JackHammer

Scripture sufficiently explains evangelism.  It tells us what the Gospel is in a wealth of passages.  It shows us how to preach the Gospel in numerous examples.  The Bible really is here for us to know what to believe and do, evangelism being an important part of belief and practice revealed by God’s Word.

In a practical way, nothing is more important than evangelism.  We could conclude from New Testament teaching that we’re still here only because God is waiting for more people to repent (2 Peter 3:9).  Like anything else that is important, we look to the Bible to understand it.  Men tend toward being deceived.  We should think we will mess up evangelism if we don’t follow exactly what Scripture says.  God’s glory and the souls of men are at stake.

The Bible is not only about telling us what to do but it is also about limiting what we do.   In that way, it works like the Constitution of the United States.  The founders wrote a Constitution to limit the power of the federal government.  God’s Word should limit our evangelism.  Silence isn’t permission.  Based upon our belief in the sufficiency of Scripture, we should regulate our evangelism by the elements we see in Scripture.  I say elements and differentiate them from the circumstances of evangelism.   Some circumstances are paper, breath mints,  a mode of transportation, printing, computers, and doorbells.   Some elements are the words preached, the preaching itself, and the purpose of what is said.  We should do our evangelism like we see in Scripture.  That’s why we have a Bible—to do what it says—not to find things it doesn’t say and do those because Scripture doesn’t forbid them and mainly because we think our way will get better results. Read the rest of this entry →

Is there anything for Christmas that you can think of, which you would want, for which you would give up everything that you possess?  Clear the bottom of the Christmas tree, because underneath is just this one present.  And not just the tree, get rid of the house, the garage, and everything in it; clean out the bank accounts of all savings, leaving this one thing.  This scenario is essentially what Jesus described in His kingdom parable in Matthew 13:44, 45:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Most good investors, if not all, say the proverbial, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”  But that’s what this merchant man did—shucked the whole basket for the one egg.  He sold all his goods for one pearl.  He ridded himself of his entire inventory for a miniature treasure.

Pearls in Jesus’ day were the most valuable of commodities, more expensive than diamonds.  Then, pearls were a girl’s best friend.  Nobody owned scuba equipment, so the only way to get the pearl was for a man to tie rocks to himself, throw himself overboard, and sink down to the bottom of deep water without the aid of a breathing apparatus.  After digging out the shell, he exploded to the surface of the water if his lungs didn’t explode first.  Lots of pearl divers died in the process.  The sheer difficulty of obtaining a pearl made them in short supply but in great demand. Read the rest of this entry →

The issue of repentance in salvation is important to you.  It is important to me as well.  You deny that repentance must accompany faith in salvation.  I affirm it.  You consider my position to be heresy.  I consider yours to be heresy.  You blacklist those who teach repentance and faith.  We speak against those who deny it. 

Seems to me that we have sufficient grounds here for a debate.  We have a fundamental disagreement, that disagreement is over an issue that we both think is important, and we both have arguments that we think will ultimately win the day. 

So, here is a proposal.  I will offer to let you debate the issue on this blog.  Rather than relegating you to the comments section, we will give you space on the front page.  I will write and you will respond, or you will write and I will respond.  Either way.  Others will be permitted to respond in the comments section.  But the affirmative and negative cases will get front page exposure.

Think of the wonderful opportunity this will afford you.  You will stand for truth and against error.  You will have the opportunity to expose the doctrine of repentance as a true enemy of soul winning.  And while you do, you can consider your work as part of your soul winning requirement.  After all, you might win someone to Christ right here on this blog, and besides, hundreds and hundreds of people read our blog every day.  You might be famous… the next big name in Fundamentalism. 

We will negotiate what the resolution will be.  Here are some possibilities —

Resolved: Repentance must accompany faith in salvation.

or

Resolved: The teaching that repentance must accompany faith in salvation is adding works to salvation.

or

Resolved: Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

(oops! didn’t mean to put that one in there.  Guess you probably wouldn’t want to debate THAT!)

or

Resolved: In order to be saved, one must repent of his sin.

or

Resolved: In order to be saved, one must simply believe.

