Common Assaults on the Gospel

By assaults we are talking about additions to the message of faith alone in Christ alone. All believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are responsible to be His representatives. We are ambassadors of Christ who are to give testimony to the person and work of the Savior.

Even though household evangelism still seems to be the most effective method, other methods are used effectively. When it comes to the message, however, there is only one message (or Gospel) that we may proclaim and remain faithful to the Bible. Unfortunately, confusion abounds with respect to the content and presentation of the good news of God’s grace in the person and work of Christ.

Our message is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the message of salvation through His person and work. That sounds simple enough, but it is not nearly as simple as it sounds. The simple message, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved,” has been assaulted from early on. Since the message is crucial to salvation, since anathema is pronounced on those who misrepresent it or change it (Gal. 1:6-9), we need to know the message. If we are to be true to the Bible and to the grace of our Lord, we need to be able to share the Gospel clearly and avoid the distortions.

Outside the doctrines related to the Person and work of Christ, there is no truth more far-reaching in its implications and no fact more to be defended than that salvation in all its limitless magnitude is secured, so far as human responsibility is concerned, by believing on Christ as Savior. To this one requirement no other obligation may be added without violence to the Scriptures and total disruption of the essential doctrine of salvation by grace alone. Only ignorance or reprehensible inattention to the structure of a right Soteriology will attempt to intrude some form of human works with its supposed merit into that which, if done at all, must, by the very nature of the case, be wrought by God alone and on the principle of sovereign grace.¹⁹⁸ (Emphasis mine.)

From the early days of the church, the church has faced the problem of those who wanted to add to the message. In Acts 15:1 we read these words: “It is necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and to order them to observe the law of Moses.” Verse 5 tells us that these were men from the sect of the Pharisees who had believed. They were members of the church and so, from within its own ranks, a controversy broke out concerning the exact nature and content of the message of the Gospel.

The Gospel by nature is a God-centered, grace-centered message which offers salvation as a free gift, a gift without cost, through faith in God’s work through His Son rather than by man’s work or works whether religious or moral (1 Cor. 1:30; John 4:10; Acts 8:20; Rom. 11:6; 15:15-18; Rev. 21:6). The nature of the message, the condition of man (dead in sin and born spiritually blind [Eph. 2:1; 1 Cor. 2:14; John 9:39]), and the activity of Satan (2 Cor. 4:4; John 8:43-45) make this a difficult message to accept. Man naturally thinks he must add something to his salvation for it to be bonafide.

As a result, certain accusations are often leveled against faith alone in Christ alone: it is sometimes called “cheap grace” or “easy believism.” But this is nonsense. The claim of “easy believism” so often aimed at those who preach “faith alone in Christ alone” is a misnomer. Simple faith is not easy for mankind who wants to add something to the work of God. Furthermore, salvation in Christ is free, but it’s not cheap. It cost God the death of His Son, the Lord Jesus.

This study will be devoted to some of the more common ways the Gospel is being assaulted or perverted, very often, by well-meaning and sincere people. This is no new problem. As mentioned above, it was a problem in the early church starting in Acts 15 and it has been a problem throughout the history of the church. When I was in Seminary in the mid-sixties, one of my professors, Dr. S. Lewis Johnson, taught a brief series on this in the church where my wife and I were attending in Dallas, Texas. It was an issue then, it is still a serious issue today, and it will continue to be an issue until the Lord returns.

While the debate over the issue of “faith alone in Christ alone” is not new, it has recently been brought to the forefront by the writings and preaching of John MacArthur, especially by his book entitled The Gospel According to Jesus in which he attacked the writings of: Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, founder of Dallas Theological Seminary; Dr. Charles Ryrie, author of The Ryrie Study Bible and a number of other books including Basic Theology and the book, So Great Salvation, which was written as an answer to MacArthur’s book setting forth a clear presentation of the free salvation position; and Zane Hodges, former professor at Dallas, who is a strong proponent of the free grace salvation position and author of Absolutely Free and The Gospel Under Siege. Other well-known proponents of the lordship salvation position are Dr. J. I. Packer, well known for his books, Knowing God, and Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, and Dr. James Boice, author of Foundations of the Christian Faith.

While MacArthur’s books and preaching have created a furor of controversy with a number of debates resulting, it has had a good result in that it has caused the church to more clearly study and define issues and passages that are fuzzy to many people, and to defend the faith against these errors of evangelism or common assaults on the pure Gospel of God’s grace which is faith alone in Christ alone.

Assault 1:
“Believe and Repent of Your Sins”

In this assault, repentance is conceived as a separate act and is consistently added to believing as a human requirement for salvation. In other words, rather than seeing repentance as a synonym for believing, one is saved by repenting (which in this view means a turning from sin) and by believing (putting one’s trust in Christ).

Few issues are of more vital interest to whose who believe in heaven and hell than the question of what man must do to gain entrance into heaven. Answers to this question nearly always include a reference to repentance. Throughout church history nearly every theologian has taught that repentance is essential for salvation from hell. However, several disparate understandings of repentance have been advocated.¹⁹⁹

The Word “Repent” in English Translations

• In the NASB, some form of the word (repent, repentant, repented, repentance, etc.) is found 73 times with 56 of these occurring in the New Testament.
• In the ASB, some form of the word occurs 103 times with 61 in the New Testament.
• In the KJV, some form of the word occurs 112 times with 66 in the New Testament.
• In the NIV, some form of the word occurs 74 times with 55 in the New Testament.
• In the New KJV, some form of the word occurs 72 times with 58 in the New Testament.
• In the RSV, some form of the word occurs 99 times with 59 in the New Testament.
• In the New RSV, some form of the word occurs 72 times with 57 in the New Testament.

Clearly, repentance is a prominent concept of Scripture, but it is obvious from the difference in the above numbers that the words of the original are not always translated in the same way by the translators of the different versions because some of the translators didn’t believe our English word repent always conveyed the right idea. Why? Because of the misconceptions about this word. In fact, because of our preconditioned ideas about this word, very often “repent,” is not the best translation at all.

Important Questions to Ask

The issue facing us is what exactly does it mean to repent? And related to this are other important questions and issues. What are we to repent of and for? Does it mean to feel sorry for something? Does it mean to feel sorrow for sin? Does it convey a resolve to turn from sin? Ryrie writes:

Since many consider sorrow for sin and repentance to be equivalent, the question could be worded, What is the place of repentance in relation to salvation? Must repentance precede faith? Is it a part of faith or a synonym for it? Can one be saved without repenting?²⁰⁰

Basic or Generic Meanings

Many, if not most, terms have basic or generic meanings that must be understood within their context. In other words, the context is vital to a proper understanding of most words. Within the context most terms make immediate sense. Without the context you either misunderstand what is meant or you are left wondering. Two common English words we use regularly will illustrate the point. If we say someone opened the trunk, we could mean the trunk of a car, an elephant’s trunk, the trunk of a man’s body, a tree trunk, or something you store things in. Or if we say, someone walked on the bed, it could mean the flower bed, a bed of leaves, the bed we sleep in. The ingredient needed to make the meaning of the word clear is the CONTEXT. The following are two scriptural illustrations:

Salvation

The Word “salvation” is the Greek, soteria and soterion. The basic, unaffected meaning of the word salvation is “to rescue” or “to save, deliver.” But we must ask a further question about this basic meaning if we are to understand its meaning in a particular context: To be rescued from what? In Philippians 1:19 Paul uses the word “salvation,” soteria, to mean rescue from his confinement in Rome. Except for the KJV, most versions translate this word “deliverance.” In that text salvation does not mean rescue from eternal damnation but deliverance from his present confinement in Rome. But, of course, in other contexts salvation does refer to being rescued from eternal condemnation [Acts 4:12] (Ryrie, p. 92).

Compare also Luke 1:71 referring to deliverance from Gentile domination, Acts 7:25 referring to rescue from Egypt, but Acts 13:47 by the context refers to salvation from sin and the gift of eternal life.

Redeem

Concerning the word “Redeem,” Ryrie writes:

What does it mean to redeem? It means “to buy or purchase something.” To purchase what, one must ask, in order to tailor this generic meaning to its use in a particular passage? In Matthew 13:44 a man redeems a field; that is, he buys it. This use has no relation to the redemption our Lord made on the cross, though the same word is used of the payment He made for sin when He died (2 Pet. 2:1). The basic meaning remains the same—to purchase—whether the word refers to paying the price for a field or for sin.²⁰¹

Compare also Matthew 14:15 (buying food); 21:12 (buying in the temple); 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23 (Christ purchasing our redemption or salvation on the cross).

The basic meanings of these words remain the same, to save whether from a physical disaster or from eternal judgment, or to purchase whether to pay a price for a field, buy something in the market, or to pay the price for our sin. It’s the context, however, which makes the difference as to the exact meaning.

Obviously, the same principle must be applied to the word repentance. The first question is, what is the basic meaning for the word repentance as it is used in the New Testament? For many people, repentance carries with it two ideas: (a) sorrow for sin, and, based on that, (b) turning from sin and going in a different direction.

These two ideas, sorrow for sin and turning from sin, are then added to believing in Christ, or it is explained that this is what faith in Christ means. In other words, you must feel sorry for your sins, turn from your sins, and trust in Christ for salvation. Then, added to all this is often a fourth—there must be a willingness to continue to turn from sin or you cannot be saved or you are not really saved.

The Meaning of Repentance in the New Testament

The Greek Words in Question

Since our English word is a translation of the Greek of the New Testament, we need to look at the original language. “There are two New Testament Greek words which are translated repentance in the modern English translations: metanoia (and its verbal counterpart metanoeo) and metamelomai. The former term is so translated fifty-eight times in the New Testament; the latter only six times.”²⁰² This study will be concerned primarily with metanoia.

Metamelomai means “to regret, change the mind” and may connote the idea of sorrow, but not necessarily. It is translated by “regret, change the mind, and feel remorse” in the NASB and NIV, and in all but one of the passages where it is used, the primary idea is a change of mind (cf. Matt. 21:29, 32; 27:3; 2 Cor. 7:8; Heb. 7:21).

Metanoia, the primary word, without question, means “a change of mind.” It refers to the thinking of people who thought one thing or made one decision and then, based on further evidence or input, changed their minds. So, the basic sense is “ a change of mind.” This is its meaning and use outside the New Testament and in the New Testament. It is a change of mind that leads to a different course of action, but that course of action must be determined by the context. In a context that deals with forgiveness of sin or receiving eternal life as a gift from God, the course of action is a change of trust because one now sees Jesus as the only means of salvation from sin.

Ryrie writes:

Sorrow may well be involved in a repentance, but the biblical meaning of repentance is to change one’s mind, not to be sorry. And yet that change of mind must not be superficial, but genuine. The presence or absence of sorrow does not necessarily prove or disprove the genuineness of the repentance.²⁰³

That sorrow does not necessarily prove or disprove the genuineness of repentance is clear from 2 Corinthians 7:9-10. Sorrow may lead to a genuine change of mind, or as in the case of Judas, it may not. The point being that sorrow and repentance are not same thing.

But again, the nature of the change and what is changed must be determined by the context. So, another question must be asked. About what do we change our mind? Answering that question will focus the basic meaning on the particular change and issue involved.

The Object of Repentance

Many today make repentance and faith two distinct and necessary requirements for salvation. In his book, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J. I. Packer writes:

The demand is for repentance as well as faith. It is not enough to believe that only through Christ and His death are sinners justified and accepted. … Knowledge of the gospel, and orthodox belief of it, is no substitute for repentance … Where there is … no realistic recognition of the real claims that Christ makes, there can be no repentance, and therefore no salvation.²⁰⁴

Is this what the Bible really teaches? Believe and repent are never used together as if teaching two different requirements for salvation. When salvation from eternal condemnation is in view, repent (a change of mind) and believe are in essence used as synonyms. Lewis Chafer wrote:

Too often, when it is asserted—as it is here—that repentance is not to be added to belief as a separated requirement for salvation, it is assumed that repentance is not necessary to salvation. Therefore it is as dogmatically stated as language can declare, that repentance is essential to salvation and that none could be saved apart from repentance, but it is included in believing and cannot be separated from it.²⁰⁵

Roy B. Zuck writes:

Repentance is included in believing. Faith and repentance are like two sides of a coin. Genuine faith includes repentance, and genuine repentance includes faith. The Greek word for repentance ( metanoia) means to change one’s mind. But to change one’s mind about what? About sin, about one’s adequacy to save himself, about Christ as the only way of salvation, the only One who can make a person righteous.²⁰⁶

In Luke’s rendering of the Great Commission he uses repentance as a single requirement in the same sense as believing in Christ (Luke 24:46-47). As Dr. Ryrie says of this verse, “Clearly, repentance for the forgiveness of sins is connected to the death and resurrection of Christ.”²⁰⁷ The repentance comes out of the recognition of one’s sin, but the object of repentance is the person and work of Christ, or faith in Christ. Interestingly, in Luke 8:12 he uses believe alone, “Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”

A comparison of other passages clearly supports the fact that repentance often stands for faith in the person and work of Christ. Compare Acts 10:43 with 11:17-18; 13:38-39 with 2:38. Also, note Acts 16:31 which uses “believe” alone.

The stated purpose of the Gospel of John is to bring men to faith in Christ (20:31), yet John never once uses the word repent, not once. If repentance, when used in connection with eternal salvation, is a separate or distinct requirement from faith in Christ, then John does not give the whole Gospel. And if you can believe that, you can believe anything. Speaking of the absence of John’s use of repent in His Gospel, Ryrie writes:

And yet John surely had many opportunities to use it in the events of our Lord’s life which he recorded. It would have been most appropriate to use repent or repentance in the account of the Lord’s conversation with Nicodemus. But believe is the word used (John 3:12, 15). So, if Nicodemus needed to repent, believe must be a synonym; else how could the Lord have failed to use the word repent when talking to him? To the Samaritan harlot, Christ did not say repent. He told her to ask (John 4:10), and when her testimony and the Lord’s spread to other Samaritans, John recorded not that they repented but that they believed (vss. 39, 41-42). There are about fifty more occurrences of “believe” or “faith” in the Gospel of John, but not one use of “repent.” The climax is John 20:31: “These have been written that you may believe … and that believing you may have life in His name.”²⁰⁸

What about Acts 20:21? “… solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Some would say, “Doesn’t this passage teach that faith and repentance are not synonymous and that repentance is a separate requirement?” NO! Paul is summarizing his ministry in Ephesus and what he solemnly proclaimed to both Jews and Greeks, specifically, repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The two words, repentance and faith, are joined by one article in the Greek text which indicates that the two are inseparable, though each focuses on a different aspect of the one requirement of salvation, namely, faith in Christ.

We can legitimately translate it like this. “Solemnly testifying … a change of mind about God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Repentance, metanoia, focuses on changing one’s mind about his previous conception of God and disbelief in God or false beliefs (polytheism and idolatry) about God (see 1 Thess. 1:9). On the other hand, belief in Christ, as an expression of a change of mind, focuses on the new direction that change about God must take, namely, trusting in Christ, God’s Son, as personal Savior.

It has also been suggested that in this summary Paul is emphasizing the distinction between the particular needs of Gentiles and Jews. Gentiles who were polytheistic needed to change their minds about their polytheism and realize that only one true God exists. Jews needed to change their minds about Jesus and realize that He is their true Messiah.²⁰⁹

Uses of the Concept of Repentance in the New Testament

A Synonym for Eternal Salvation

Metanoia is sometimes used through a metonymy as a synonym for eternal salvation. A metonymy is a figure of speech by which one name or noun is used instead of another to which it stands in a certain relation. These involve a metonymy of cause for the effect. The CAUSE is a change of mind about Christ and His Gospel. The EFFECT is eternal salvation.²¹⁰ (Compare 2 Pet. 3:9, 1 Tim. 2:4, Luke 5:32.)

A Non-Saving Repentance (metamelomai)

Under this category we might also include repentance in the sense of remorse, regret with the use of metamelomai. This aspect of non-saving repentance is a repentance or change of mind that does not lead to eternal life or the spiritual blessings sought. Two examples are Judas (Matt. 27:3) and Esau (Heb. 12:17). Compare also Matt. 21:28-32.

A Salvation Repentance

Salvation repentance is a change of mind that results in eternal salvation. This involves a change of mind about self, about one’s sinful condition and inability to save oneself combined with a change of mind about Christ, that He is the Messiah Savior and the only one by whom man can find salvation (Acts 2:38; 17:29-31). Salvation repentance means a change in confidence; it means turning away from self-confidence to confidence in Christ, faith alone in Christ alone. The irony of all of this is that any other viewpoint is really not biblical repentance because it virtually borders on faith in oneself. “In this use metanoia occurs as a virtual synonym for pistis (faith).”²¹¹

A Christian Experience Repentance

This is a change of mind regarding sinful behavior. An illustration of this kind of repentance is found in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11; 12:21; Revelation 2:5, 16, 21; 3:3, 19. By Paul’s use of lupeo (to distress, grieve) and metamelomai, 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 clearly illustrates that metanoia does not mean to feel regret, but involves a change of mind.

For though I caused you sorrow ( lupeo) by my letter, I do not regret ( metalomai) it; though I did regret ( metalomai) it— for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while—I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful ( lupeo), but that you were made sorrowful ( lupeo) to the point of repentance ( metanoia); for you were made sorrowful ( lupeo) according to the will of God, in order that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow ( lupe) that is according to the will of God produces a repentance ( metanoia) without regret ( metamelomai), leading to salvation; but the sorrow ( lupe) of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow ( lupeo), has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter (2 Cor. 7:8-11, NASB).

