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Salvation by Grace through Faith

By Arlen L. Chitwood

www.lampbroadcast.org

 

Foreword & Contents

Foreword

The message pertaining to the gospel of the grace of God is given in very simple terms in Scripture.  In fact, it is so simple that man often misses it.  And any person, missing the one true message given by the infinite God and drawing from his own finite wisdom and knowledge, invariably — he can’t help but so do — ends up with a corrupted salvation message.

The salvation message, that which makes salvation possible for fallen man, is clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 15:3:

“. . . Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.”

The one key thought in the salvation message is death and shed blood (e.g., Genesis 3:21; 22:8, 13), which is what God requires (Exodus 12:13; Hebrews 9:22).  And the one key word in the salvation message is believe (e.g., John 1:12; 3:15, 16), which is also what God requires (John 3:18).

The Lamb has died, His blood has been shed, and all that is left — all that can possibly be left — for man to do is simply receive that which has already been done on his behalf.

Eternal salvation is by grace (that which God is able to do completely apart from human merit) through faith (through believing on God’s Son [Ephesians 2:8, 9]), and it is based entirely upon the finished work of Another (John 19:30).  Nothing that man has done, is presently doing, or will ever do can have anything to do with his eternal destiny.  Man can do no more than receive by faith that which has already been done on his behalf.

This is why Scripture states:

“. . . Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved . . . .” (Acts 16:31)

This statement is in response to a question in the preceding verse,

“. . . Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (v.30)

And within another frame of reference, the response to this question could only be, “Nothing!”  This would have to be the response simply because there is not one single thing left for unsaved man to do (nor could he do anything if something were left, for, he is spiritually dead and incapable of acting in the spiritual realm [Ephesians 2:1, 5]).

It is of interest to note that the question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” and the answer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,” only appear together one place in the entire Bible.  Scripture is filled with information concerning redemption, but Acts 16:30, 31 is the only place, from Genesis to Revelation, where the question concerning eternal salvation is asked and answered in so many words.

Thus, within a completely biblical framework, if the question in Acts 16:30 is asked, there can be only one answer:  “Believe . . . .”  Mans ideas, thoughts, comments are of no moment.  God has spoken, and thats the end of the matter.

John 3:16 is often called “the gospel in a nutshell” by individuals seeking to draw attention to the overall salvation message stated in its simplest form in Scripture.  God, because of His love for fallen man — who had been created in His image, after His likeness, for a purpose (Genesis 1:26-28) — “gave His only begotten Son [1 Corinthians 15:3], that whoever believes in Him [Acts 16:31] should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Everything, in its entirety, to procure man’s salvation was done by Another.  It had to be accomplished by Another, for, as previously stated, the one being redeemed was “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), totally incapable of acting on his own behalf.

Christ is the One who died, Christ is the One who performed the work to procure man’s salvation, and God is satisfied with His Sons finished work.

When Christ cried out from the Cross in “a loud voice” near the ninth hour, “It is finished” (Luke 23:46; John 19:30), He used one word in the Greek text — Tetelestai — that could be better translated, “It has been finished.”  Tetelestai is a perfect tense usage of teleo, which means “to bring to an end,” “to complete.”  And the perfect tense refers to action completed in past time, with the results of that action extending into and existing during present time in a finished state.

All of the work surrounding man’s redemption that Christ had come to perform had, at that point in time, been completed.  This was the announcement that Christ made, in “a loud voice”; and, because of that which was involved in the announcement, there was then no longer any need for Him to continue His sufferings on the Cross.  Thus, immediately after He cried out, “It has been finished,” He “gave up the ghost [KJV, lit., ‘He breathed out’ (He expired, willingly relinquishing His life)]” (Luke 23:46).

The work of Christ at Calvary, from the point He cried out, “It has been finished,” has existed in exactly the same finished state in which He proclaimed it to exist at that time.  It has existed as a work completed in past time that extends into present time (in a finished state) and that will extend into all the ages comprising eternity ahead (in the same finished state).

Nothing can ever be added, and nothing can ever be taken away.  That is to say, nothing can ever change relative to Christ’s finished work at Calvary.

That’s the way God’s procurement of man’s salvation had to occur.  Once Christ’s work had been finished, that’s the way His work had to always continue to exist — in a finished state — throughout both time and eternity.

Because of Christs finished work, salvation is extended to man “without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1); and apart from Christs finished work, there is no salvation.

He who believes in him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already [lit., ‘has already been condemned’ (a perfect tense — condemned in past time because of unbelief and presently living in that condemned state)], because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)

It is utterly impossible — and foolish to even consider — that finite man, “dead in trespasses and sins,” could add one thing to or take one thing from the finished work of the infinite God through His Son.

All man can possibly do is simply receive, by believing on the Son, that which has already been done on his behalf.

 

Contents

 

Foreword

 

1.  What must I do?

 

2.  Confusion about Salvation.

 

Appendix

 

            Salvation — without money, without price

 

            Salvation — spirit, soul