We can negotiate affirmative and negative, the stated resolution to be debated, and so forth.  The format will be quite simple.  The affirmative will state his case in three typed pages or less, and the negative will have a day or two to respond.  Both will be posted at the same time, so that the posting will be simultaneous.  We will limit the debate to between four and six exchanges, although that also can be negotiated.  The negative will get the last word.

I think that about covers it.  Of course, any Hyles Follower is welcome to answer the challenge, although I do have my wish list… including (but not limited to) Stephen L. Anderson, Tom Neal, Greg Neal, Brent Neal, Jack Schaap, Ray Young, Bob Hooker, any Hyles staff member, any staff member from Tom Neal’s school, or Bubba Jones.

Of course, if you’re really chicken, you could always use a fake name.

Interested parties will please contact me via e-mail at pmallinak@berean-baptist-utah.com

Still shaking the vacation cobwebs out of the ole’ brain, fingers stiff and wooden from travel, sentences choppy, boring and somewhat listless… Nevertheless, we gotta… get… back… to writing… again. Besides, Grandma and the aunts are avid readers, and I’m their favorite of the HACKHAMMERS. Can’t disappoint!

The “Romans’ Road” is not the Gospel. Accepting the tenets of the “Romans’ Road” may or may not be synonymous with accepting the Gospel. Some adherents of the “Romans’ Road” may neglect Jesus Christ, “The Way,” in favor of the “Romans’ Road.” They are not going through Jesus Christ because they took the Romans’ Road. Jesus says, “Follow me” but they can’t. They are following the Romans’ Road Map to heaven.

No doubt some will ask, “aren’t the two the same?” Not for some. For some, the Romans’ Road means coming to the Father through the Sinner’s Prayer. The Sinner’s Prayer justifies the sinner. The Sinner’s Prayer cleanses from all sin. The Sinner’s Prayer causes me to be born again.

Now, a brief disclaimer for those who need to read disclaimers. I’m not against the “Romans’ Road” per se. Clearly, the book of Romans teaches soteriology in precise fashion. But we made a mistake some years back in equating the Romans’ Road with the Gospel. If the Romans’ Road is the Gospel, then why didn’t God the Father preach the Romans’ Road to Abraham (Galatians 3:8)? Why didn’t Christ preach the Romans’ Road to Nicodemas? Why didn’t Paul preach the Romans’ Road on Mars’ Hill? Why didn’t Peter preach the Romans’ Road on the day of Pentecost?

Growing up in a “Hyles” type church (my pastor was both a graduate of Hyles and a one-day-a-week teacher there while I was in High School) and attending Hyles-Anderson College for a year, I learned a version of the Gospel that became the Gospel to me. As a result, several things never made sense to me. Galatians 3:8 for one. For another, where did 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 ff. fit in? Somehow, the versions of “The Romans’ Road” never left room for the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, or else left no room for any more than lip service to that idea. If one thought of the resurrection while soul winning he might mention it, but the key was to get the subject to The Sinner’s Prayer.

All the teaching I received in High School culminated into a mindset that fully developed in my year at Hyles. On the first Saturday morning of college, one of the staff men did a Soul Winning Clinic, required for all Freshmen, in which he explained how to Win Souls, and reminded us that we were required to win one soul per week. Whether it was said directly or left unsaid, I walked away with a “clear” understanding of my task as a soul winner. I must convince people to pray the Sinner’s Prayer. If they would only Pray that Prayer, they would be saved. They could Pray this Prayer, and afterwards they would go to heaven, no matter what they did.

I took the teaching to be Gospel. I took the message to the streets. I begged and pleaded. I had a zeal for souls, albeit ignorantly. I genuinely believed that if a man would simply Pray that Prayer, he would be saved. It would not matter what he did after he Prayed the Prayer, because “once you’re saved, you’re always saved.” The Bible says that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Whosoever means anybody. Calling on God to save you means that you are saved, no matter what.