Wilkin writes:

On some occasions metanoia is used in contexts where the change of mind in view is clearly indicated as having to do with one’s sinful practices. For example, in Luke 17:3-4 Jesus taught the disciples that they were to forgive all who sinned against them if they came and indicated that they had changed their minds regarding their sin. In this case and others like it “repentance” would be a good translation choice.²¹²

Conclusion

Ryrie writes:

To return to the main point of this chapter: Is repentance a condition for receiving eternal life? Yes, if it is repentance or changing one’s mind about Jesus Christ. No, if it means to be sorry for sin or even to resolve to turn from sin, for these things will not save. Is repentance a precondition to faith? No, though a sense of sin and the desire to turn from it may be used by the Spirit to direct someone to the Savior and His salvation. Repentance may prepare the way for faith, but it is faith that saves, not repentance (unless repentance is understood as a synonym for faith or changing one’s mind about Christ).²¹³

In the third of a series of excellent articles on the meaning of repentance, Wilkin writes:

I wish we could retranslate the New Testament. It would make teaching and preaching passages using metanoia simpler. It would eliminate the confusion many have when they read their Bibles and see the word repent…

In most cases when the English word repent occurs in the New Testament it is translating metanoia. Metanoia is not the equivalent of the Old Testament term shub. It certainly does not mean “penance.” Nor does it normally mean “repentance.” Rather, in the New Testament it retains its pre-Christian meaning of a change of mind. The English reader thus generally needs to read “change of mind”—not turn from sins—when he sees the word “repent” in the New Testament. The context must be consulted to determine the object of a person’s change of mind.

The only times repent is actually a good English translation is when the object of metanoia is sinful deeds. A change of mind about sinful behavior is equivalent to repentance.²¹⁴

Assault 2:
“Believe Plus Make Christ Lord”

Similar assaults would also include “faith plus commitment” and “faith plus surrender to God.”

The late H. A. Ironside tells the story of a lady missionary who, over a period of time, led a little Irish boy to the Savior.

Brought up a Romanist, he thought and spoke of penance and confessional, of sacraments and church, yet never wholly leaving out Christ Jesus and His atoning work.

One morning when the lady called again upon him, she found his face aglow with a new-found joy. Inquiring the reason, he replied with assurance born of faith in the revealed Word of God, “I always knew that Jesus was necessary, but I never knew till yesterday that He was enough!”

It was a blessed discovery, and I would that every reader of these pages had made it. Mark it well; Jesus is enough! “He, of God, is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.” “Ye are complete in Him.” “God hath made us accepted in the beloved.” These are only a few of the precious declarations of Scripture which show clearly that Jesus is indeed not only necessary, but enough.

You see, it is not Christ and good works, nor Christ and the church, that save. It is not through Christ and baptism, or Christ and the confessional, that we may obtain the forgiveness of our sins. It is not Christ and doing our best, or Christ and the Lord’s Supper, that will give us new life. It is Christ alone.

Christ and … is a perverted gospel which is not the Gospel. Christ without the “and” is the sinner’s hope and the saint’s confidence. Trusting Him, eternal life and forgiveness are yours. Then, and not till then, good works and obedience to all that is written in the Word for the guidance of Christians, fall into place. The saved soul is exhorted to maintain good works, and thus to manifest his love for Christ. But for salvation itself, Jesus is not only necessary, but He is enough.²¹⁵

The Apostle Paul told Titus, “Here is another way that our people can learn to engage in good works to meet pressing needs and so not be unfruitful.” (Tit. 3:14). Peter likewise challenged his readers to produce good works (cf. 2 Pet. 1:8-11). So it is entirely possible, indeed, if Christians do not diligently draw on their resources in the Lord, they will become unfruitful. Furthermore, the fact that the exhortation of Romans 12:1 occurs in the twelfth chapter and not in the third chapter of Romans clearly shows one can be a believer and still fail to be committed to the lordship of Christ. It shows commitment to the lordship of Christ is not a part of what is needed to be saved. If it is, then it seems the Apostle had a lapse of memory and left it out. The facts are, however, no one is ever totally committed to the lordship of Christ. There is always room for improvement.

But some say that in order to be saved, I must not only believe, I must also surrender to Christ’s lordship or I cannot be saved or I haven’t had a real work of grace in my life. Advocates of the lordship salvation position believe that a person must surrender every area of his or her life to Christ’s absolute control in order to be saved. It is believed that one cannot receive Christ as Savior from sin without also receiving Him as Lord of one’s entire life. Why is this view promoted? Very often, it is promoted because of concern over so many people who claim to be Christians, but give very little evidence through a changed life. I share their concern, as should every Christian, but the solution is not adding to the Gospel message as an incentive to Christlike living, but the communication of other Christian truth like the sanctification truths and the consequences of sin in the believer’s life.

Concerning the belief that we should add surrender to the Gospel message, we need to ask an important question. Since no one is ever 100% committed, how much commitment or surrender is enough to be saved? Is it 5%, 10%, 20%? Is it okay to be a little bit committed, but not a lot? Is that the idea? Doesn’t all sin fall short of the glory of God? Isn’t that why Christ had to die for our sins in the first place?

Some proponents of the lordship position will answer, “you must be willing to submit even though no one is ever totally committed.” Again we need to ask, “how willing?” Do you see what we get into when we think like this? The Scripture just does not teach such an idea! Yes, it calls upon the child of God to commit his or her life to Christ as Lord, but not as a means of receiving eternal life. The Bible teaches that salvation comes by faith alone through Christ alone. Of this subtle tendency, Chafer/Walvoord write:

In presenting the Gospel it is a subtle temptation to urge people not only to believe but also to surrender to God because of course this is the ultimate objective of their salvation. However, in explaining the terms of salvation this brings in a confusing human work as essential to salvation which the Bible does not confirm.²¹⁶

The Lordship Salvation View

While there are variations within the lordship camp, all the lordship salvation proponents seem to believe in three things:

1. The condition of eternal life is more than trusting in Christ

One or more of the following are also conditions of eternal life: turning from sins, being willing to turn from sins, total surrender or committing one’s life to Christ, obedience, and persevering in the faith. Some include baptism in their list of conditions.

2. The condition of perseverance

Another idea that is promoted is if you do not persevere, then either you were not really saved, or your faith was only intellectual, or you lost your salvation.

Undoubtedly because of the strong emphasis in Scripture on faith or believing in Christ for salvation (about 150 passages in all), proponents of the lordship persuasion find themselves in a quandary. They will often redefine saving faith as consisting of several aspects which include some form of works as evidence of real faith. This forces them into a very contradictory position. Note the contradictory elements in the Doctrinal Statement of a church that teaches lordship salvation. The statement about faith is prefaced with the following:

Although there are several aspects that saving faith involves, the Scriptures clearly teach that it is not a work, but is itself solidly based on God’s grace.

But then faith is defined in such a way that it includes works. According to the Doctrinal Statement saving faith includes:

• Knowledge of the Facts—Faith must be based on the content of the Word of God.
• Assent to this Knowledge—A person must agree that the facts of Scripture are true.
• Repentance—There must be a turning from sin and turning towards God.
• Submission to Christ—There must be a subjection to the person and will of Christ with a desire and willingness to obey.

While new life should result in change or good works, works in the Christian life like turning from sin are a product of fellowship with the Savior or the Spirit-filled, Word-filled life. They are the result of abiding in the vine. Initial faith joins a person into the vine, but it is abiding that produces the fruit. This is why Jesus challenged His disciples to abide. Without it, we become unfruitful.

3. The promises of the Word are not sufficient for assurance

For assurance of salvation, one holding to this position must also look to his works. They say believers cannot have 100% assurance of salvation merely by looking to the promises of the Word. In fact, many if not most in this doctrinal camp say that 100% assurance is impossible since no one’s works are perfect and no one knows if he will persevere.

Mike Cocoris, a former Dallas Seminary classmate of mine, writes of a conversation he had with a lordship proponent:

Recently a Lordship Salvationist and I engaged in a lengthy discussion concerning the question, “What must I do to be saved?” At one point I asked him, “If I led someone to Christ tonight, could that person go home, lay his head down on his pillow, and know for sure that he was going to heaven?” The man with whom I was talking replied emphatically, “No!”²¹⁷

But this is contrary to the clear statement of 1 John 5:11-13.

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (emphasis mine).

Care is taken to give lesser weight to John’s Gospel than to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and the New Testament epistles in formulating the gospel or the doctrine of salvation. This is very strange since the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, deal primarily with discipleship, and since John specifically tells us the purpose of his Gospel is that people may believe in Jesus Christ that they may have eternal life (John 20:31).

The Free Grace Salvation View

The sole condition for eternal life is personal faith in Jesus Christ alone as one’s Savior. Christ is enough! This means faith in the person and finished work of Christ as the God-man who died for our sins is the sole basis of one’s salvation. None of the faith plus someone’s add-ons are conditions for eternal life. It is nonsense to speak of a free gift which costs us something or gives us something to do to get salvation (Rom. 4:1-6; 11:6).

The promises of the Word of God, based on the finished work of Christ, are sufficient for assurance of salvation (cf. John 6:37-40). While one’s works can have confirmatory value and demonstrate the condition of our walk with the Lord, they are not essential for assurance. Any believer can have 100% certainty of his salvation if he will look to the promises of the Word like 1 John 5:11-13.

The Gospel of John is given a great deal of weight in formulating one’s view of the Gospel and how one is saved. Why is this? Three major reasons: (a) Because of John’s explicit statement about the purpose of his Gospel (20:31), (b) because of his repeated use of “believe” (found some 98 times), and (c) because of the absence of any other condition. Not all of the uses of believe in John have reference to believing unto eternal life, but a large number do.

Finally, because salvation is by grace alone through the finished work of Christ (Rom. 4:1-5; 5:19; 11:6), free grace salvationists believe salvation or eternal life can never be lost (Rom. 8:32-39; John 6:37-40; 10:28-29).

Arguments Against the Lordship Position

A subtle form of legalism

This position is a subtle form of legalism and a direct attack on the free gift emphasis of the Gospel message so prominent in the New Testament. Proponents end up diluting the concept of salvation as a free gift.

In his book, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J. I. Packer writes, “It is not enough to believe that only through Christ and his death are sinners justified and accepted, … In common honesty, we must not conceal the fact that free forgiveness in one sense will cost everything.” I have a great respect for this man, but this is a flat contradiction. Just compare Paul’s argument in Romans 4:4-5 and 11:6.

Writing with regard to Packer’s statement, Bob Wilkin writes:

Frankly I find this view of the gospel appalling. It is gibberish to speak of a free gift which costs us everything. It is absurd to suggest that we should show an unbeliever all of the things which believers are commanded to do and not to do in Scripture and then have them promise to do the former and not to do the latter from now on faithfully. Such a gospel is not a free gift. It is an earned wage. Romans 4:1ff. and approximately 150 other passages which condition eternal salvation upon faith alone in Christ alone contradict such a view.²¹⁸

Salvation by works

Ultimately, the lordship position leaves people trusting in their own record or performance and merit and not that of Christ. In the final analysis, under such a view, people are saved by their works, but the New Testament emphatically states that men are not saved by works (Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5).

Roy Zuck has a good illustration on this point:

If I offer my wife a gift and then tell her it will cost her something to get it, it is no longer a gift. Salvation is a gift from God. But if someone says a person must commit, surrender, obey, forsake all, or deny self in order to receive that gift and be saved, that implies that salvation is not a gift after all.²¹⁹

Passages used to support lordship salvation can and should be explained in connection with discipleship or rewards in the kingdom—in these passages, it’s not entrance that is in view, but inheritance or rewards (2 Pet. 1:10-11).

Salvation versus Sanctification

In other words, salvation is confused with sanctification or conversion with consecration. As Zuck writes:

The lordship view does not clarify the distinction between sanctification and justification, or between discipleship and sonship. It mixes the condition with the consequences. It confuses becoming a Christian with being a Christian.²²⁰

These passages deal with the consequences of sin on fellowship, physical health, inheritance in the kingdom or rewards or their loss, but not on entrance into the kingdom of God.

An illustration is Luke 14:16-33. First, when those invited to the banquet find excuses not to come (a reference to unbelieving Israel), the servants are told to go out into the highways and hedges and compel people to come the banquet. The banquet is a picture of the kingdom (vss. 16-24). In other words, there are no requirements. Entrance is free. However, in the next section, verses 25f, the Lord shows that in order to be His disciple, one must be willing to count the cost. This is not a call for salvation, but a declaration of what is involved in being His disciple. Furthermore, the emphasis is not so much that Christ would not let such a person be His disciple, but that such a person who had not counted the cost would not be able to be His disciple: when it came time to make those tough decisions, they would not be willing and able to do so because they had not dealt with their values and eternal priorities.

No room for carnality

The lordship position rules out the concept of carnal Christians (1 Cor. 3:3).

The lordship position leaves no room for spiritual regression in a believer’s life or it is minimized. The fact is the Bible is full of examples where believers fell into sin and in some cases stayed in that condition for some time. David is a classic example. Lot, who is called a righteous man (2 Pet. 2:7), was actually one whom I would not want to use as an example to follow.

With the lordship salvation view, there is ultimately no room for the carnal Christian; only Christians who act in a carnal way. This is precisely the statement of John MacArthur in his book, The Gospel According to Jesus.²²¹ Concerning 1 Corinthians 3:3f and MacArthur’s view, Ryrie writes,

Notice that Paul does not merely say that Christians “can and do behave in carnal ways” (quoting MacArthur); he plainly states, “You are carnal.” How then can one charge that “contemporary theologians have fabricated an entire category for this type of person—‘the carnal Christian’ (again quoting MacArthur). Obviously, such a designation for some Christians is not a fabrication; it is a scriptural teaching.”²²²

Clearly then, the text of 1 Corinthians 3:3 and the condition of the Corinthians as they are described in the book of 1 Corinthians shows the contrary. MacArthur is begging the question.

Misunderstands salvation passages

The lordship position misunderstands salvation passages which use “Lord” as a call to surrender one’s life to Christ’s lordship (Rom. 10:9).

In relation to Christ’s lordship, there are two aspects. There is first of all the objective. This recognizes the fact that Christ is God, the sovereign Lord of the universe. Then, there is the subjective which involves personal surrender of one’s life or commitment.

Does Romans 10:9 call for the objective fact or the subjective commitment or both? Concerning this question, Everett Harrison writes:

“Jesus is Lord” was the earliest declaration of faith fashioned by the church (Acts 2:36; 1 Cor. 12:3). This great truth was recognized first by God in raising his Son from the dead—an act then acknowledged by the church and one day to be acknowledged by all (Phil. 2:11). … Paul’s statement in vv. 9, 10 is misunderstood when it is made to support the claim that one cannot be saved unless he makes Jesus the Lord of his life by a personal commitment. Such a commitment is most important; however, in this passage, Paul is speaking of the objective lordship of Christ, which is the very cornerstone of faith, something without which no one could be saved. Intimately connected as it was with the resurrection, which in turn validated the saving death, it proclaimed something that was true no matter whether or not a single soul believed it and built his life on it.²²³

Romans 10:9 is calling for the need to confess that Jesus is God. In this context Paul quotes the Old Testament a number of times and is dealing with Jewish unbelief, not lordship issues. “Lord” (the Greek kurios) certainly is used as the equivalent of Yahweh in the Old Testament. It is calling for the acknowledgment that Jesus is the “I Am” of the Old Testament and therefore God.

That Paul refers to confessing that Jesus is Lord is also supported grammatically.

The passage should not be translated as does the NASB, “Jesus as Lord,” or as the KJV, “the Lord Jesus,” but as the NIV, “Jesus is Lord.” This involves a fine point of Greek grammar involving the use of what grammarians call the “double accusative of object-complement” where one accusative is the direct object of a verb of “calling, designating, or confessing,” and the second accusative is the complement that makes an assertion about the direct object. Some grammarians would call the second accusative a predicate accusative.²²⁴ Generally, the first accusative is the object and the second is the complement, but, as here in Romans 10:9, this is not always the case. Since Jesus is a proper name, even though it follows the noun Lord by way of word order, Jesus functions as the direct object of the verb confess, and the other accusative, Lord, is its complement.²²⁵ So the confession that is required is that “Jesus is Lord,” i.e., Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament.

Obviously, when a person confesses that Christ is God there is an underlying recognition or awareness that Christ has the right to rule one’s life, but the passage is not calling for a subjective commitment to Christ’s lordship in order to be saved. Instead, the passage is saying that for a person to be saved, he or she must acknowledge, believe, that Jesus was also God, God come in the flesh, the God-man and so the only one able to save.

Not all Scripture is relevant

The lordship position rules out a large portion of the epistles as being relevant like Romans 6 and 12.

If being a true believer includes commitment or total surrender, then why do we have these passages which were written to believers? If they were written, as it is claimed, simply to challenge us to more commitment, then how much is enough to be saved? Again we must ask the question, is it 10% or 50%, etc.? Where and how do we draw the line? The Bible say, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.” This is to be the goal, but does anyone ever measure up? And if so, for how long?

These passages in Romans and many others show us that saved people, true Christians whom Paul thought of as saved, do not settle the matter of the personal, subjective lordship of Christ until after they are saved. Paul deals with the Gospel and the how of salvation in Romans 1-3, but he doesn’t deal with lordship or commitment until chapters 6 and 12. If commitment or surrender to the lordship of Christ was a part of the Gospel, then the Apostle either didn’t know it or was careless in his responsibility. We know neither of these could be the truth for he wrote under the inspiration of the Spirit.

Our good works are not always measurable and observable by men, not even by ourselves—especially when it comes to motives (1 Cor. 4:4-5). Further, unbelievers can and do point to their good works, but they are unsaved.

