.

II. WORKS

While a Christian is not saved by "Works," he is to be rewarded for his "works." "For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father, with His angels; and then He shall reward every man ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS." Matt. 16: 27. Believers will be rewarded at the "Judgment Seat of Christ." "For we (Believers) must all appear before the 'Judgment Seat of Christ;' that everyone may receive the things DONE IN HIS BODY (that is while he was alive), according to that he hath done, whether it be GOOD or BAD." 2 Cor. 5: 10.

The character of these works must be Christian. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is JESUS CHRIST. Now if any man build upon this foundation (with) gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day (Judgment Day) shall declare it, because it shall be revealed BY FIRE; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a REWARD. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer LOSS; but he himself SHA~L BE SAVED; yet so as by fire." 1 Cor. 3: 11-15.

We see from this that even the works of the Believer are not all good or worthy of reward. Some may have been done with the wrong motive, or the "Hireling Spirit," and they shall be consumed as wood, hay and stubble, while the good works, likened unto gold, silver, and precious stones, will pass through the "fiery test" untarnished. The rewards that will be given are "crowns." See the account of the "Judgment Seat of Christ" in the chapter on "The Judgments."

Such "works" as "penance," "crucifixion of the flesh," '"fastings," etc., done for the purpose of winning merit, are not counted on the balance sheet of works. The sad feature of the "Judgment of Rewards" is, that while those whose works are burned up are SAVED, they must remain rewardless, and therefore crownless, for all eternity.

(These studies will continue)

These “Leaves of Gold” are published by James A. Nelson (jan@twinvalley.net) and are sponsored by David R. Pickett (dr_pickett@hotmail.com) Our Web Master is Pastor Martin Gutzmer (mrgutzmer@gmail.com)

Your comments are welcome. Missionary-Evangelist Nelson and his wife Janet served for over twenty-two years in the Island of Puerto Rico and the Republic of Mexico. They now live in the village of Westfall, close to Salina, Kansas. They are members of the Village Bible Church, Salina, Kansas whose pastor is Robert F. Manning. Created by DPE, Copyright IRIS 2005