So, out I went, armed with my Romans’ Road Map designed to lead men “to Christ.” But really, the Romans’ Road Map was specially designed to bring men to the Sinner’s Prayer, which in my mind was equal with leading men to Christ.

One Saturday, as I was knocking doors, I came across a man in his thirties. We spoke briefly before I launched into my spiel. Within a few minutes, I was to the crucial point, Romans 10:13.

Sir, whosoever means anybody. You could put your name there. What did you say your name was? Dan? Okay, “For Dan shall call upon the name of the Lord, and he shall be saved.” Isn’t that wonderful, Dan? If you will call upon the name of the Lord and ask him to save you right now, then you will be saved. That is God’s promise. It doesn’t matter what you have done before, it doesn’t matter what you do after. You could call upon the name of the Lord, and then go out and commit adultery, and you would still be going to heaven because you called upon the name of the Lord. You could call upon the name of the Lord and then go out and kill somebody, and you will still go to heaven, because you cannot lose your salvation.

Dan looked at me for a moment, and suddenly the irony of that statement hit him. Mockingly, he said, “Really! You mean really, I can pray that prayer and then I can do whatever I want? That’s great! What do I say! I’m wanting to go do some sinning in a minute here!”

Suddenly, my pitch didn’t sound so hot. But what was I to do? Meekly I replied…

Um, Dan, ummm… you need to tell Jesus that you are a sinner, and that you deserve Hell, and then ask him to forgive your sins and take you to heaven.

Dan kept up the sarcasm. “Your sure now that this is all I have to say. I want to get it right. I want to be able to do whatever I want and still go to heaven. So, I just need to pray this prayer, right?”

(Gulp!) Ummmm, yes, Dan.

Dan prayed… “Jesus I’m a sinner, please save me, Amen.” “Now can I go? I need to get back to sinning.”

Ummmm, Dan, after we get saved, we need to get baptized…”

Dan: “But you said all I needed to do was pray this prayer, and I prayed this prayer, so can I go now?”

Yes, Dan, you can go.

Sheepishly, I walked away as the door slammed shut behind me. The Gospel was changing me.

Several weeks later, I stood at a lady’s door, again begging her to Pray the Prayer. This time, I left out the parts about “doing whatever you want afterwards.” I remained convinced that the sinner’s prayer was a magic pill, and that those who prayed it were forever inoculated against Hell. Once again, I pleaded with this woman to Pray the Prayer.

Ma’am, if you’ll just pray this prayer with me, you will be saved! You don’t need to understand, you don’t need to do anything else. You just need to pray this prayer. Won’t you pray with me?

I should mention that this lady was Hispanic. She couldn’t even remotely understand what I was saying. Nevertheless, I forged ahead under the allusion that she might be able to understand me, and whether she understood or not, the prayer was magic.

It was at that moment, pleading with her to Pray the Prayer, that God flicked my ear in a sense, and I realized that rather than saving her soul, I could actually be damning her to hell by convincing her to pray the prayer. As I walked away from her door, an overwhelming fear gripped my heart. How many people that I had “led to the Lord” were trusting in that Prayer, would cling to that Prayer for their salvation, would one day at the judgement seat of Christ, when asked why God should let them into heaven reply, “because I Prayed the Prayer.”

Since that time, God has taught me differently. I still evangelize. I preach the Gospel. Not the Roman’s Road Map to the Sinner’s Prayer, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In our zeal for decisions, we have forgotten that the Gospel is a story, and we are storytellers. We have forgotten that the Gospel is the story of Abraham, and in Abraham all nations blessed. We have forgotten how to preach the Gospel saying, “In Abraham shall all nations of the earth be blessed.” We have forgotten that the Gospel is the story of heroes and battles, of dragon-slaying and giants falling. We have forgotten that the Gospel is a bloody story with a blessed ending. We have forgotten Goliath’s head, hoisted above a shepherd boy’s, blood oozing where the head was severed. We have forgotten how to tell stories. We don’t like fiction. Just the facts, ma’am. The Romans’ Road Map will do. Pray this Prayer. Repeat after me. Abracadabra…

If the Gospel is the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16), then we need to reacquaint ourselves with what the Gospel really is.