The issue of divine discipline

It is contrary to those passage which teach Christians can be disciplined unto physical death while still viewed as saved (1 Cor. 5:1f; 11:28f; 1 John 5:16-17).

These are passages written to Christians about Christians who were clearly not living for the Lord and would be disciplined as God’s children, in some cases, even unto physical death, yet they are still viewed as saved. Of course, these passages are usually applied to unbelievers by those in the lordship camp.

Assault 3:
“Believe and Be Baptized”

The Baptismal Salvation View

Baptismal regenerationists, as we might call them, are not simply promoting water baptism as an important responsibility for a believer in Christ. This position says that unless one is baptized with a view to salvation, i.e., unless he or she is trusting in baptism for salvation along with belief in Jesus Christ, he or she is lost. Simply believing in Jesus Christ does not save. Belief alone is not enough. In fact, some maintain, as I was once told by an advocate of this view, that even if you have been baptized, it has no value unless you were baptized with a view to salvation and trusting in the baptism to save you.

The Free Grace Salvation View of Water Baptism

Water baptism is a ritual act that symbolizes a spiritual truth or reality. It is a public confession which portrays one’s faith in the person and work of Christ and the baptism of the Holy Spirit which joins the Christian into union with Christ and identifies him or her with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection unto new life. Baptism in water, a ritual, portrays that which is real, the baptism by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12-13).

The ritual itself cannot save, but the truth it represents does bring deliverance first from sin’s penalty through one’s faith in Christ, and then deliverance from the power of sin as one appropriates the power of Christ’s death and resurrection by faith (Rom. 6:1-14).

Arguments Against Water
Baptism as Essential for Salvation

It Is Contrary to the Emphasis in John

While some form of the word “believe” is found some 98 times in the Gospel of John, it is tremendously significant that this Gospel which is written that men might have eternal life and be saved (John 20:31) does not once mention baptism.

What about the Lord’s words to Nicodemus in John 3:5? Can the “water” refer to water baptism as an essential part of regeneration? Regarding this passage Ed Blum writes:

Various views are given to explain Jesus’ words about being born of water and the Spirit: (1) The “water” refers to the natural birth, and the “Spirit” to the birth from above. (2) The “water” refers to the Word of God (Eph. 5:26). (3) The “water” refers to baptism as an essential part of regeneration. (This view contradicts other Bible verses that make it clear that salvation is by faith alone; e.g., John 3:16, 36; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5.) (4) The “water” is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). (5) The “water” refers to the repentance ministry of John the Baptist, and the “Spirit” refers to the application by the Holy Spirit of Christ to an individual.

The fifth view has the merit of historical propriety as well as theological acceptability. John the Baptist had stirred the nation by his ministry and stress on repentance (Matt. 3:1-6). “Water” would remind Nicodemus of the Baptist’s emphasis. So Jesus was saying that Nicodemus, in order to enter the kingdom, needed to turn to Him (repent) in order to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.²²⁶

But even if Blum is correct, repent, especially in view of the emphasis in John, is a synonym for believing in Christ.

Rather, it is better to understand that the Lord intended Nicodemus to think in terms of Old Testament passages like Ezekiel 36:25-27 and the cleansing and regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. The Greek has only one preposition with both nouns, “water” and “Spirit” connected by “and” ( kai). We can translate “of water, even the Spirit.”

This fits with Titus 3:5, “…through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit,” (See below for an explanation of Titus 3:5.)

It Is Contrary to the Teaching of Paul

Romans 4:1-12: Verses 1-6 clearly show how a man is justified by faith apart from human works. Then, in verses 7-12 Paul uses Old Testament circumcision to illustrate the fact salvation has always been the same in every age. Men of every age are saved by walking in the steps of Abraham. He shows that Old Testament saints were justified by faith alone before circumcision was ever instituted.

But the truly important principle is that circumcision is to the Old Testament believer what water baptism is to the New Testament believer.

The following parallels are instructive:

CIRCUMCISION	Physical, by a knife, by human agency, and visible to others.	A sign of faith in God’s work, but not the means of salvation.
BAPTISM	Physical, by water, by human agency, visible to others.	A sign of faith in God’s work, but not the means of salvation.

The point is, people are saved by faith alone apart from any kind of law, ritual, or ordinance.

Colossians 2:11-12. This passage also illustrates the above parallel. Circumcision in verse 11 is one “not… performed by human hands.” It is a spiritual work of God. It follows by the natural parallel that the baptism of verse 12 is the spiritual work of God, one made without hands. It is the baptism accomplished by the Holy Spirit of which water baptism is only a picture. The rite of circumcision of the Old Testament and the ordinance of baptism in the New Testament both illustrate the work of God for man through Jesus Christ. The rituals are only pictures of the real which alone saves through faith alone.

1 Corinthians 1:14-16. In this passage the Apostle somewhat de-emphasizes water baptism. The Apostle can hardly be said to have viewed baptism as indispensable to the Gospel message. Not only was it his practice not to baptize his own converts, but he shows us here that water baptism as necessary for salvation is not a part of the Gospel as is faith. The Gospel message is that Jesus Christ, the God-man Savior, died for our sins, was raised from the dead, and that we can receive eternal life as a gift through faith. If baptism was necessary to be saved through the Gospel, Paul could hardly have said “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel …”

Ephesians 2:8-9. Baptism is clearly a human work that man does. Here the Apostle clearly declares that the basis of salvation is God’s grace through faith alone.

Titus 3:5. We should immediately be suspicious of an interpretation which understands the “washing” here to refer to any human ritual or work because of the emphasis of verse 5a. No mention is made here of faith perhaps because the emphasis is totally on what God has done rather than on any kind of religious or ritual work that man could possibly do—including water baptism. Unfortunately, some see the words “washing of regeneration” as a reference to baptismal regeneration even though this context is prefaced by, “He saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done …” Can this refer to water baptism? Not on your life! Why?

• The immediate context is emphasizing that salvation is a work of God and not man.
• Water baptism, no matter how you slice it, is a religious work. If water baptism is the basis of our regeneration, then it is a work of our righteousness or a righteous act produced by us.
• The passage is telling us that regeneration results in a spiritual cleansing, the forgiveness of sin and this is part of the rebirth work of the Holy Spirit. We can translate the last part of verse 5 as “by the washing produced by regeneration, even the rebirth produce by the Holy Spirit.”²²⁷

It Is Contrary to Luke 23:43

The thief on the cross was saved by faith alone. He obviously could not be circumcised or baptized. The principle applies regardless of whether one wants to argue that he was still in the Old Testament economy. He was saved by faith alone. The corresponding ritual or ordinance for the Old Testament period was circumcision, yet the thief on the cross was neither circumcised nor baptized, but he did get saved.

Answers to Passages Used to Support Baptismal Regeneration

Mark 16:16

First, there is a manuscript problem. The older and what many believe to be the better manuscripts do not contain verses 9-20. So there is some question as to whether these verses were a part of the original manuscript of Mark. First, it is theologically unsound to try to build a doctrine or support one on verses where there is a manuscript problem.

Second, assuming that these verses were a part of Mark’s Gospel, does this passage teach that baptism is essential for salvation? Verse 16b, “but the one who does not believe will be condemned.” answers our question. It is the unbelief that results in condemnation, not the failure to be baptized. Furthermore, “baptized” could be a reference to the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13).

Water baptism is an evidence of one’s faith and a public testimony of what one believes. For this reason Mark included the concept of baptism with belief. But since it is not water baptism that saves, since belief is the issue, he quickly added the last half of verse 16.

Acts 2:38

First, we should recognize there are two possible grammatical ways this passage may be understood. The preposition “for” (Greek, eis) in the clause “ for the forgiveness of your sins” can mean “with a view to, in order that,” (pointing to purpose), or it can mean “on the basis of, because of” (pointing to result) as it is used in Matthew 12:41, “they repented when (on the basis of, as a result of) Jonah preached to them.” This simply shows that Acts 2:38 can mean “Repent, and each of you be baptized … as a result of the forgiveness of your sins …” Rather than saying, “Repent and be baptized in order to receive the forgiveness of sins,” Peter was saying, “Repent, and on the basis of receiving forgiveness, be baptized.”

Chafer/Walvoord have a good explanation of this difficult passage:

As previously mentioned, in Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, he included baptism along with belief as a way of salvation (Acts 2:38). It should be remembered that as baptism is mentioned in Scripture, sometimes it refers to real baptism, that is, the baptism of the Holy Spirit which occurs at the moment of faith and in other cases to the ritual of water baptism. It is possible to take this verse in either sense. If it refers to real baptism, then Peter was saying that if the Jews believed and had this belief confirmed by being baptized into the body of Christ, they would be saved. Or if it refers to water baptism then Peter was saying that that ritual was an outward confirmation of their faith. In any case immediately afterward, Peter baptized 3,000 (v. 41), who were by this token publicly aligning themselves with Christ and indicating that they were leaving their former Jewish confidence in the Law.

For Jews to confess Christ publicly was a real problem because they often lost their families, their employment, and their wealth. For their faith to be confirmed by water baptism in this case made clear that they were genuinely saved. In any event ritual baptism does not save, and the reference to baptism in verse 38 does not suggest that water baptism was a requirement for salvation. The many instances in which faith is mentioned as a condition of salvation without reference to baptism should make this clear. Even Peter himself later said that forgiveness of sins is based on faith alone (10:43; 13:38-39).

In Acts 19 some Jews in Ephesus had been baptized by John the Baptist but had not put their trust in Christ. When they were informed that it was necessary for them to believe in Christ, the Scriptures recorded, “On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 5). This again makes clear that water baptism in itself does not save but is a token or evidence that a person has put his trust in Christ.²²⁸

Acts 22:16

There are two commands (Greek imperatives) in this verse, but only one brings about the removal of sin, “callingon his name (Jesus Christ),” i.e., telling God you believe and trusting in His Son. The sentence, “Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name” should, according to Greek grammar, be divided into separate clauses with a semicolon placed after “be baptized.” “Get up, be baptized (clause one); and have your sins washed away, calling on his name” (clause two). Baptism cannot wash away one’s sins. It is calling on the Lord, telling God you believe in His Son which is simply a way of expressing one’s faith in Christ.

1 Pet. 3:18-21

In this passage, Peter tells us that baptism is prefigured by the deliverance of Noah’s family by water (cf. 3:20). Saving by baptism, therefore, is symbolic here, not actual. Peter quickly adds two statements lest he be misunderstood. Salvation in this passage is not based upon water baptism, but upon “the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” It is not based upon “the washing off of physical dirt.”

Assault 4:
“Believe and Confess Christ Publicly”

The late Dr. Chafer wrote regarding this issue:

The ambition to secure apparent results and the sincere desire to make decisions for Christ to be definite have prompted preachers in their general appeals to insist upon a public confession of Christ on the part of those who would be saved. To all practical purposes and in the majority of instances these confessions are, in the minds of the unsaved, coupled with saving faith and seem, as presented, to be of equal importance with that faith.²²⁹

Two passages are often used in order to justify public confession, Matthew 10:32-33 and Romans 10:9.

Matthew 10:32-33

Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.

Does this passage call for the public confession of the Savior as a part of the Gospel message and as one of the requirements for salvation? If so, the 150 plus passages in the New Testament that call for simple faith in Christ would have to be wrong. Rather, the Lord was challenging, not unbelievers, but His own disciples with regard to the commission He gave them to go to the lost sheep of Israel (vss. 1-15). Such a task, due to the hostility of the religious leaders of Israel and the world in general (vss. 15-20), especially in the days of the Tribulation just before the return of Christ (vss. 21-23), would put them at risk of persecution. So there is the warning that if people maligned and persecuted the Savior, the disciples too could expect persecution (vss. 24-25). He then encouraged them against fear (vss. 26-31), challenged them to confess Him before men, and warned them against denying Him before men (vss. 32-33). This challenge and warning in this context refers to the commission of the disciples and, by application, to the responsibility of believers (those already saved) to be witnesses of the Savior.

To deny Christ before men would indicate that either (a) the one denying Christ was not truly saved, in which case, they would not be owned by Christ as one of His in His work as advocate before the Father, or (b) evidence that they were out of fellowship and operating in fear rather than in faith, in which case Christ would deny them rewards at the Judgment Seat ( Bema) of Christ (1 Cor. 3:12-15; Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:9-10; 2 Tim. 2:11-13). Peter, who denied the Lord during His trial before the High Priest (Matt. 26:57-75), is a good illustration of how believers may deny the Savior.

Romans 10:9

This is perhaps the primary passage used to defend adding the need of confession, so the focus here will be to give an overview of Romans 10:1-21.

The Prayer and Desire for Israel’s Salvation (10:1)

In these verses we see the subject of the passage—the salvation of Jewish people. However, it obviously has application to the subject of leading men and women to Christ.

The Problem of Israel’s Self-Righteousness (10:2-3)

It is essential to note that the verses in question, verses 9-10, are often used to teach men must make some kind of public confession to be saved, perform a human work. These verses are set in a context where Paul shows this is precisely the problem with the nation of Israel as a whole: the problem of trying to do something to gain the favor of God. So rather than supporting public confession as a work that men do, the context supports the opposite conclusion.

The Provision of Righteousness Through Faith Alone (10:4-8)

(1) Christ’s Termination of the Law for Righteousness (vs. 4). Christ brought an end to the Law as a means of righteousness or acceptance with God. The purpose of the Law was to show man’s sinfulness. But a further outworking of this is that neither the Law nor any works system can gain merit or favor with God. The reason is seen when we compare Romans 8:1-3. All systems of law are dependent on man’s weakness to fulfill them and man always falls short and misses the mark (Rom. 3:23).

(2) Moses’ Declaration About Those Who Practice the Law (vs. 5). If a person seeks acceptance with God by keeping the Law, he must live by it, i.e., he must perfectly obey it or he becomes condemned by the Law itself (cf. Jam. 2:10-11; Gal. 5:3; Rom. 2:25 with Rom. 3:19-20; 7:7). Since no man can fulfill the Law, all men miss the mark and become condemned by the Law which finds man guilty (2 Cor. 3:6, 7, 9; Rom. 7:10-11).

(3) God’s Initiation of Salvation by Grace Through the Message of Faith (vss. 6-8). Regarding these verses Ryrie writes: “Quoting Deuteronomy 30:12-14, which emphasized the initiative of divine grace and humble reception of God’s word, Paul applies this truth to the Gospel, which is near, ready for a man to take on his lips and into his heart (Rom. 10:9).”²³⁰ Note carefully that this word which man is to take on his lips and into his heart Paul defines as “the word (message) of faith which we are preaching.” The message is not one of works, but one of faith in God’s work brought down to man in grace. But what exactly is this message of grace?

Paul’s Description of the Grace Message (vss. 9-13)

(1) The Message Described (vs. 9)

“Confess,” homologeo, means “to agree with, say the same thing, acknowledge.” As the context will show, the confession here is not to men, but to God and involves, as an outworking of faith in Christ, acknowledging to God one’s faith in Christ as God come in the flesh. It involves agreeing with God’s witness about Jesus as God’s own Son. Literally the text says, “the Lord Jesus,” but as explained above, it means acknowledging that Jesus is God. The passage is talking about acknowledging the deity of Christ and thus the fact of the incarnation (cf. 1 John 2:22-23; 4:2, 15 which uses the same word, homologeo). This passage is not calling for submission to Christ in the sense of lordship salvationists.²³¹

“And believe in your heart …” This is the root—believing in the fact that God raised Him from the dead. Here we have the finished and efficacious work of Jesus Christ, His death for sin, authenticated by Christ’s resurrection. Remember, the resurrection declares that Jesus is God’s Son and that His death successfully dealt with man’s sin. Perhaps the point here is that this belief in Christ, that He is the God-man Savior, causes men to confess their faith to God in a prayer for salvation as the context will show (vss. 12b-13).

(2) The Message Explained (vss. 10-13)

“For with…” Note the word for. This introduces this section, verses 10-13, as an explanation of verse 9 and the words “confess” and “believe.” Note that Paul now begins with “believe,” not “confess.” He began verse 9 with “confess” because of the order of the Old Testament quote used in verse 8—mouth and then heart. But with verse 20, Paul reverses the order and deals with “heart” and “believe” before “mouth” and “confess” because this is the main issue.

In this he uses a chiasm, an arrangement of the clauses, in such a way that they bring out the most important and central element of the passage.

Overview of Romans 10:8-14

The Availability of Salvation
Rom 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”— that is, the word of faith that we preach,	Points to the initiative of God’s grace in bringing salvation to men.
Man’s Responsibility
Rom 10:9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;	1. Confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord. In this context which deals with Israel’s rejection of Jesus, it means to acknowledge to God that Jesus is Yahweh of the OT. Is an affirmation of His deity. 2. Believe in the resurrection which confirms one’s faith in all that the resurrection proves (Rom. 1:4; 4:24-25).
Paul’s Explanation of Verse 9
Rom 10:10a for with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness, (10b) and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.	1. Verse 10a—With the heart, from the inner man, man believes, puts his trust in the person of Christ which gives Christ’s righteousness and salvation. 2. Verse 10b—With the mouth he confesses, acknowledges, affirms to God his faith in Christ resulting in salvation.
Justification from the Old Testament (vss. 11-13)
Rom 10:11-12a For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek; [Explains faith] Rom 10:12b-13—for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” [Explains confess]	1. Verses 11-12a—Quotes Isa. 28:16 to show Salvation comes by faith (man’s first responsibility). This explains the “whoever,” in vs. 11, i.e., there is no distinction between Jew and Greek (cf. Rom. 3:22, 29). 2. Verses 12b-13—Explains the other part of man’s responsibility, the confession of the mouth. It means to call on the name of the Lord.
The Question
Rom 10:14 How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them?	Here again, the two key ideas, belief and calling on the Lord, are linked together and this corresponds to belief and confessing with the mouth in vss. 9-10.

The Priority of Preaching the Faith Alone Message (vss. 14-17)

Since the issue is faith in the work of God for man in the person and work of Jesus Christ, there is an important question that must be answered. How can men turn from their religious works, as with the Jews, so they may come to Christ by faith alone? Only through the work of evangelism through believers who understand the message and go out proclaiming the glad tidings of God’s gracious gift.

Note the emphasis: The Jews by-in-large rejected the message of grace because of their works mentality. Nevertheless, faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ, i.e., the telling of the story about the Lord Jesus Christ as the one and only means of salvation.

Assault 5:
“Believe and Do Good Works”

Another assault on the Gospel message of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone is “believe and do good works.” The idea promoted is that one must both believe and do good works in order to be saved. If the good works are not present, then, either (a) you were never saved, you never really believed, or (b) you lost your salvation, or (c) you never got saved because you lack the good works required.

Some would argue that we are saved by faith alone, but if faith is alone (if there are no works), then you are not saved, your faith was only an intellectual faith, not a heart faith. In this view faith is usually redefined to include turning from sin and surrendering one’s life to Christ. Assurance then, in the final analysis, is based on one’s works or record rather than on the work of Christ and the sure promises of the Word like 1 John 5:11-13 and John 5:24.

In the final analysis of the works viewpoint, works are added to faith in Christ in order to be save. This means SALVATION BY WORKS AND ASSURANCE BY WORKS.

The Argument

The argument is that genuine faith always results in good works. Because of new life imparted to believers via spiritual regeneration, and because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in every believer’s life, those who have genuinely believed the Gospel message about the person and work of Jesus Christ will, as a general rule, produce some fruit, sometime, somehow. Jesus said:

John 6:56-57 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes me will live because of me.

As the context suggests (vss. 50-57) eating His flesh and drinking His blood refer to the initial act of believing in Christ. This results in the gifts of regeneration and eternal life (vss. 50-51, 54, 58). But it also means the believer is brought into a new relationship with the Savior so that he abides (remains) in fellowship with Him (vs. 56). But it is this abiding or fellowship which is the cause for fruitfulness or good works in the life of the believer (John 15) and not just the presence of new life.

The Lord was speaking of a general maxim, of what is generally true. He was not stating an absolute—that which will always be true in the life of the believer. Many quote this passage and say, “See, true believers will abide and bear fruit and so prove they were really saved.” I believe that view is wrong because the Lord knew some Christians would not abide or remain in fellowship with Him, and the proof of this is John 15 where He commanded the disciples to continue to abide. If it is not possible to stop abiding, lose fellowship with the Lord, and thus stop bearing fruit, why would the Lord warn His disciples about this possible failure? This is what He does in John 15:1-6.

As a general rule, every Christian will bear some fruit, somewhere, sometime, somehow. But having said that, there are a few points of caution we need to make that affect the concept of good works or fruitfulness and their use as proofs for salvation and assurance.

As John 15 and many other passages of Scripture teach, the general maxim that believers will bear fruit does not mean that all believers will be fruitful or that a believer will alwaysbe fruitful (compare Paul’s and Peter’s admonition to good works: Titus 3:14; 2 Peter 1:8). Both of these passages indicate that a true believer might be unfruitful. These exhortations would be meaningless otherwise. The same principle applies to the Lord’s admonition for us to abide in Him that we might be fruitful.

Though the following remarks bear on the lordship/mastery issue, they also apply here since these two issues (good works and lordship) are really tied together. How much fruit or good works do believers need to prove they are saved? How do we measure the amount of works or fruit necessary to be sure we are saved in the lordship/mastery or believe/works sense of the term? “Or how do we quantify the amount of defection that can be tolerated without wondering if I have saving faith or if I in fact lost what I formerly had?”²³²

Ryrie writes:

The lordship response, in spite of its stringent demands on the nature of what the view calls saving faith, must either say (1) that a disobedient Christian loses his salvation, or (2) that some leeway exists for disobedience within the Christian life. Since many lordship people hold to the security of the believer, they opt for the latter.

So we read a statement like this: “A moment of failure does not invalidate a disciple’s credentials” (John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus, Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1988, p. 199). My immediate reaction to such a statement is to want to ask if two moments would? Or a week of defection, or a month, or a year? or two? How serious a failure and for how long before we must conclude that such a person was in fact not saved? Lordship teaching recognizes that “no one will obey perfectly” (Ibid., p. 174), but the crucial question is simply how imperfectly can one obey and yet be sure that he “believed” in the lordship/mastery salvation sense? If “salvation requires total transformation” (Ibid., p. 183) and I do not meet that requirement, then am I not saved? Or if my transformation is less than total at any stage of my Christian life, was I not saved in the first place?²³³

Here then is a key question: “How imperfectly can one obey or be without works and yet be sure he is saved if works are the criterion for proof of saving faith and eternal life?”

On the other hand, if salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone and one’s works are a proof of the nature of one’s fellowship and maturity, then his works regardless of how small or great, become a criterion for blessing now and rewards in eternity. They concern not my entrance into heaven, but the nature of my inheritance in heaven.

We reap what we sow, but the harvest is not a matter of heaven or possession of eternal life, but blessing versus discipline now, and rewards versus loss of rewards in heaven (Heb. 12:7-13; 1 Cor. 11:28-32; Rom. 8:12-13, 17; Gal. 6:7-9; 1 Cor. 12-15; 2 Cor. 5:9-10).

Ryrie writes,

My understanding of what fruit is and therefore what I expect others to bear may be faulty and/or incomplete. It is all too easy to have a mental list of spiritual fruits and to conclude if someone does not produce what is on my list that he or she is not a believer. But the reality is that most lists that we humans devise are too short, too selective, too prejudiced, and often extra-biblical. God likely has a much more accurate and longer list than most of us do.²³⁴

A person’s fruit will not necessarily be outwardly evident. A person’s fruit may be private or erratic, and just because we do not see someone’s fruit does not mean that some fruit is not there. Furthermore, we may see a man’s fruit, but we cannot see his heart. We don’t know what motivated his works. The works may have been motivated by selfish desires, by his desire to impress, or to be accepted rather than by the Spirit and by love.

Many unbelievers (those who profess no faith in Christ) will demonstrate all kinds of good works like helping the poor, ministering to the sick, caring for their family, self-control, and working for the benefit of the community in other ways. Does this prove they know God? No! Does it save them? No! While works may give evidence of new life and fellowship with the Lord, it is still never a proof because there are too many variables that we just cannot see.

According to Scripture, bonafide fruit in the life of the believer is the result of pruning and abiding, of the work of God as the Vinedresser, and the response of the believer through fellowship and faith. When our Lord said, “without Me you can nothing,” He was not saying believers could produce no works, but that there could be no bonafide fruit—works that were the result of new life and the power of the Spirit.

Witnessing for the Lord is a good work, but in order for it to be fruit it needs to be the product of His life working in us. Compare John 15:1-6; 26-27; Acts 1:8 with Matt. 7:13-28 and the warning about false prophets who sounded and looked like sheep, who witnessed and did other things in the name of Christ, but had not built their lives on His truth, i.e., on Christ.

If a person gives a cup of cold water to a thirsty man, it may be:

• The result of fellowship with the Lord and so also of salvation.
• The result of a works-for-salvation mentality like with the religious Pharisees.
• The result of a desire to be accepted by others or to impress people. In this case it is a good work, but not the fruit of the Spirit or of fellowship with the Lord. Motives are important and say a lot about the source (1 Cor. 4:5; Jam. 4:3).
• Or it may be the result of natural human compassion.

If a man claims to be a Christian by the things he does and says: he goes to church, prays, and says he knows the Lord, but refuses to help someone in need when it is within his power, what does this indicate about the man? It could indicate the person is not saved—but not necessarily. Remember, many who do not know Christ help the poor. But refusal can also indicate the person is out of fellowship and not walking by an active faith in the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 John 3:16-17; Gal. 5:22-23; Jam. 2:15-17).

What’s the point? Works do not necessarily prove a man’s salvation. Then what are some of the values of a person’s good works?

The Value of Works (Fruit)

Because of the many variables and the problems outlined above, works are not designed to be the fundamental means of assurance of salvation. Assurance is based on something more absolute—the work of Christ and the Word.²³⁵

• Good works glorify God especially when our motives are right and He is the source of those works because we are abiding in Christ (1 Cor. 4:5; 6:20; 2 Cor. 9:13; 1 Pet. 2:12; 4:16).
• Good works witness to others of God’s love and of the truth of the claims of Christ. They can give evidence of the authenticity and power of the Gospel (2 Cor. 6:3-6; 1 Thess. 2:1-12; John 13:34-35).
• Good works minister God’s love to men (1 John 3:17).
• Good works promote peace and order in society (Rom. 13:1-4; 1 Pet. 2:14).

So let’s not compromise the Gospel of grace by adding anything to what man must do other than believe the message of God’s saving love in Christ. Let’s all be challenged as believers to grow in Christ, to submit to His lordship, and allow Him to change our lives as we walk in fellowship with the Savior. Let’s also remember that one of the evidences of salvation is the discipline of the Lord (Heb. 12:5f).

Thoughts on James 2:14-26

James 2:14-26 is one of the key passages used to support the need of adding works to faith in Christ. The thinking is something like this: “We are saved by faith alone, but real faith is never alone, or the faith that saves is never alone,” and James 2:14-26 is used to support this position. Does James 2:14-26 support this position?

There are three views on this passage:

(1) James is contradicting the Apostle Paul and teaching salvation by works.

(2) James is teaching that real or genuine faith will produce works and fruitlessness is a sure sign that a person is unsaved. “That faith” in 2:14, the kind of faith that is without works and fruitless, cannot save from hell.

MacArthur writes,

The Bible teaches clearly that the evidence of God’s work in a life is the inevitable fruit of transformed behavior (1 John 3:10). Faith that does not result in righteous living is dead and cannot save (Ja. 2:14-17). Professing Christians utterly lacking the fruit of true righteousness will find no biblical basis for assurance …²³⁶

(3) James is writing about the problem of the dead, inoperative faith of a Christian whose faith has lost all of its vitality and productivity because of his or her failure to walk with the Lord in the Word.

There is no question that this is a difficult passage, but much of its difficulty stems from our own preconditioned thinking, theological bias, the nature of English translations, and our understanding of certain words like “save,” “salvation,” “soul,” and translations like “that faith” in vs. 14.

There is no question that faith without works is in some way defective, but that does not mean that the person is unsaved or that their faith in Christ is not real. Scripture teaches that faith begins as a grain of mustard seed and must grow. If it is not fed and nourished by the Word and fellowship with the Lord, it becomes stagnant, the soul becomes hard, and the life becomes unfruitful.

Over and over again the Scripture posts warning signs for believers against the dangers of unfruitfulness (Tit. 3:8, 14; 2 Pet. 1:8).

The wasteland of barren living was therefore a real and present danger which the New Testament writers faced with candor. In no way did they share the modern illusion that a believer could not enter that wasteland, or live there.²³⁷

James’ Relation to Paul and His Theology

That James is not writing to refute or contradict the doctrine emphasized so strongly in Paul’s epistles is seen from two facts: (a) James was written very early, before the epistles of Paul that emphasize justification by faith without works. James was written in 45 A.D. and Galatians and Romans in 49 or 55 and 58. (b) That James and Paul were in harmony and believed in salvation by faith apart from works is clear from Acts 15:1f and Galatians 1:18-21; 2:9.

The Context and Thrust of James

The Recipients: Unquestionably, James was written to believers, to those whom James considered as saved. He was not questioning their salvation. This is apparent from the following:

• He identifies them as brethren in every chapter for a total of 15 times in this epistle (1:2, 16, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, etc.).
• He refers to his readers as “firstfruits of all he created” (1:18), a reference to regeneration or the new birth as a gift from God (1:17).
• As a warning against partiality he refers to their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (2:1).
• He also speaks about “the fair name by which you have been called,” a reference to the name Christian because of their faith in Christ and association with the Christian community (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16).
• He teaches and challenges them in ways that could only have application or meaning to genuine believers: (a) In 1:2-4 of the goal of trials to mature one’s faith and character; (b) In 1:5-8 and 4:2-3 he speaks of their privilege of prayer and of the need to pray in faith with right motives to receive answers for wisdom and to meet their needs; (c) In 1:12 of the promise of the crown of life; (d) In 1:20 of achieving or producing righteous character which has its origin in fellowship with God, i.e. God’s righteousness; (e) In 1:21f of receiving the engrafted Word which, like a mirror, is able to expose us and bring about much needed change; (f) And in 4:5 of the jealous concern of the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers to keep us faithful to the Lord, the Groom of the bride (cf. 4:4).

The Problem and Concern

While James knew his readers were born again, he also knew how they desperately needed to take in the Word and respond to its truth. The facts of the epistle show that though they were religious and orthodox in their faith, they were carnal, worldly, and legalistic. Legalism always nullifies the power of Christ in believers’ lives. It means they are trusting in their own ability and good works to be accepted with God and to feel significant.

As is clear in the epistles of Paul, this does not mean they were unsaved or only professing Christians. But it does mean they were unfruitful because they were laboring under the weakness of their own ability.

They were begotten of God (1:18), they were brethren (1:2, 16, 19, 2:1), they had faith in Christ (2:1), but they were religionists as is evident by James warning in 1:26 and by the following facts: (a) they were hearing the Word though not applying it (1:22-26); (b) they were meeting together as an assembly of believers (2:2); (c) they prided themselves on having the Law (2:10-11); and (d) some were wanting to be teachers in the assembly and were priding themselves on their mature wisdom (3:1-2).

So, while they had real faith in Christ for salvation (2:1), they were not experiencing the liberty and deliverance that should accompany salvation. Their faith in Him for daily living was dead and inoperative just as with the Christians in Galatia. Like the Galatians, they had fallen from a grace/faith way of life under the power of the Spirit (Gal. 5:1-5).

Again, they were external religionists who were seeking to live the Christian life by their own ability and this had neutralized the power of God. They had some religious works in the form of certain religious activities as mentioned, but they lacked a moment-by-moment vital faith fellowship with the Lord in and through: (a) the mirror activity of the engrafted Word (1:19-25); (b) through the ministry of the indwelling Spirit (4:5); and (c) through drawing near to God in honest confession and humble brokenness before God (1:21; 4:7-10).

While being religious externalists, they were being dominated by man’s wisdom and strategies for handling life rather than by God’s wisdom, the wisdom of the Word which they needed to apply personally (1:2-27). They were controlled by that which is earthly, worldly, natural, demonic (1:13-16; 3:13-18; 4:1-4).

As a result, while religious, they were lacking in bonafide Christlike other-oriented works. They were under God’s discipline and perhaps on the verge of discipline unto death (cf. 1:21; 2:14; and 5:14-15, 19-20).

The following illustrates the failures of their inactive faith which failed to appropriate their wealth in Christ: (a) They were frustrated by trials (1:2-4). (b) The rich were trusting in their riches (1:10-11; 5:1f). (c) The poor were complaining of their lack (1:9). (d) They were ignoring those in need (1:27; 2:15-17). (e) They were guilty of sinful attitudes which were manifesting themselves in sins of the tongue—in fighting, quarreling, and criticizing (3:2-4:2, 11f). (f) They were guilty of favoritism (2:1f). (g) They were guilty of putting their business ahead of the Lord (4:13-17).

The Key Words of James 2:14f:

(1) Faith: James is not talking about a real versus a false or spurious faith, one which only claims to be real, but really is not. These were brethren (vs. 14), true believers with real faith in Christ for salvation. But as for their daily walk, their faith was dead, inoperative, and unproductive. Faith, in order to work and be productive, must have a valid object and be energized by fellowship with the Lord; it must grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). Their faith had a valid object for salvation from sin’s penalty, but not for the Christian life and victory against the power of sin. Again, compare Paul’s argument in Galatians and in Colossians. See also Matthew 6:30; Colossians 2:6; Romans 10:17; 2 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2:13.

(2) Save: In James 1:21, James speaks about the Word’s ability “to save your souls.” Compare also 2:14 and 5:20. We need to be careful that we do not misunderstand this. The modern English translation has for many only one religious meaning—“to be saved from hell.” But this is not what James meant nor what his readers would have understood. By context, this meant “to save your life” from God’s divine discipline and the self-made misery of walking out of fellowship. Five times James uses the word sozo, “to save,” which means:

• to save or deliver from peril, injury, suffering, or physical death (Matt. 8:25; 14:30; 27:40, 42; Mk. 13:20; Jam. 4:12; 5:20).
• to heal, restore to health or strength (Matt. 9:22; Mk. 5:24; Jam. 5:15).
• to save or deliver in a spiritual sense from the penalty, power, and presence of sin (1 Cor. 1:21; Jam. 1:21; 2:14; 1 Tim. 1:15). Used of the past, present, and future aspects of salvation. Some passages could refer to all aspects of salvation, past, present, and future.

We simply cannot limit this word to mean salvation from hell. James is clearly saying their faith, in the condition it was in, could not save or deliver anyone from the things that were dominating their lives. But he is not talking about salvation from hell. Why should he? This does not fit the context as demonstrated above. He did need to warn them, however, about the bondage and futility of legalism and dead orthodoxy, and about the consequences of sin—the loss of rewards and divine discipline even to the point of death (1:15, 21; 4:12; 5:1-4, 7-8, 9, 14-16, 20).