A little over one-hundred years ago, the man with the unusually styled white hair, Albert Einstein, came out of nowhere with a string of scientific papers that among other things said that there is no fixed point in space.   I can’t disagree with him.  However, I will say that we do have a fixed point around which our lives revolve outside of space.  David wrote in Psalm 112:7b, “His heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.”  Life does revolve around the Lord, and it will for a Christian, who loves the Lord because He first loved him (1 John 4:19).  The unsaved person revolves everything arond himself, a lover of his own self (2 Timothy 3:2).

God seeks for worshipers, not gift reception candidates (John 4:23, 24).  He who would have life, must lose his own (Matthew 16:25).  “[God] shalt have no other gods before [Him]” (Exodus 20:3).  The Lord is worthy “to receive glory and honour and power: for [He] created all things, and for [His] pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).  Thirty three times, Scripture says “praise the Lord,” twenty two times “praise Him” with Him being “God,” twice “praise God,” once “praise unto the LORD,” once “praise unto our God,” once “sing praises unto Him,” once “praises to the God,”  once “sing praises unto his name,” once “sing praises to God,” and once “sing praises to the Lord.”  All praise is rightly directed to God in His Word.

The overriding thought for every activity should be, “What will please God?”  Instead, in many cases even in church services man has replaced God as sovereign.  Man’s taste has subjugated God’s truth.   Human methodology has surpassed Divine wisdom.  In Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman writes:

Toward the end of the nineteenth century . . . the Age of Exposition began to pass, and the early signs of its replacement could be discerned.  Its replacement was to be the Age of Show Business.

Entertainment has moved into the very center of family and cultural life.  Amusements have become the most important and time-consuming aspects of human discourse.   The more the show becomes the church’s business, the less relevant is truth.  Substance counts for little and style counts for almost everything.  Bringing games and carnal amusements into the church eventually destroy people’s appetites for real worship and the exposition of God’s Word.

In accordance with the change in culture also came a change in the methods of churches.  People enamored with worldly things, essentially thorny ground, didn’t care to listen to the Gospel preached, verses carefully exegeted.   Children were still interested in small toys, candy, and puppet shows.  If the entertainment medium was what was necessary to winning people, why not go all out?  A real carnival with an acrobat quoting Bible verses, or at least “super-Christian” in a super-hero outfit stomping on a costumed devil.  The content was Bible, but the medium cheapened, and, therefore, the message corrupted.

As the same kids leave their childhood years, they enter a youth program with rallies and high energy games, up tempo choruses, and speakers whose specialty is humor.   Almost anything that was radical in the fifties is considered conventional today.   The best pastor is the one with the most innovation and the best techniques for church growth.  Now the megachurches represent country clubs with their facilities for recreation and entertainment their most visible aspects.

Sadly, verse-by-verse preaching became associated with boredom.  Better were the motivational speeches sparsely populated with Scripture, but heavy on the stories.  Ironically, the ones who told the most tales and the tallest could explain their successes.  They had “the power of God” obtained through extraordinary circumstances, which fueled their naturalistic presentations.  Showtime needs showmen.

This uniting of the world and God and of man’s ways with the Divine most certainly changes the Gospel, let alone destroying the ability to discern.  A ministry philosophy that is so contradictory to the pattern the Lord gave us does not accentuate the Gospel.  It can’t. The Scriptural gospel of sacrifice and self-denial is incompatible with the carnal offerings of modern churches.  We would all be best sent back to the Word of God to strictly imitate the ministry model of the New Testament of Christ and the Apostles.  Do you think you would be willing?

In part one under this title, I made the point that grace and the gospel are clearly linked throughout the Scriptures.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Galatians 1:6

I would now like to make some practical applications of this truth. We are saved by grace. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. In salvation, I recognized that I could do nothing; I had to turn from myself to Jesus Christ; and He did it all. This is the grace of the gospel. 

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:1

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: Hebrews 12:28

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Galatians 2:20-3:3

In all these passages, Christians are taught some truth about grace in their lives presently. Grace is not some type of ethereal cloud that comes over us and envelopes our life. In the gospel, we recognized that we could do nothing; we recognized that Christ had to do it all; we turned from ourselves and by faith, trusted in Christ for eternal life. Since we are not foolish, we must continue (we must be made perfect) in the same way.

You grow in grace when you trust Christ more than yourself each day. You are strong in grace when you are not strong yourself. You have grace when you live through each decision the same way you made your salvation decision (not of yourself). You make it through trials and testing by grace, trusting Christ. Trusting Christ is sufficient. You don’t frustrate the grace of God when you seek Him for each decision that must be made.

You do frustrate the grace of God when you think you can live your life on your own except for during church, devotions, and evangelism. “Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect in the flesh?” We need God’s grace every hour of every day. We need God’s grace when we eat, when we drive, when we work, when we fellowship; we need it all the time. If you are not depending on God’s grace more today than yesterday, you’re not growing in grace.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth forever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:8-11

In order to do any work for God, we must be living the gospel. We must live each day just like we did the moment we were saved by grace.

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. James 2:17

Faith without works is dead, but works without faith (grace) is deadly. Living in the flesh kills…, even if it looks spiritual.

We know the Gospel gets changed. We established that from 2 Corinthians 11 in the first article of this month. In exploring this thought, we also contended that change comes almost exclusively in two ways: change in Who Jesus is and change in what belief is. We must believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. The Lord will not justify the one who botches genuine belief or the one who falls short of a Biblical Jesus. How do these two changes happen?

False Worship

One way the saving Gospel becomes distorted is by means of false worship. True worship recognizes Who God is and gives Him what He wants. False worship either warps the identification of Who God is or offers Him something that He does not want. False worship confuses sinners on the character and nature of God. With genuine worship, since God is recognized as holy, He is presented with holy offerings. Giving Him worldly, sensual, or fleshly “worship” communicates that God Himself is wordly, sensual, or fleshly. Anyone Who receives this “God,” has gotten an imposter.

Since worldly, fleshly, or sensual worship is unacceptable to God, who is it about? It is about the one presenting it. This pragmatic ”worship” suggests that salvation is about our own entertainment, comfort, and good-feelings. The worshipper becomes sovereign over God, his personal taste becoming predominant. Justification then comes, not from turning from his own way, but from bringing Jesus along for the ride.

Corrupted Methods

Men so want to see success in the ministry that they use methods that alter the nature of the gospel. Instead of going to preach, they go to invite. Unsaved people are not interested in Scriptural exegesis and true worship, so the presentation of the Gospel almost always is customized for the audience. Since there is only one Gospel, this customization often leaves the crowd with a placebo and the church with a statistic.

Since the church is the body of Christ, people learn about Christ through the nature of His body. When the church becomes a place of fun and etertainment, the nature and character of Jesus Christ is changed in the mind of the hearers. Faith becomes self-gratification, and Jesus becomes the goody-meister.

Twisted Interpretation

Salvation isn’t praying a prayer. We are not justified through prayer. We are justified by faith. The people who call on the name of the Lord are those who understand the nature of Jesus Christ and the dire predicament they are in. Salvation isn’t walking an aisle or raising a hand. It isn’t being able to answer certain leading questions. Men have taken a few passages that mention “confess” and “call” and have turned salvation into a syllogism that concludes with “prayer equals salvation.” That misses what God says about justification by faith alone.