(3) Soul: Soul is psuche which is translated “life” or “lives” as often as it is translated “soul” (43 versus 47 times in the NASB). In some cases (as in James 1:21) it would be better to translate it with the English word “life” or “lives.”

(4) Works: James is speaking of deeds and actions which are the product of a vital, growing, productive faith in the indwelling Spirit (Jam. 4:5) and the engrafted Word (Jam. 1:21). Paul, by contrast, speaks of dead works which are done apart from faith, which proceed from the flesh and which are done to gain merit with God.

(5) Justified: This is the Greek, dikaioo, which has two uses: (a) To declare or pronounce righteous and refers to the imputation of righteousness through faith in Christ (Rom. 5:1). (b) But it may also mean to show to be righteous (Matt. 11:19; Luke 7:35; Rom. 3:4; 1 Tim. 3:16).²³⁸ James uses it in this way in 2:21.

Conclusion

Hodges sums up the issue for the book of James and writes,

James … understood how easily Christians, who knew the great truth that God accepted us on the basis of faith alone, could fall into the error of downplaying good works altogether. He understood how readily doctrinal correctness could take precedence over practical, everyday obedience. In short, he knew the danger of dead orthodoxy.

One of Satan’s methods of assault is to get us to lock up our shield of faith into our theological armory so that we never employ it on the field of combat and everyday life.

Too often Christians go about proudly proclaiming their theological position, their orthodoxy, and ungraciously denounce those who believe differently. They talk like theologians and behave like enemies at war.²³⁹

In his little epistle, Jude calls upon the Church to “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3). For us today, the faith refers to the body of revealed truth that has been handed down in the Scripture. It concerns the great fundamental truths of Scripture concerning subjects such as God, Jesus Christ, man, salvation, the Bible, and things to come including the personal return of the Lord.

This body of truth is called the faith because it must be received by faith, and because “the faith” contains the Gospel which is a message of grace offering man a salvation that is free, without price, one that is to be received by faith rather than by human works.

But from as early as Acts 15, the church has had to contend against assaults on the Gospel wherein people have tried to add some form of human works to faith alone whereby we could gain salvation like works of the Law, or circumcision, or its counterpart for today, water baptism. Truly, the Gospel of God’s grace in Christ is under siege and we need to be able to contend for the faith.

¹⁹⁸ Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, Dallas Seminary Press, Dallas, TX, 1948, p. 371.

¹⁹⁹ Robert N. Wilkin, “Repentance and Salvation,” Part 1, The Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, Autumn 88, p. 11.

²⁰⁰Charles C. Ryrie, So Great Salvation, Victor Books, Wheaton, 1989, p. 91.

²⁰¹Ryrie, p. 92.

²⁰² Bob Wilkin, “Repentance and Salvation,” Part 3, The Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society, Vol. 2, No. 2, Autumn 89, p. 13.

²⁰³Ryrie, p. 92.

²⁰⁴J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, InterVarsity, Downers Grove, IL, 1961, pp. 72-73.

²⁰⁵ Lewis Sperry Chafer, Vital Theological Issues, Roy B. Zuck, General Editor, Kregel, Grand Rapids, 1994, p. 119.

²⁰⁶“Kindred Spirit,” a quarterly publication of Dallas Seminary, Summer 1989, p. 5.

²⁰⁷Ryrie, p. 97.

²⁰⁸ Ryrie, p. 98.

²⁰⁹Ryrie, p. 98.

²¹⁰Wilkin, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 18.

²¹¹Ibid.

²¹²Ibid.

²¹³ Ryrie, p. 99.

²¹⁴Wilkin, Vol. 2, No. 2, p. 20.

²¹⁵ “The Grace Evangelical Society News,” Vol. 4, No. 10, Oct. 1989, p. 4, Taken from The Sword of the Lord, Feb. 3, 1989.

²¹⁶ Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, Abridged Edition, John F. Walvoord, Editor, Donald K. Campbell, Roy B. Zuck, Consulting Editors, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1988, p. 195.

²¹⁷ “Grace Evangelical Society News,” June-July 1988, p. 1.

²¹⁸ “Grace Evangelical Society News,” June-July 1988, p. 3.

²¹⁹ Kindred Spirit, Summer 1989, p. 6.

²²⁰Ibid.

²²¹John F. MacArthur, Jr., The Gospel According to Jesus, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1988, footnote 2, p. 97.

²²² Ryrie, p. 61.

²²³ Everett F. Harrison, “Romans,” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976, 10:112.

²²⁴ A.T. Robertson and W. Hersey Davis, A New Short Grammar of the Greek New Testament, Harper & Bros., New York, 1933, p. 219.

²²⁵ Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1996, p. 187-188.

²²⁶ Edwin A. Blum, “John,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary, the New Testament Edition, Editors, John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, 1983, p. 281.

²²⁷ We have two parallel phrases which are genitive constructions in the Greek text: 1) “washing of regeneration” and 2) “renewing by the Holy Spirit.” “Regeneration” and “Holy Spirit” are both in the genitive case. There are several uses of the genitive case in Greek, but with nouns of action like washing and renewing, the noun in the genitive points to the thing to which the action is referred, either as subject or object of the verbal idea. Question: Are washing and renewing objective genitives or subjective genitives? If subjective, they produce the action as is evidenced by the translation of the NASB and the NIV, “renewing/renewal by the Holy Spirit.” Paul is writing of a renewing accomplished by the Holy Spirit, and not vice versa, i.e., “a renewing which produces the Holy Spirit,” an obvious absurdity. Both of these clauses are preceded by only one preposition “by” ( dia), and are connected by “and” ( kai). This would suggest two things: (1) Because of the parallel arrangement, we would expect both genitives to be the same, either objective or subjective, and since the second phase can only be a subjective genitive, “a renewal by the Holy Spirit,” so must the first, “a washing by regeneration.” (2) The “and” ( kai) is ascensive or explicative meaning “even,” or “namely,” so that the second clause is a further explanation of the first. We could render it grammatically, “the washing produced by regeneration, even (or namely) the rebirth accomplished by the Holy Spirit.” Regeneration results in a spiritual cleansing, the forgiveness of sin and this is part of the rebirth work of the Holy Spirit.

²²⁸ Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, p. 194-195.

²²⁹ Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, Kregel, Grand Rapids, 1993, p. 378-79.

²³⁰ The Ryrie Study Bible, NASB, Moody Press, Chicago, 1976, 1978, p. 1716.

²³¹ See Assault #2, for a discussion of this verse as it pertains to the word “Lord,” or see Ryrie’s, So Great Salvation, p. 70-72.

²³² Ryrie, p. 47.

²³³ Ryrie, p. 47-48.

²³⁴ Ryrie, pp. 45-46.

²³⁵ See Part 1, Lesson 2, Assurance of Salvation.

²³⁶ MacArthur, Jr., p. 23. Compare also MacArthur’s statement on page 170.

²³⁷ Zane Hodges, Absolutely Free, Redencin Viva, Academie Books, Zondervan Publishing House, p. 120.

²³⁸ G. Abbot-Smith; A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 3rd ed., T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1937, p. 116.

²³⁹ Hodges, p. 122-123.

The Multiplied Life Through Financial Faithfulness

Introduction

One of Satan’s most effective delusions is the idea that happiness consists in the things that we possess. Through his deceitfulness, he has erected a golden calf, an idol called materialism. Like a barker on the midway, he calls to every passerby, “ come and worship at its feet, buy, sell, get gain, and possess, and it will make you happy.”

Christians, though a people with a spiritual calling and heavenly assets beyond compare, are not automatically exempt from Satan’s schemes nor inoculated against infection from the deadening disease of materialism. Like a plague, it stalks us from every corner—on television, the printed page, the display window, the showroom, the Jones’ driveway. Everywhere the seductions of materialism fill the air and seek to come into our lives through both conspicuous and subliminal messages.

In a context that instructs us to live as aliens and strangers (1 Pet. 1:17-18; 2:11), and as a people who are to live with a view to a heavenly inheritance that is untouched by decay, unstained by evil, and unimpaired by time (1 Pet. 1:4), Peter also warns us to be sober and alert against Satan’s devices (1 Pet. 1:13; 5:8). Why? Because, if we are not on guard, Satan will distract us through possessions from our heavenly calling as a people for God’s own possession who are to proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness (the delusions of Satan) and into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9).

Money is a very little thing (Luke 16:10). Why? Because money cannot buy happiness. Money cannot give eternal life nor real meaning in life (Isa. 55:1-3; Rev. 3:16-18). Yet, there is nothing that reveals our spiritual orientation and relationship with God like our attitude toward money.

Jesus Christ made it clear that a mark of true spirituality was a right attitude toward wealth. The mark of a godly and righteous man is his preoccupation with God and heavenly treasure.

Scripture has a tremendous amount to say about money or material possessions. Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables of Jesus deal with money. One out of every ten verses in the New Testament deal with this subject. Scripture has 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but over 2,000 verses on the subject of money. Money is an extremely important issue because a person’s attitude toward it is so determinative of his relationship with God, on fulfilling his purpose in this life, and on his character.

The Responsibility for Planning

Without planning based on biblical values, goals, and priorities, money becomes a hard taskmaster and, like a leaf caught up in a whirlwind, we get swept into the world’s pursuit of earthly treasures (Luke 12:13-23; 1 Tim. 6:6-10).

Financial planning is biblical and is a means to good stewardship, to freedom from the god of materialism, and a means of protection against the waste of the resources God has entrusted to our care (Prov. 27:23-24; Luke 14:28; 1 Cor. 14:40).

Financial planning should be done in dependence on God’s direction and in faith while we rest in Him for security and happiness rather than in our own strategies (Prov. 16:1-4, 9; Psalm 37:1-10; 1 Tim. 6:17; Phil. 4:19).

The Responsibility for Discipline

If our financial planning is to work, it will require discipline and commitment so our plans are translated into actions. We must follow through on our good intentions (Prov. 14:23). Financial faithfulness is an important aspect of complete, well-rounded spiritual growth and godliness (2 Cor. 8:7). But godliness requires discipline (cf. 1 Tim. 4:8; 6:3-8).

Good intentions are useless without plans that translate them into actions. The Corinthians had indicated their desire and willingness to give and had even been instructed on planned giving (1 Cor. 16:1-2), yet they had failed to follow through on their good intentions (2 Cor. 8:10-11).

The Responsibility for Stewardship

Financial faithfulness ultimately flows out of the recognition that everything we are and have belongs to the Lord (1 Chron. 29:11-16; Rom. 14:7-9; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). Life is a temporary sojourn in which Christians are to see themselves as aliens, temporary residents, who are here as stewards of God’s manifold grace. All we are and have—our talents, time, and treasures—are trusts given to us by God which we are to invest for God’s kingdom and glory (1 Pet. 1:17; 2:11; 4:10-11; Luke 19:11-26).

The Responsibility for Working

One of God’s basic ways to provide for our needs is through work—an occupation through which we earn a living so we can provide for ourselves and our families (2 Thess. 3:6-12; Prov. 25:27).

The money we earn is also to be used as a means of supporting God’s work and helping those in need, first in God’s family and then for those outside the household of faith (Gal. 6:6-10; Eph. 4:28; 3 John 5-8).

Guidelines Regarding Savings

Biblical Support

(1) God directed Joseph to save for the future (Gen. 41:35).

(2) Saving for the future shows wisdom and is demonstrated in God’s creation (Prov. 21:20; 30:24-25; 6:6-8).

(3) Saving for the future is responsible stewardship when designed to meet both the predictable and unpredictable needs of the family (1 Tim. 5:8; 2 Cor. 12:14).

Biblical Guidelines

(1) Maintain a proper view of ownership. Remember, all our wealth ultimately belongs to God. We are managers, not owners (1 Chron. 29:11-16; Luke 16:12).

(2) Maintain a proper view of our security. We are to put our trust in the Lord and not in our investments (1 Tim. 6:17).

(3) Beware of impure and unbiblical motives, priorities, and reasons for saving such as anxiety and hoarding as a result of insecurity or covetousness (Matt. 6:25-33; Luke 12:13-31).

(4) Decisions concerning future investments are to be made prayerfully in view of the Lord’s will (James 4:13-15).

(5) Don’t use money in saving/investment programs that God desires be used for giving. This occurs when savings or investments become extreme and for the wrong reasons as seen above (Luke 12:16-21; 1 Tim. 6:18-19; 1 John 3:17).

(6) Avoid high-risk investments or get-rich-quick schemes (Prov. 21:5; 28:20, 22; 1 Tim. 6:9).

(7) Watch those priorities. Make the kingdom of God your number one investment (Matt. 6:33; Luke 12:31; 1 Tim. 6:18-19).

Guidelines Regarding Spending

Contentment

We need to learn to be content (spiritually independent on the details of life for our happiness and security) with what we have (Phil. 4:11-13; 1 Tim. 6:6, 17-19; Heb. 13:5). When we are content with what we have, we are free from servitude to materialism. This means freedom to follow the Lord; freedom to pursue His values and objectives. How does one acquire contentment? Contentment is the product of possessing heavenly treasure and casting the whole of one’s care on the sovereign God as our loving heavenly Father (Matt. 6:19-33; 1 Pet. 5:6-7).

Temptation

Be on guard to the temptations and messages of the world (Rom. 12:1-2; 13:11-14; 1 Pet. 1:13-16; 5:8). There are thousands of messages every day that clamor for our attention through the press, television, radio, billboards, salespeople, and store displays—all designed to get us to buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t know, and to find happiness where it simply cannot be found.

Evaluate Purchases According to Biblical Principles

(1) Can we pay cash or will the purchase put us in debt? (See Guidelines Regarding Credit.)

(2) Do we have complete peace about it with no doubt? (Rom. 14:23; Col. 3:15) We need to watch our tendency to rationalize—giving ourselves deceptive answers to do a bad thing.

(3) Is it a real need or a matter of greed? (1 Tim. 6:9; 1 John 2:15) Will it be profitable to our family, our spiritual growth, our health, our ministry, the Lord’s reputation, and will it increase our love for the Lord or could it hinder it? (1 Tim. 3:4: 5:8; 1 Cor. 6:12)

(4) Is our lifestyle adequate or more than adequate? Do we need to reduce our spending by lowering our expected standard of comfort? (Matt. 6:33; Luke 12:15, 23; Prov. 15:16-17; 16:8; Eccl. 5:10-11).

Guidelines Regarding Credit

Basic Principles

(1) God favors lending (investing) over borrowing because it promotes freedom and wise stewardship (Deut. 15:5-6).

(2) Unwise borrowing can put us in a position of servitude (Prov. 22:7).

(3) Use credit wisely and avoid it whenever possible. Though not prohibited by Scripture, credit is generally mentioned in a negative sense. Romans 13:8 is often used as an absolute prohibition against borrowing, but it does not necessarily forbid the use of credit. It may simply teach the necessity to pay one’s obligations whether physical or spiritual as they come due.

(4) Concerning credit there are two basic alternatives: (a) Buy now on credit and pay the installments with interest. (b) Save now and buy later with cash and save the interest.

Keep Borrowing to a Minimum

(1) Interest adds to the cost of living and thereby reduces our capacity for wise stewardship. If we must borrow, we should seek low interest for short terms.

(2) Credit can be risky because it can place people in bondage to creditors and to their own desires rather than to God’s will. It makes impulsive buying too easy. The world system depends heavily on impulsive buying as a balm for being bored and frustrated with life.

(3) Credit can be used as a substitute for trusting God or to get what we want in place of waiting on Him. We use it to buffer ourselves from having to depend on the Lord. Why? Because we are often afraid He won’t give us what we want when we want it (Ps. 37:7-9, 34; 147:11; Matt. 6:30-34; Phil. 4:19).

(4) Credit reduces our ability to give to God and to those in need.

(5) The use of credit is often nothing more that a failure to be content with what we have (the sin of dissatisfaction) (Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:6-8; Heb. 13:5). The materialist is never content, but the godly learns contentment.

Don’ts for Borrowing

(1) Don’t purchase something on credit if it will jeopardize your financial freedom.

(2) Don’t go into debt today based upon a future event (such as a raise or a potential sale). This is presuming upon the Lord and His sovereignty.

(3) Don’t go into debt for a house before you have secured a source of income (Prov. 24:27).

(4) Don’t finance daily needs, living expenses, or pleasure items.

(5) Don’t finance items that depreciate quickly, except on very short terms (i.e., 30-90 days).

(6) On appreciating items, such as a house or for business investments, don’t borrow beyond your ability to cash out of the obligation through sufficient collateral plus the value of the item, should it be necessary to sell.

(7) Don’t allow debts (excluding mortgage) to exceed 20 percent of your take-home pay. Shoot for ten percent or less.

(8) Don’t allow a mortgage payment (including insurance and taxes) to exceed 25 or 30 percent of your take-home pay.

Questions to Ask Before Borrowing

(1) Do I really need it?

(2) Have I asked God for it and waited long enough for Him to supply?

(3) Am I impatient and seeking immediate gratification?

(4) Is God testing my faith, my values, my motives, etc.?

(5) Did I wrongly spend the money God provided for this item or have I violated God’s financial principles?

(6) Am I guilty of:

• Stinginess: “One person is generous and yet grows more wealthy, but another withholds more than he ought and comes to poverty.” (Prov. 11:24; 11:25-27).
• Hastiness: “A faithful person will have an abundance of blessings, but the one who hastens to gain riches will not go unpunished.” (Prov. 28:20).
• Laziness: “and your poverty will come like a robber,
  and your need like an armed man.” (Prov. 24:34).

Guidelines for Giving

God Expects Us to Give

(1) By His Grace Work: Through fellowship with Him, giving is to be the product of God’s grace working in the life so that it first produces a commitment of one’s total life to God with giving as an overflow of that previous commitment (2 Cor. 8:1-2, 6-7; 9:9-11).