Arguments from Silence

Many continue the false worship, corrupt methodology, and twisted interpretation with arguments from silence. The primary argument from silence goes like this: ”The Bible doesn’t say it is wrong, so it must be right.” But God’s Word is sufficient. God does not have an entire agenda between the lines of the Bible. He has included all of it in the actual text of Scripture. When we operate outside of Scripture, we undermine the authority and suffiency of Scripture, and we threaten the very propagation of the gospel itself.

How bad do you think it is that churches and Christians damn people to Hell by their changing the Gospel? Could there be anything worse?

Doctrine is practical.   Clarity, accuracy, and thoroughness in doctrine while evangelizing is practical.  We are justified by Biblical faith, not some kind of fraudulent faith.  Someone may say that he believes in Jesus Christ, but the belief must be actual belief.  We know that some faith does not save (James 2).  The parable of the sower (Matthew 13) says that some might “receive” the Word in a non-saving way, specifically the examples of the stony ground and the thorny soil.  Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:9-25) provides an occasion of faith that falls short of conversion.

Getting into Heaven instead of Hell is as practical as it can get.  Someone whose doctrine sends him to Hell will agree that it hasn’t been very practical.  On the other hand, someone in Heaven will thank God for the practicality of the position he was taught.   A profession isn’t practical if it doesn’t save anyone.  It might make someone look good, and that might have a kind of practicality, but in the end it will mean practically nothing.  A church growth seminar won’t do anyone any good at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20) if someone’s name isn’t in the Book of Life.   So thinking about this can reach maximum practicality.

EXPLAINING BELIEF IN CHRIST

When I preach the Gospel, near the end of the presentation I’ll say, “We must believe in Jesus Christ.  A whole lot of people will say they believe in Jesus Christ today, but it is important that we understand what it means to believe in Jesus Christ.”  Then I explain.  What is it that I tell someone?

First, we must believe in Jesus Christ.  I quote John 3:36, then John 3:18 and 3:16.  Each of those say “believe in Jesus Christ.”  They don’t say “accept Jesus as your Savior” or “ask Jesus into your heart” or “ask the Lord to save you.”  We’ve talked about Jesus being the Jesus of the Bible, but is the belief the belief of the Bible?  To start, however, it is clear that the only way of salvation comes through faith in Christ.

Second, what does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ?  Just because people say they believe in Jesus Christ, doesn’t mean they do.  Part of what it means to believe in Jesus Christ is found in Luke 13, which says in v. 3, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,” and in v. 5, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”  If someone does not repent, he will what?  He will perish.  In John 3:16, the Lord says that if someone believes in Him, He will not what?  He will not perish.  If we believe, we won’t perish, but if we don’t repent, we will perish.  Belief and repentance are talking about the same thing.  We can’t believe in Jesus Christ and in ourselves.  To repent means to turn.  That’s part of the history of the word “repent.”  Unless we turn from our way, relinquishing our will, and stop believing in anything else but Jesus Christ, we will perish.

There are a few passages that will make this clear.  2 Thessalonians 1:9 says, “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.”  The word “repent” doesn’t occur here, but ”turn” is synonymous with “repent.”  We can’t serve the world or ourselves.  No man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).  We can’t put Jesus on the shelf with all the other gods.  That’s not believing in Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the way (John 14:6), so we can’t go our way; we must turn from our way.  This is the message of something that Jesus said repeatedly in the New Testament.

LOSING LIFE 

One place the Lord Jesus used an often repeated truth was Matthew 16:25-26:

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

The word “life” is psuche, which is found in v. 26, but translated “soul.”  A believer must offer His soul to God for saving.  This is the idea of these two verses (Psalm 23:3; 19:7a):

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.

Our soul is cleansed of sin when we give it to God, that is, it is restored or converted.  We can’t hang on to our soul and expect to be in heaven.   A person cannot keep his life for himself and get to heaven.  He must relinquish his life to the Lord.  This is part of what it means to believe.

CONFESS THE LORD JESUS 

Fitting right into this Scriptural understanding of “believing in Jesus Christ” is Romans 10:9-10.

That 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.

If Jesus is Lord, then we are not.  He rose from the dead.  How?  He is God.  He is the Messiah.  Confessing Him as Lord is confessing that we are not Lord.

HAVE YOU EXPLAINED FAITH?

This is what it means to believe in Jesus Christ.  When I present this to people, I have found that when I am done, they understand what it means to believe.  They are under conviction.   They know that if they hang on to their life, they are rebelling against the Lord.  They know what He has done for them.  They know He deserves their allegiance.  Working against this within them is their desire to control their own life.  They love the world.  They’re tempted to procrastinate.  They see the goodness of God, His love for them, but they understand how their life will change.  When I see this, I believe I have succeeded at explaining what belief in Jesus Christ is.

What is grace? I’m sure many of you have learned some definition that is very similar to this: God’s undeserved merit or favor. Some say grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve and mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve. We live a life of grace. Even the lost experience some of God’s grace. While they are under God’s condemnation, they still experience good things from God–some call this common grace. But I want you to think of the greatest grace a believer receives. What is the greatest thing you received that you did not deserve? Isn’t it the gospel? Could there be any greater undeserved gift? I don’t think so! I’m making this point to help you understand a Bible term: grace. Most often, when you read of grace in the Scriptures, the Word is speaking to Christians–people who have already experienced the grace of the gospel. How are we to understand these passages? I will answer that in a future post, but first some foundational Scripture and further Bible teaching.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:6-9

In this verse we see a clear correlation between grace and gospel. In fact, Paul indicates that the two terms could be interchageable here. Couldn’t he have said, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the gospel of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another…”? He couldn’t have said “…into another grace” because any other gospel is not grace. But the true gospel of Christ is truly the grace of God.

But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Galatians 2:7, 9

Here again, Paul makes a clear connection in terminology, saying that the gospel was committed to him and then that grace was given to him. Often, when we read of grace and believers, we would do well to remember this grace/gospel correlation.

With this explanation in mind, lets explore some other portions of Scripture. 

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 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. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written. The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:15-17

If the gospel is only for the lost, the first question you should ask yourself while reading this is, “Why would Paul want to preach the gospel to the saints in Rome?” It must be that there is more to the gospel than just salvation. Just as Jesus is more than a Savior, the gospel is more than a fire escape plan. “The just shall live by faith.” 

Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. Romans 11:5-6

You might think that the Bible is overstating its case here. But the point must be made that grace and works are so diametrically opposed, and mankind so naturally wants to prove his own merit by working, that even this “redundancy” can not be considered an overstatement. Really, we are so works oriented that we must have this type of reminder often. 

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 1 Corinthians 15:1

Here again, though the Corinthians had received the gospel already, they were also standing in the gospel. The gospel/grace was something they needed currently.

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10

Paul says that he was what he was at that moment because of God’s grace. Grace/gospel was doing a continuing work in his life. He labored abundantly, but it wasn’t his labor, it was the grace of God.

For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. 2 Corinthians 1:12

Paul’s conversation in the world (not just his justification) was by the grace of God.

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4

The Galatians were believers (1:2; 3:1-3; 3:26-27; 4:6-7; 5:1) yet they stood in peril of not living by grace. Of not living according to the gospel. If they were to apply the principles of justification by the law to their life, they would have fallen from living by grace or the gospel.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:8, 11

Look at these phrases:

• all grace
• always having
• all sufficiency
• all things
• every good work
• every thing
• all bountifulness

Grace, or the gospel, should affect change every single aspect of our lives. Nothing is outside the realm of the gospel. It changes is changing–everything!

The cardinal error against which the gospel of Christ has to contend is the effect of the tendency of the human heart to rely on salvation by works. The great antagonist to the truth as it is in Jesus is that pride of man which leads him to believe that he can be, at least in part, his own savior. This error is the prolific mother of multitudes of heresies.

Charles Spurgeon