(2) In faith: He has promised to supply all our needs; our giving will not be our lack (2 Cor. 9:7f; Phil. 4:19).

(3) Purposefully: We are to give from careful and prayerful planning. “Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart” (2 Cor. 9:7).

(4) Regularly: “ On the first day of the week” helps promote diligence and disciplined giving. This creates a consistency and regularity that translates good intentions into actions (1 Cor. 16:2).

(5) Personally: “E ach of you should” brings out the need for every believer to take giving as a personal responsibility for which God holds us each responsible (1 Cor. 16:2).

(6) Systematically: “ set aside…and save” brings out the need to have a method or system whereby money for the Lord’s work is specifically set aside, stored up for giving, so that it is not used for other things (1 Cor. 16:2).

(7) Proportionately: In the New Testament, set amounts of compulsory giving (as in the tithe) have been replaced by the grace principle of voluntary, purposeful, and proportionate giving. The new standard for today is “ to the extent that God has blessed you” (1 Cor. 16:2), “ they gave according to their means” (2 Cor. 8:3), “is acceptable according to whatever one has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not say this so there would be relief for others and suffering for you, but as a matter of equality. 14 At the present time, your abundance will meet their need, so that one day their abundance may also meet your need, and thus there may be equality …” (cf. 2 Cor. 8:12-15, Mark 12:41-44), and “E ach one should give … (not) under compulsion” (2 Cor. 9:7).

To Whom Should We Give?

The Local Church

“Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches it.” (Gal. 6:6; cf. also 1 Tim. 5:17-18). If the local church is to form a solid home base for other ministries of outreach, it is only logical that it should become a first priority for our giving.

Other Organizations and Individuals

This would include missions, para-church groups and individuals who are involved in these ministries (3 John 5-8).

Fellow Believers in Need

Those unable to support themselves or who have faced serious problems are to be helped as we are able. Those who refuse to work are not to be supported (1 John 3:17; Jam. 2:15-16; Gal. 6:10; Heb. 10:33-34; 13:1-3 with 2 Thess. 3:6-10).

Unbelievers in Need

Our first priority is to those who are of the household of faith, but we are also to reach out to others in need as we are able (Gal. 6:10).

The Tithe of the Old Testament

The word “ tithe” means “ a tenth.” In the Old Testament, however, there is good evidence that the Old Testament saint was required to give at least two tithes and possibly even three tithes per year.

(1) The first was ten percent of all one’s possessions (Lev. 27:30-33). This was given to the Levites for the temple ministry (Numb. 18:20-21).

(2) A second tithe was taken from whatever produce was left after the first tithe was given. This tithe was for the Lord’s feasts and sacrifices (Deut. 12:17-18; 14:22). “This command was considered by Jewish interpreters to be for a second tithe (see Lev. 27:30 and Num. 18:21 for the first; also the note on Mal. 3:8), which was brought to the central sanctuary either in kind or in money. Apparently the offerer could use a part of this tithe for a feast at the sanctuary (vv. 26-27).”²⁴¹

(3) Another tithe was taken every third year for the welfare of the Levites, strangers, orphans and widows (Deut. 14:26-29). This third tithe may have been separate from the second, though we are not certain. At any rate, each Jewish family was responsible to give not ten percent, but approximately 19 percent.

If the tithe was God’s will for believers today, then believers who give ten percent are under giving.

Because the tithe was required in the Old Testament, it was more of an income tax than a gift given under the theocratic kingdom of Israel. In fact, the Old Testament often speaks of “tithes and offerings” which makes this distinction. Frieson says, “ that is why failure to submit to the ‘whole tithe’ could be described as robbing God.”²⁴² If one of God’s people wanted to express his worship through a voluntary offering, it had to be over and above the two tithes of his income which was owed (Deut. 16:6, 11; 1 Chron. 29:6, 9, 14).

The New Testament Economy of Giving

There is very good evidence the tithe is not for believers today. There are godly men who teach the tithe, but they are clinging to an Old Testament theology that does not apply to the church today. The following is presented as evidence in support of this position.

The tithe of the Old Testament was a part of the economic system of the Law but the New Testament specifically teaches that believers are not under law (Rom. 6:14; 7:4, 6; 8:3; 2 Cor. 3:11; Gal. 3:19-25; 4:21-31). There is a two-fold emphasis here.

(1) Believers today are not under the legal, economic, social, or religious system of the Old Testament Law. The Law was a temporary system until the coming of Christ. The coming of Christ and the New Covenant, as it applies to the church, supersedes the Old Covenant with a higher law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which enables believers to fulfill the spiritual and righteous requirements of the Law but through the leading of the Spirit rather than by the imposition of legal regulations.

(2) “Law” in Romans 6:14 is anarthrous. It is qualitative. It is not talking about just one specific law, as the Old Testament Law, but any kind of law. This means we are not under any kind of legal system of external rules or legal regulations which we are to keep in relation to our walk with God. Though we are not without law, being under the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2), the standard for how much we give in the church age is not an amount set by some external law or some form of compulsion. This would include the tithe either under the Law or even before the Law, because either way, the moment a definite amount is established for believers to give, it becomes a legal and external matter rather than a matter of the inner man and the leading of the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:1, 18, 24, 25).

The New Testament teaches us that giving for the church age is to be proportionate by the grace work or leading of God through the Spirit (2 Cor. 8:1-3, 7; 1 Cor. 16:2; 9:7). In keeping with this concept, when we turn to the New Testament we find no New Testament regulation or commandment which continues the tithe for New Testament believers. The word “ tithe” is never used in the New Testament as a command or regulation for the church. In fact, it is used only of historical occurrences where it pertained to Israel under the Old Testament economy, but never in such a way it could imply this is the rule of life for the church.

Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42. Both of these passages applied to Israel. Christ was speaking to Jews who were still at that time under the Law. They were also offering sacrifices in the temple.

Luke 18:12 is merely an historical reference of the prayer of a self-righteous Pharisee who was still under the Law and before the coming of the Spirit and the beginning of the church age.

Hebrews 7:5-9 is an historical reference to Abraham who paid tithes to Melchizedek. Some use this as proof the tithe is legitimate for today. They say it was pre-law, so it should be used as a guideline for all dispensations. But there are two things wrong with that line of reasoning:

Other Old Testament practices predated the Law, yet they are not used as norms or as requirements for the church. (a) The concept of the Sabbath predated the law (cf. Heb. 4:3-9), but it has been replaced by the first day of the week, and even that is not presented as a legal requirement. (b) Circumcision also predated the law (cf. Rom. 4:9-13), but it has been replaced by baptism. (c) Likewise the tithe which also predated the law (Heb. 7:5-9), has been replaced by proportionate giving (1 Cor. 16:2). To insist on a tithe is really a disobedience to the direction of 1 Corinthians 16:2.

Giving according to a tithe is a hindrance to proportionate grace giving as it is prescribed in the New Testament. Let me explain.

Many believers give their tenth and never even consider that they could (and perhaps should) be giving even more. Actually, to demand a tenth from all believers is disobedience to the principles set down in 2 Corinthians 8:12-15 because the tithe may become an unequal yoke. By that I mean it is a burden to some, and a limitation to greater giving by others according to the principles of equality and proportionate grace giving (1 Cor. 16:1-2). Please note the following:

(1) Giving ten percent for one man might be considered “ sowing sparingly” if he was giving proportionately.

(2) Giving ten percent for another could be considered “ sowing bountifully,” if he was giving proportionately.

(3) Giving ten percent for some would be giving beyond their ability and could be considered sacrificial giving, giving “ according to what they do not have” (cf. 2 Cor. 8:12; 9:6).

(4) In essence this means some are being eased of their responsibilities because of their abundance and others afflicted by the tithe compulsion because of their lack (2 Cor. 8:13).

(5) Proportionate grace giving in the New Testament eliminates this and brings about what Paul calls “ equality” (2 Cor. 8:14-15). See the illustration below concerning proportionate giving.

(6) This means to be a good steward of the resources God supplies, the more prosperous believers give more out of their abundance, not just in dollars but in the percentage (20, 30 percent and even more), while those with less give a smaller percent, one determined out of their walk with the Lord. They may decide to give sacrificially as did the Macedonians, but it should be the product of the work of the Spirit of God and not the legal demands of a church that insists on the tithe. Indeed, the tithe is an unequal yoke. Think about it. If you tithe, you may be sowing sparingly.

Proportionate Giving

The big question is, what does it mean to give proportionately? How does one determine how much (what percent) to give? It is easy enough to figure ten percent of something, but how much is “ as he purposes in his heart,” or “ as he has been prospered,” or “ may prosper,” or “ if there is a readiness it is acceptable according to what a man has …” How much is that?

(1) It is not a specific amount, or a certain percent, but a proportion based on what one has, one’s own needs, and on the needs of others, including the work of Christ or the ministry of the local church.

(2) Those who have little may give the little they are able (2 Cor. 8:2-3).

(3) Those who have nothing, if there is a readiness, are not expected to give anything (2 Cor. 8:12).

(4) Those who have less than enough (genuine needs) are to receive from those who have more than enough so there is a balancing out, a kind of equality (2 Cor. 8:13-15). This is not socialism or communism which is coercive and seeks for a total equality that does away with any variations in society based on individual differences in hard work, in giftedness, and personal incentive (cf. 1 Tim. 6:17f).

(5) God is not asking those who have plenty to become poor or burdened that others may be made rich (2 Cor. 8:13). The equality envisioned here through proportionate giving is twofold: (a) It involves aid to help people through a condition of need until they are able to get on their feet financially by working (Eph. 4:28; 2 Thess. 3:10-15). We do not give so others can live in ease or have the same standard of living as everyone else. (b) This creates an equality in the sense that those with less give proportionately less and those with more give proportionately more and are able to carry more of the load in giving.

(6) Those who have an abundance are to be rich in good works; they are to use their abundance liberally in the cause of Christ (2 Cor. 8:14; 1 Tim. 5:17-18).

(7) Increased prosperity should not result in a higher and higher standard of living, or wasteful spending, but in an increase in giving, not only in the amount but in the percent given. If believers today were committed to proportionate giving, many would be giving far in excess of ten percent. Statistics show, however, that most believers give no more than 3-5 percent.

Definition of Proportionate Giving

Proportionate giving is giving in proportion to God’s blessing, as a steward who wants to invest his life in heavenly treasure. Proportionate giving does not mean just giving more, but giving a greater proportion of one’s income—a greater percentage invested in God’s work.

In Proportionate giving:

(1) OUR MOTIVE for giving is God’s spiritual blessing, to increase fruitfulness and bring glory to God (2 Cor. 9:8-15).

(2) OUR MEASURE for giving is God’s material blessing (1 Cor. 16:2).

Illustration of Proportionate Giving

Believer A has an income of $20,000 per year and he gives ten percent which is $2,000. Believer B has an income of $50,000 per year and he gives ten percent which is $5,000. Believer B has given $3,000 more per year but this is not proportionately more because Believer A has $18,000 left to live on and Believer B still has $45,000 left, over twice as much. Believer B could give 20 percent ($10,000) and still have $40,000 left to live on which is still over twice as much as Believer A. Believer B would then be giving not only more, but proportionately more as well.

Promises for the Generous Proportionate Giver

Luke 16:10-11: Generally, God does not entrust more wealth to us to manage until we prove faithful with what we have now.

Second Corinthians 9:8-11: Our giving will never be our lack; God will not only resupply what we have given, but He will increase our giving capacity as we give abundantly. The goal here is not increased personal wealth, but greater giving.

Biblical Challenges Regarding Earthly Riches

Where Is Our Treasure?

Basic Principle: What we treasure is determined by our perspective or insight to the real values of life (Matt. 6:22-23).

Biblical Insight: Our treasures should be in heaven (Matt. 6:19-20).

Biblical Reasons:

(1) Our treasures in heaven are permanent (Matt. 6:20; 1 Pet. 1:4).

(2) Our treasures on earth are temporary and can be lost. We can’t take earthly treasures with us (Luke 12:20-21; 1 Tim. 6:7).

(3) Our treasures on earth are really unfulfilling in that they cannot buy true happiness or significance (Isa. 55:1-3; Luke 12:15, 23; Eccl. 5:10).

(4) Our treasures on earth cannot prolong life or give security (Luke 12:16-21).

(5) Our treasures determine our pursuits and priorities. Without the right treasures, we will pursue the wrong things and waste our lives (Matt. 6:21; Luke 12:34; 1 Tim. 6:9-10; Luke 19:23-26).

(6) Our greatest treasure is godliness with contentment (1 Tim. 6:6; Heb. 13:5; Phil. 4:11-12; Prov. 15:17; 16:8; 17:1).

Biblical Explanation: Heavenly treasures consist of crowns, rewards, and responsibilities given to believers at the judgment seat of Christ for faithful stewardship (Luke 19:16-19; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; 9:25; 1 Thess. 2:19; 2 Tim. 4:8). The ultimate treasure is glory to God (1 Pet. 4:11; Rev. 4:9-11).

Who Is Our Master?

A servant cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve God and mammon (materialism) (Luke 16:1-13, cf. Matt. 6:24).

Biblical Reason: It is impossible to hold allegiance to two masters at the same time. “for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Luke 16:13).

Biblical Insights:

(1) Luke 16:1-2: Life is a stewardship and we are each servants of God who will be held accountable for the way we have used our stewardship. Stop thinking like an owner. Start thinking like a manager.

(2) Luke 16:1, 11-12: Are we squandering God’s investment in our lives or investing it wisely for His glory?

(3) Luke 16:10: Money, in terms of true value, is a “ little” thing, however, faithfulness in little things (money) is an indicator of our faithfulness in big things (eternal values).

(4) Luke 16:11: The use of money is a test of our faithfulness.

(5) Luke 16:11: Money does not constitute true riches.

(6) Luke 16:12: Money is to be used wisely and faithfully as part of our stewardship from God.

(7) Luke 16:12: Money and its acquisition, if we are not careful, can become our master.

Biblical Challenge:

(1) Am I a slave to money and earthly treasures? Is it possible that I am and do not even know it? We must choose between serving money and serving God!

(2) Do I sacrifice Christlike qualities and responsibilities in my pursuits for earthly treasures? (a) Clear conscience; (b) Honesty, moral character; (c) Friendships; (d) Family (wife, husband, children, in-laws); (e) Reputation; (f) God’s glory, etc.

(3) Do I care more about earthly treasures and money matters than I do about my relationship with the Lord and the pursuit of the kingdom of heaven? (a) Priorities; (b) Use of my time, how and where is it spent; (c) What do I think about most—money and what I think it will purchase or God and my trust in Him?

(4) Do I seek from money and earthly treasures (prestige, power, position, pleasure, possessions, etc.) those things that God alone can give? (a) Happiness, real joy; (b) Contentment; (c) Peace of mind; (d) Security; (e) Purpose or meaning in life.

If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, money has become your master to some degree!

Conclusion

Having studied these principles, let’s ask ourselves a question: Am I willing to commit myself to these concepts as a way of life in order to become a good steward of the grace of God? May God keep us from the altar of the golden calf of materialism.

And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence. 18 You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. (1 Pet. 1:17-19).

Appendices

²⁴¹ Ryrie Study Bible, Expanded Edition, NASB, footnote, p. 298.

²⁴² Garry Frieson, Decision Making and the Will of God, Multnomah Press, Portland, 1980, p. 357.

Pendahuluan

Oleh karena menyaksikan iman kepada orang lain merupakan tanggung jawab utama setiap orang percaya maka sebagai orang beriman kita memerlukan pemahaman yang jelas tentang rencana keselamatan. Terlebih bagi setiap orang yang baru percaya kepada Kristus.

Penyajian singkat mengenai Injil berikut ini bertujuan untuk memperjelas inti Injil itu dan sekaligus berfungsi sebagai metode efektif dalam penyajian Injil kepada orang-orang lain, terutama bagi orang-orang Kristen yang baru mulai menempuh perjalanan sebagai orang-orang Kristen.

Rencana Allah tentang Keselamatan

1 Yohanes 5:11-12 Dan inilah kesaksian itu: Allah telah mengaruniakan hidup yang kekal kepada kita dan hidup itu ada di dalam Anak-Nya. Barangsiapa memiliki Anak, ia memiliki hidup; barangsiapa tidak memiliki Anak, ia tidak memiliki hidup.

Meskipun 1 Yohanes 5:11-12 ditujukan kepada orang-orang Kristen guna memberikan kepastian tentang keselamatan mereka berdasarkan kesaksian Firman Allah, ayat-ayat ini juga menyoroti pokok-pokok utama tentang keselamatan.

Deklarasi Allah kepada Manusia: “Dan inilah kesaksian itu: Allah telah mengaruniakan hidup yang kekal kepada kita dan hidup itu ada di dalam Anak-Nya.” (ayat 11).

Pokok Utama : “Barangsiapa memiliki Anak, ia memiliki hidup; barangsiapa tidak memiliki Anak, ia tidak memiliki hidup.” (ayat 12).

Ayat-ayat ini mengajarkan bahwa:

• Allah telah mengaruniakan kita kehidupan kekal dan kehidupan ini diperolah di dalam AnakNya, Yesus Kristus.
• Jalan beroleh kehidupan kekal adalah dengan memiliki Anak Allah.

Dua pertanyaan penting yang harus muncul dan perlu dijawab adalah:

• Mengapa memiliki Anak Allah mutlak perlu untuk dapat beroleh kehidupan kekal?
• Bagaimana seseorang dapat memiliki Anak Allah?

Problema Terpisahnya Manusia Dari Allah

Menurut Roma 5:8, Allah menyatakan kasihNya kepada kita melalui kematian AnakNya. Mengapa Kristus harus mati untuk kita? Karena Kitab Suci menyatakan bahwa semua manusia telah berdosa. Kita semua tanpa kecuali adalah orang-orang berdosa. “Berdosa” berarti tidak mengenai sasaran. Alkitab menyatakan kita semua telah berdosa dan tidak mencapai sasaran kemuliaan (kekudusan sempurna) Allah. Dengan kata lain, dosa telah memisahkan kita dari Allah yang memiliki kekudusan sempurna (kebenaran dan keadilan), karena itu Allah harus menghukum manusia yang telah berdosa.

Roma 5:8 Allah menunjukkan kasih-Nya kepada kita, oleh karena Kristus telah mati untuk kita, ketika kita masih berdosa..

Roma 3:23 Karena semua orang telah berbuat dosa …

Habakkuk 1:13a Mata-Mu terlalu suci untuk melihat kejahatan dan Engkau tidak dapat memandang kelaliman.

Yesaya 59:2 Tetapi yang merupakan pemisah antara kamu dan Allahmu ialah segala kejahatanmu, dan yang membuat Dia menyembunyikan diri terhadap kamu, sehingga Ia tidak mendengar, ialah segala dosamu.

Problema tentang Kesia-siaan Usaha Manusia

Kitab Suci juga mengajarkan bahwa kebaikan manusia, usaha manusia, moralitas manusia ataupun tingkat keagamaan seseorang tak dapat memperkenankan Allah ataupun membawanya masuk surga. Baik manusia yang bermoral tinggi, manusia yang beragama, maupun manusia tak bermoral atau tak beragama sekalipun sama-sama berada di dalam satu perahu. Semuanya tidak mencapai sasaran kemuliaan Allah (kebenaran Allah yang sempurna). Setelah berbicara tentang manusia yang tak bermoral, yang bermoral, dan yang beragama dalam Roma 1:18-3:8, Rasul Paulus menegaskan bahwa baik orang-orang Yahudi maupun orang Yunani sama-sama telah berdosa, “tidak ada yang benar, seorangpun tidak.” (Rom. 3:9-10), “semua orang telah berbuat dosa dan telah kehilangan kemuliaan Allah” (Rom. 3:23).

Coba simak pernyataan-pernyataan lain dalam beberapa ayat Kitab Suci berikut:

Efesus 2:8-9 Sebab karena kasih karunia kamu diselamatkan oleh iman; itu bukan hasil usahamu, tetapi pemberian Allah, itu bukan hasil pekerjaanmu: jangan ada orang yang memegahkan diri.

Titus 3:5-7 pada waktu itu Dia telah menyelamatkan kita, bukan karena perbuatan baik yang telah kita lakukan, tetapi karena rahmat-Nya oleh permandian kelahiran kembali dan oleh pembaharuan yang dikerjakan oleh Roh Kudus, yang sudah dilimpahkan-Nya kepada kita oleh Yesus Kristus, Juruselamat kita, supaya kita, sebagai orang yang dibenarkan oleh kasih karunia-Nya, berhak menerima hidup yang kekal, sesuai dengan pengharapan kita.

Roma 4:1-5 Jadi apakah akan kita katakan tentang Abraham, bapa leluhur jasmani kita? Sebab jikalau Abraham dibenarkan karena perbuatannya, maka ia beroleh dasar untuk bermegah, tetapi tidak di hadapan Allah. Sebab apakah dikatakan nas Kitab Suci? Lalu percayalah Abraham kepada Tuhan, dan Tuhan memperhitungkan hal itu kepadanya sebagai kebenaran. Kalau ada orang yang bekerja, upahnya tidak diperhitungkan sebagai hadiah, tetapi sebagai haknya. Tetapi kalau ada orang yang tidak bekerja, namun percaya kepada Dia yang membenarkan orang durhaka, imannya diperhitungkan menjadi kebenaran.

Kebaikan manusia, betapa banyak dan tinggi sekalipun tidak akan dapat menyamai kebaikan Allah. Kebenaran Allah itu tak terbatas dan sempurna. Karena itu Habakuk 1:13 menegaskan bahwa Allah tak dapat bersekutu dengan seseorang yang tidak memiliki kebenaran yang sempurna. Untuk dapat diterima dan berkenan kepada Allah, kita harus menjadi baik dan benar seperti Allah. Di hadapan Allah semua manusia berdiri dalam keadaan telanjang, tak berdaya dan tak berpengharapan. Tak ada sesuatu jasa atau perbuatan manusia yang dapat membawanya ke surga atau membuatnya beroleh kehidupan yang kekal. Jika demikian, bagaimanakah solusi atau pemecahannya?

Solusi Allah terhadap Problema Manusia

Allah tidak hanya memiliki kesucian yang sempurna (tak dapat dijangkau dengan usaha atau perbuatan manusia) melainkan Ia juga memiliki sifat kasih dan kemurahan yang sempurna. Karena sifat kemahakasihanNya dan kemurahanNya yang tak terbatas itu maka manusia tidak dibiarkan tanpa pengharapan dan solusi bagi permasalahannya.

Roma 5:8 Akan tetapi Allah menunjukkan kasih-Nya kepada kita, oleh karena Kristus telah mati untuk kita, ketika kita masih berdosa.

Inilah kabar menggembirakan bagi kita. Juga inilah inti dari berita Injil (Kabar Baik) yaitu tentang pengutusan Anak Tunggal Allah ke dunia ini menjadi manusia (Allah-Manusia), hidup tanpa dosa, mati di salib, karena dan untuk dosa kita, kemudian bangkit dari kematian. KebangkitanNya ini merupakan bukti bahwa Ia adalah Anak Allah dan sekaligus membuktikan betapa berharga karyaNya bagi kita yang telah menggantikan kita.

Roma 1:4 dan menurut Roh kekudusan dinyatakan oleh kebangkitan-Nya dari antara orang mati, bahwa Ia adalah Anak Allah yang berkuasa, Yesus Kristus Tuhan kita.

Roma 4:25 Yesus, yang telah diserahkan karena pelanggaran kita dan dibangkitkan karena pembenaran kita.

2 Korintus 5:21 Dia yang tidak mengenal dosa telah dibuat-Nya menjadi dosa karena kita, supaya dalam Dia kita dibenarkan oleh Allah.

1 Petrus 3:18 Sebab juga Kristus telah mati sekali untuk segala dosa kita, Ia yang benar untuk orang-orang yang tidak benar, supaya Ia membawa kita kepada Allah; Ia, yang telah dibunuh dalam keadaan-Nya sebagai manusia, tetapi yang telah dibangkitkan menurut Roh.

Pertanyaan Terpenting

Jika demikian, bagaimanakah kita dapat memiliki Anak Allah itu agar kita dapat melintasi jurang pemisah yang sangat lebar dan dalam dan beroleh kehidupan kekal yang telah dijanjikan Allah untuk kita?

Yohanes 1:12 Tetapi semua orang yang menerima-Nya diberi-Nya kuasa supaya menjadi anak-anak Allah, yaitu mereka yang percaya dalam nama-Nya.

Yohanes 3:16-18 Karena begitu besar kasih Allah akan dunia ini, sehingga Ia telah mengaruniakan Anak-Nya yang tunggal, supaya setiap orang yang percaya kepada-Nya tidak binasa, melainkan beroleh hidup yang kekal. Sebab Allah mengutus Anak-Nya ke dalam dunia bukan untuk menghakimi dunia, melainkan untuk menyelamatkannya oleh Dia. Barangsiapa percaya kepada-Nya, ia tidak akan dihukum; barangsiapa tidak percaya, ia telah berada di bawah hukuman, sebab ia tidak percaya dalam nama Anak Tunggal Allah.

Berdasarkan karya Yesus Kristus yang telah dikerjakanNya di atas salib untuk kita maka Kita Suci menyatakan “Barangsiapa memiliki Anak, ia memiliki hidup.” Kita dapat memiliki Anak itu, yaitu Yesus Kristus, satu-satunya Penyelamat kita melalui iman secara pribadi, yakni dengan percaya kepada Kristus dan mengakui serta menerima karya kematianNya di salib untuk dosa-dosa kita.

Ini berarti setiap orang dapat datang kepada Allah dengan cara yang sama – yaitu datang kepadaNya sebagai orang berdosa yang menyadari keberdosaan kita, menolak segala bentuk usaha dan cara manusia dalam menyelamatkan dirinya sendiri dan berserah dan beriman penuh hanya kepada Kristus untuk keselamatan kita.

Apabila anda ingin memiliki Kristus dan percaya kepadaNya sebagai Juruselamat pribadi anda, anda dapat menyatakan iman anda kepadaNya dengan mengucapkan doa ini :

Ya Allah, saya menyadari bahwa saya adalah orang berdosa, dan tak ada sesuatupun yang dapat saya perbuat untuk mendapatkan surga atau kehidupan kekal. Saya percaya Yesus Kristus telah mati untuk saya dan telah bangkit dari kematian. Sekarang saya mau menerima Dia sebagai Juruselamat saya dan berserah penuh hanya kepada Dia sebagai satu-satunya jalan ke surga. Terima kasih karena Engkau telah mengaruniakan saya hidup kekal melalui iman kepada Putra Allah yang tunggal. Di dalam nama Yesus Kristus, Amin.

Pendahuluan

Meskipun orang percaya sudah memperoleh kepastian mengenai keselamatannya dan tak meragukannya lagi, pertanyaan yang masih muncul adalah mengenai ketetapan atau keabadian keselamatannya. Setelah orang percaya itu beroleh keselamatan karena percaya Kristus dan kematianNya di salib untuk menebus dosa-dosanya, dapatkah orang percaya itu kehilangan keselamatannya? Adakah sesuatu yang kita lakukan yang berakibat hilangnya keselamatan kita? Jawabannya adalah TIDAK! Mengapa? Karena Kitab Suci menegaskan bahwa dengan iman kita dilindungi oleh kuasa Allah. Dengan iman kita telah dibawa masuk ke dalam suatu hubungan kasih karunia dengan Allah, sebagai pemberian Allah melalui AnakNya yang dikasihi. Kita selamat berdasarkan kesaksianNya bukan kesaksian kita.

1 Petrus 1:5 Yaitu kamu, yang dipelihara dalam kekuatan Allah karena imanmu sementara kamu menantikan keselamatan yang telah tersedia untuk dinyatakan pada zaman akhir.

Efesus 1:6 supaya terpujilah kasih karunia-Nya yang mulia, yang dikaruniakan-Nya kepada kita di dalam Dia, yang dikasihi-Nya.

Efesus 2:8-9 Sebab karena kasih karunia kamu diselamatkan oleh iman; itu bukan hasil usahamu, tetapi pemberian Allah, itu bukan hasil pekerjaanmu: jangan ada orang yang memegahkan diri.

Ketujuh pendekatan berikut ini membahas mengenai jaminan kekal orang percaya. Keselamatan itu tak akan hilang karena terjamin oleh kuasa Allah yang melindunginya dan kecukupan Pribadi dan Karya Kristus bagi kita.

Pendekatan Trinitas

Argumentasi pertama mengenai jaminan kekal keselamatan orang percaya berlandaskan peran ketiga pribadi dalam Trinitas yang melindungi sehingga kita tetap aman di dalam Kristus.

Peran Anak

Roma 8:31-39 Sebab itu apakah yang akan kita katakan tentang semuanya itu? Jika Allah di pihak kita, siapakah yang akan melawan kita? Ia, yang tidak menyayangkan Anak-Nya sendiri, tetapi yang menyerahkan-Nya bagi kita semua, bagaimanakah mungkin Ia tidak mengaruniakan segala sesuatu kepada kita bersama-sama dengan Dia? Siapakah yang akan menggugat orang-orang pilihan Allah? Allah, yang membenarkan mereka? Siapakah yang akan menghukum mereka? Kristus Yesus, yang telah mati? Bahkan lebih lagi: yang telah bangkit, yang juga duduk di sebelah kanan Allah, yang malah menjadi Pembela bagi kita? Siapakah yang akan memisahkan kita dari kasih Kristus? Penindasan atau kesesakan atau penganiayaan, atau kelaparan atau ketelanjangan, atau bahaya, atau pedang? Seperti ada tertulis: Oleh karena Engkau kami ada dalam bahaya maut sepanjang hari, kami telah dianggap sebagai domba-domba sembelihan. Tetapi dalam semuanya itu kita lebih dari pada orang-orang yang menang, oleh Dia yang telah mengasihi kita. Sebab aku yakin, bahwa baik maut, maupun hidup, baik malaikat-malaikat, maupun pemerintah-pemerintah, baik yang ada sekarang, maupun yang akan datang, atau kuasa-kuasa, baik yang di atas, maupun yang di bawah, ataupun sesuatu makhluk lain, tidak akan dapat memisahkan kita dari kasih Allah, yang ada dalam Kristus Yesus, Tuhan kita.

Pernyataan dalam Roma 8:34, “Kristus Yesus, yang telah mati,” diberikan sebagai jawaban kepada pertanyaan-pertanyaan dalam ayat 31-33, dan juga mengantisipasi pertanyaan-pertanyaan serta pernyataan-pernyataan dalam ayat 35-39. Namun tujuan dari ayat 34 adalah untuk menunjukkan terjaminnya keselamatan kekal orang percaya. Ada dua alasan yang dikemukakan yang berkaitan dengan Kristus, Allah Anak:

(1) Kristus Mati sebagai Penebus dan Pengganti kita: Melalui kematian Kristus, tirai yang memisahkan manusia dari Allah dihilangkan. Dosa manusia dan kesucian Allah yang telah memisahkannya dari Allah telah dibereskan di atas salib sehingga Allah menyatakan kita benar melalui iman kepada Yesus Kristus. Kebenaran yang sama ini juga ditegaskan dalam beberapa ayat berikut.

Roma 3:23-28 Karena semua orang telah berbuat dosa dan telah kehilangan kemuliaan Allah, dan oleh kasih karunia telah dibenarkan dengan cuma-cuma karena penebusan dalam Kristus Yesus. Kristus Yesus telah ditentukan Allah menjadi jalan pendamaian karena iman, dalam darah-Nya. Hal ini dibuat-Nya untuk menunjukkan keadilan-Nya, karena Ia telah membiarkan dosa-dosa yang telah terjadi dahulu pada masa kesabaran-Nya. Maksud-Nya ialah untuk menunjukkan keadilan-Nya pada masa ini, supaya nyata, bahwa Ia benar dan juga membenarkan orang yang percaya kepada Yesus. Jika demikian, apakah dasarnya untuk bermegah? Tidak ada! Berdasarkan apa? Berdasarkan perbuatan? Tidak, melainkan berdasarkan iman! Karena kami yakin, bahwa manusia dibenarkan karena iman, dan bukan karena ia melakukan hukum Taurat.

Roma 5:1,8 Sebab itu, kita yang dibenarkan karena iman, kita hidup dalam damai sejahtera dengan Allah oleh karena Tuhan kita, Yesus Kristus. … Akan tetapi Allah menunjukkan kasih-Nya kepada kita, oleh karena Kristus telah mati untuk kita, ketika kita masih berdosa.

Kitab Ibrani mengemukakan bahwa kematian Kristus merupakan satu-satunya pengorbanan yang berkenan yang dilaksanakan hanya sekali untuk selama-lamanya.

Ibrani 9:11-14 Tetapi Kristus telah datang sebagai Imam Besar untuk hal-hal yang baik yang akan datang: Ia telah melintasi kemah yang lebih besar dan yang lebih sempurna, yang bukan dibuat oleh tangan manusia, --artinya yang tidak termasuk ciptaan ini, -- dan Ia telah masuk satu kali untuk selama-lamanya ke dalam tempat yang kudus bukan dengan membawa darah domba jantan dan darah anak lembu, tetapi dengan membawa darah-Nya sendiri. Dan dengan itu Ia telah mendapat kelepasan yang kekal. Sebab, jika darah domba jantan dan darah lembu jantan dan percikan abu lembu muda menguduskan mereka yang najis, sehingga mereka disucikan secara lahiriah, betapa lebihnya darah Kristus, yang oleh Roh yang kekal telah mempersembahkan diri-Nya sendiri kepada Allah sebagai persembahan yang tak bercacat, akan menyucikan hati nurani kita dari perbuatan-perbuatan yang sia-sia, supaya kita dapat beribadah kepada Allah yang hidup.

Ibrani 9:26-28 Sebab jika demikian Ia harus berulang-ulang menderita sejak dunia ini dijadikan. Tetapi sekarang Ia hanya satu kali saja menyatakan diri-Nya, pada zaman akhir untuk menghapuskan dosa oleh korban-Nya. Dan sama seperti manusia ditetapkan untuk mati hanya satu kali saja, dan sesudah itu dihakimi, demikian pula Kristus hanya satu kali saja mengorbankan diri-Nya untuk menanggung dosa banyak orang. Sesudah itu Ia akan menyatakan diri-Nya sekali lagi tanpa menanggung dosa untuk menganugerahkan keselamatan kepada mereka, yang menantikan Dia.

Ibrani 10:12-14 Tetapi Ia, setelah mempersembahkan hanya satu korban saja karena dosa, Ia duduk untuk selama-lamanya di sebelah kanan Allah, dan sekarang Ia hanya menantikan saatnya, di mana musuh-musuh-Nya akan dijadikan tumpuan kaki-Nya. Sebab oleh satu korban saja Ia telah menyempurnakan untuk selama-lamanya mereka yang Ia kuduskan.

(2) Kristus Bangkit dan Duduk di sebelah Kanan Allah. Argumentasi kedua dalam Roma 8:34 adalah mengenai kebangkitan dan kedudukan Kristus di sebelah kanan Allah Bapa. Ia duduk di sebelah kanan Allah sebagai perantara dan pembela kita ketika kita berbuat dosa atau dituduh berbuat dosa, dan Ia mendoakan kita. Semunya ini dilakukanNya bagi kita berdasarkan karyaNya yang telah dikerjakanNya di atas salib untuk mendamaikan kita dengan Allah.

Wahyu 12:10 Dan aku mendengar suara yang nyaring di sorga berkata: Sekarang telah tiba keselamatan dan kuasa dan pemerintahan Allah kita, dan kekuasaan Dia yang diurapi-Nya, karena telah dilemparkan ke bawah pendakwa saudara-saudara kita, yang mendakwa mereka siang dan malam di hadapan Allah kita.”

Roma 5:10-11 Sebab jikalau kita, ketika masih seteru, diperdamaikan dengan Allah oleh kematian Anak-Nya, lebih-lebih kita, yang sekarang telah diperdamaikan, pasti akan diselamatkan oleh hidup-Nya! Dan bukan hanya itu saja! Kita malah bermegah dalam Allah oleh Yesus Kristus, Tuhan kita, sebab oleh Dia kita telah menerima pendamaian itu.

Ibrani 7:25 Karena itu Ia sanggup juga menyelamatkan dengan sempurna semua orang yang oleh Dia datang kepada Allah. Sebab Ia hidup senantiasa untuk menjadi Pengantara mereka.

Yohanes 17:11 Dan Aku tidak ada lagi di dalam dunia, tetapi mereka masih ada di dalam dunia, dan Aku datang kepada-Mu. Ya Bapa yang kudus, peliharalah mereka dalam nama-Mu, yaitu nama-Mu yang telah Engkau berikan kepada-Ku, supaya mereka menjadi satu sama seperti Kita.

Peran Bapa

Karena tuntutan kesucianNya telah terpenuhi lewat kematian AnakNya, maka perlindungan Allah terhadap keselamatan kita terjamin berdasarkan:

Tujuan dan rencanaNya yang kekal

Keselamatan itu adalah pekerjaan Allah semata. Tak ada sesuatu, termasuk dosa kita, yang dapat menggagalkan tujuan dan rencana Allah yang kekal yang telah merancang penyelamatan kita berdasarkan kasih karuniaNya melalui iman kepada Kristus, AnakNya. Oleh karena tuntutan kesucianNya telah terpenuhi melalui kematian Kristus maka Ia membenarkan setiap orang yang telah menerima dan berimankan Kristus, AnakNya itu.

Efesus 1:3-6 Terpujilah Allah dan Bapa Tuhan kita Yesus Kristus yang dalam Kristus telah mengaruniakan kepada kita segala berkat rohani di dalam sorga. Sebab di dalam Dia Allah telah memilih kita sebelum dunia dijadikan, supaya kita kudus dan tak bercacat di hadapan-Nya. Dalam kasih Ia telah menentukan kita dari semula oleh Yesus Kristus untuk menjadi anak-anak-Nya, sesuai dengan kerelaan kehendak-Nya, supaya terpujilah kasih karunia-Nya yang mulia, yang dikaruniakan-Nya kepada kita di dalam Dia, yang dikasihi-Nya.

Kasih terhadap AnakNya

Keselamatan kita juga terjamin dan aman melalui Pribadi AnakNya dan karyaNya yang sempurna untuk penebusan dosa-dosa kita. Setiap orang yang telah percaya kepadaNya berada “di dalam Dia, yang dikasihiNya,” suatu tempat di mana kasih Allah berdiam, sehingga tak ada sesuatupun yang dapat memisahkan kita lagi dari kasih Allah itu (lihat Ef. 1:3-6 di atas).

Roma 8:39 atau kuasa-kuasa, baik yang di atas, maupun yang di bawah, ataupun sesuatu makhluk lain, tidak akan dapat memisahkan kita dari kasih Allah, yang ada dalam Kristus Yesus, Tuhan kita.

Yohanes 17:11 Dan Aku tidak ada lagi di dalam dunia, tetapi mereka masih ada di dalam dunia, dan Aku datang kepada-Mu. Ya Bapa yang kudus, peliharalah mereka dalam nama-Mu, yaitu nama-Mu yang telah Engkau berikan kepada-Ku, supaya mereka menjadi satu sama seperti Kita.

PekerjaanNya dalam Mendisiplin Kita

Peran Allah dalam mendisiplin kita ketika kita berbuat dosa membuktikan bahwa kita tetap menjadi anakNya. Ketika kita jatuh ke dalam dosa Ia tidak membuang kita melainkan Ia akan mendisplin kita.

Ibrani 12:5-11 Dan sudah lupakah kamu akan nasihat yang berbicara kepada kamu seperti kepada anak-anak: Hai anakku, janganlah anggap enteng didikan Tuhan, dan janganlah putus asa apabila engkau diperingatkan-Nya; karena Tuhan menghajar orang yang dikasihi-Nya, dan Ia menyesah orang yang diakui-Nya sebagai anak. Jika kamu harus menanggung ganjaran; Allah memperlakukan kamu seperti anak. Di manakah terdapat anak yang tidak dihajar oleh ayahnya? Tetapi, jikalau kamu bebas dari ganjaran, yang harus diderita setiap orang, maka kamu bukanlah anak, tetapi anak-anak gampang. Selanjutnya: dari ayah kita yang sebenarnya kita beroleh ganjaran, dan mereka kita hormati; kalau demikian bukankah kita harus lebih taat kepada Bapa segala roh, supaya kita boleh hidup? Sebab mereka mendidik kita dalam waktu yang pendek sesuai dengan apa yang mereka anggap baik, tetapi Dia menghajar kita untuk kebaikan kita, supaya kita beroleh bagian dalam kekudusan-Nya. Memang tiap-tiap ganjaran pada waktu ia diberikan tidak mendatangkan sukacita, tetapi dukacita. Tetapi kemudian ia menghasilkan buah kebenaran yang memberikan damai kepada mereka yang dilatih olehnya.

1 Korintus 5:1-5 Memang orang mendengar, bahwa ada percabulan di antara kamu, dan percabulan yang begitu rupa, seperti yang tidak terdapat sekalipun di antara bangsa-bangsa yang tidak mengenal Allah, yaitu bahwa ada orang yang hidup dengan isteri ayahnya. Sekalipun demikian kamu sombong. Tidakkah lebih patut kamu berdukacita dan menjauhkan orang yang melakukan hal itu dari tengah-tengah kamu? Sebab aku, sekalipun secara badani tidak hadir, tetapi secara rohani hadir, aku--sama seperti aku hadir--telah menjatuhkan hukuman atas dia, yang telah melakukan hal yang semacam itu. Bilamana kita berkumpul dalam roh, kamu bersama-sama dengan aku, dengan kuasa Yesus, Tuhan kita, orang itu harus kita serahkan dalam nama Tuhan Yesus kepada Iblis, sehingga binasa tubuhnya, agar rohnya diselamatkan pada hari Tuhan.

1 Korintus 11:30-32 Sebab itu banyak di antara kamu yang lemah dan sakit, dan tidak sedikit yang meninggal. Kalau kita menguji diri kita sendiri, hukuman tidak menimpa kita. Tetapi kalau kita menerima hukuman dari Tuhan, kita dididik, supaya kita tidak akan dihukum bersama-sama dengan dunia.

Dosa tidak dapat mengubah atau membatalkan hubungan kita dengan Allah sebagai anak-anakNya. Namun perbuatan dosa itu pasti akan berpengaruh terhadap persekutuan kita dengan Dia, keakraban kita dengan Dia, pelayanan kita kepadaNya dan mahkota yang kita akan terima dalam kerajaanNya di masa yang akan datang.

1 Korintus 3:12-15 Entahkah orang membangun di atas dasar ini dengan emas, perak, batu permata, kayu, rumput kering atau jerami, sekali kelak pekerjaan masing-masing orang akan nampak. Karena hari Tuhan akan menyatakannya, sebab ia akan nampak dengan api dan bagaimana pekerjaan masing-masing orang akan diuji oleh api itu. Jika pekerjaan yang dibangun seseorang tahan uji, ia akan mendapat upah. Jika pekerjaannya terbakar, ia akan menderita kerugian, tetapi ia sendiri akan diselamatkan, tetapi seperti dari dalam api.

KuasaNya

Tak ada sesuatu atau seorangpun yang lebih besar dan lebih berkuasa dari Allah Bapa. Ini pula berarti tak ada sesuatu dan seorangpun yang dapat menggagalkan tujuan Allah dalam menyelamatkan kita atau dapat mengeluarkan kita dari lingkup kasih dan pemeliharaanNya (lihat Rom. 8:31-39).

1 Petrus 1:5 Yaitu kamu, yang dipelihara dalam kekuatan Allah karena imanmu sementara kamu menantikan keselamatan yang telah tersedia untuk dinyatakan pada zaman akhir.

Yudas 24 Bagi Dia, yang berkuasa menjaga supaya jangan kamu tersandung dan yang membawa kamu dengan tak bernoda dan penuh kegembiraan di hadapan kemuliaan-Nya.

2 Korintus 5:17-19 Jadi siapa yang ada di dalam Kristus, ia adalah ciptaan baru: yang lama sudah berlalu, sesungguhnya yang baru sudah datang. Dan semuanya ini dari Allah, yang dengan perantaraan Kristus telah mendamaikan kita dengan diri-Nya dan yang telah mempercayakan pelayanan pendamaian itu kepada kami. Sebab Allah mendamaikan dunia dengan diri-Nya oleh Kristus dengan tidak memperhitungkan pelanggaran mereka. Ia telah mempercayakan berita pendamaian itu kepada kami.

Peran Roh Kudus

PekerjaanNya dalam Membaptiskan Kita dengan Roh

Baptisan Roh Kudus adalah pekerjaan Roh Kudus yang bertujuan mempersatukan kita ke dalam tubuh Kristus dan pekerjaan Kristus. Ini juga berarti, apabila orang percaya kehilangan keselamatan berarti tubuh Kristus itu menjadi cacat. Tentu saja ini tidak sesuai dengan ajaran Kitab Suci. Kepada jemaat Korintus yang karnal (duniawi), karena diwarnai dengan berbagai perselisihan, dengki, percabulan, dan mabuk, Paulus menyatakan, “bukankah hal itu menunjukkan, bahwa kamu manusia duniawi dan bahwa kamu hidup secara manusiawi?” (1 Kor. 3:3). Namun Paulus tak meragukan keselamatan mereka dan kehadiran Roh Kudus dalam kehidupan mereka.

1 Korintus 12:12-13 Karena sama seperti tubuh itu satu dan anggota-anggotanya banyak, dan segala anggota itu, sekalipun banyak, merupakan satu tubuh, demikian pula Kristus. Sebab dalam satu Roh kita semua, baik orang Yahudi, maupun orang Yunani, baik budak, maupun orang merdeka, telah dibaptis menjadi satu tubuh dan kita semua diberi minum dari satu Roh.

1 Korintus 3:1 Dan aku, saudara-saudara, pada waktu itu tidak dapat berbicara dengan kamu seperti dengan manusia rohani, tetapi hanya dengan manusia duniawi, yang belum dewasa dalam Kristus.

1 Korintus 1:2 kepada jemaat Allah di Korintus, yaitu mereka yang dikuduskan dalam Kristus Yesus dan yang dipanggil menjadi orang-orang kudus, dengan semua orang di segala tempat, yang berseru kepada nama Tuhan kita Yesus Kristus, yaitu Tuhan mereka dan Tuhan kita.

1 Korintus 6:19-20 Atau tidak tahukah kamu, bahwa tubuhmu adalah bait Roh Kudus yang diam di dalam kamu, Roh Kudus yang kamu peroleh dari Allah, --dan bahwa kamu bukan milik kamu sendiri? Sebab kamu telah dibeli dan harganya telah lunas dibayar: Karena itu muliakanlah Allah dengan tubuhmu!

PekerjaanNya dalam Kelahiran Baru

Peristiwa kelahiran baru merupakan pemberian kehidupan kekal, yang menjadikan orang percaya sebagai ciptaan baru dalam Kristus. Ini tak pernah akan berubah atau menjadi batal. Pertama, karena ini didasarkan pada pekerjaan Kristus, Anak Allah, bukan pada usaha atau pekerjaan kita. Dan kedua, sebagaimana kelahiran jasmani menjadikan kita anak dari orang tua kita sekali untuk selama-lamanya, demikian pula dengan kelahiran rohani.

2 Korintus 5:17 Jadi siapa yang ada di dalam Kristus, ia adalah ciptaan baru: yang lama sudah berlalu, sesungguhnya yang baru sudah datang.

Titus 3:5-7 pada waktu itu Dia telah menyelamatkan kita, bukan karena perbuatan baik yang telah kita lakukan, tetapi karena rahmat-Nya oleh permandian kelahiran kembali dan oleh pembaharuan yang dikerjakan oleh Roh Kudus, yang sudah dilimpahkan-Nya kepada kita oleh Yesus Kristus, Juruselamat kita, supaya kita, sebagai orang yang dibenarkan oleh kasih karunia-Nya, berhak menerima hidup yang kekal, sesuai dengan pengharapan kita.

Yohanes 3:3-8 Yesus menjawab, kata-Nya: Aku berkata kepadamu, sesungguhnya jika seorang tidak dilahirkan kembali, ia tidak dapat melihat Kerajaan Allah. Kata Nikodemus kepada-Nya: Bagaimanakah mungkin seorang dilahirkan, kalau ia sudah tua? Dapatkah ia masuk kembali ke dalam rahim ibunya dan dilahirkan lagi? Jawab Yesus: Aku berkata kepadamu, sesungguhnya jika seorang tidak dilahirkan dari air dan Roh, ia tidak dapat masuk ke dalam Kerajaan Allah. Apa yang dilahirkan dari daging, adalah daging, dan apa yang dilahirkan dari Roh, adalah roh. Janganlah engkau heran, karena Aku berkata kepadamu: Kamu harus dilahirkan kembali. Angin bertiup ke mana ia mau, dan engkau mendengar bunyinya, tetapi engkau tidak tahu dari mana ia datang atau ke mana ia pergi. Demikianlah halnya dengan tiap-tiap orang yang lahir dari Roh.

Yohanes 3:16-18 Karena begitu besar kasih Allah akan dunia ini, sehingga Ia telah mengaruniakan Anak-Nya yang tunggal, supaya setiap orang yang percaya kepada-Nya tidak binasa, melainkan beroleh hidup yang kekal. Sebab Allah mengutus Anak-Nya ke dalam dunia bukan untuk menghakimi dunia, melainkan untuk menyelamatkannya oleh Dia. Barangsiapa percaya kepada-Nya, ia tidak akan dihukum; barangsiapa tidak percaya, ia telah berada di bawah hukuman, sebab ia tidak percaya dalam nama Anak Tunggal Allah.

Sebagaimana telah dibahas sebelumnya, Allah tidak membuang anakNya yang tidak taat melainkan Ia mendisiplin anak-anakNya yang berbuat dosa. Bisa saja disiplinNya itu berbentuk kematian jasmani, namun orang percaya yang dikenai disiplin itu tetap sebagai anakNya (lihat Ibr. 12:5-12 di atas).

PekerjaanNya dalam Mendiami Orang Percaya

Ini menunjukkan pengaruniaan Roh Kudus untuk mendiami orang percaya sebagaimana telah dijanjikan Kristus. Berdiamnya Roh di dalam kita itu bersifat permanen. Roh Kudus diberikan kepada kita untuk selama-lamanya dan diberikan tanpa syarat lain kecuali percaya (beriman) kepada Kristus.

Yohanes 7:37-39 Dan pada hari terakhir, yaitu pada puncak perayaan itu, Yesus berdiri dan berseru: Barangsiapa haus, baiklah ia datang kepada-Ku dan minum! Barangsiapa percaya kepada-Ku, seperti yang dikatakan oleh Kitab Suci: Dari dalam hatinya akan mengalir aliran-aliran air hidup. Yang dimaksudkan-Nya ialah Roh yang akan diterima oleh mereka yang percaya kepada-Nya; sebab Roh itu belum datang, karena Yesus belum dimuliakan.

Yohanes 14:16 Aku akan minta kepada Bapa, dan Ia akan memberikan kepadamu seorang Penolong yang lain, supaya Ia menyertai kamu selama-lamanya.

1 Korintus 6:19 Atau tidak tahukah kamu, bahwa tubuhmu adalah bait Roh Kudus yang diam di dalam kamu, Roh Kudus yang kamu peroleh dari Allah, -- dan bahwa kamu bukan milik kamu sendiri?

Yakobus 4:5 Janganlah kamu menyangka, bahwa Kitab Suci tanpa alasan berkata: Roh yang ditempatkan Allah di dalam diri kita, diingini-Nya dengan cemburu!

Roh Kudus sebagai Meterai

Meterai merupakan gambaran mengenai peran Roh Kudus yang datang untuk mendiami orang percaya. Fungsi meterai pada masa itu merupakan lambang atau bukti : (a) pengesahan sesuatu transaksi, yakni keselamatan kita, (b) kepemilikan sah, bahwa kita telah menjadi milik Allah, dan (c) jaminan sah, bahwa hanya yang memiliki kewenangan yang dapat membatalkan sesuatu yang telah dimeteraikan. Dalam hal ini yang memiliki kewenangan itu tak lain adalah Allah . Namun Ia telah berjanji untuk tidak akan melakukannya.

Efesus 4:30 Dan janganlah kamu mendukakan Roh Kudus Allah, yang telah memeteraikan kamu menjelang hari penyelamatan.

2 Korintus 1:22 memeteraikan tanda milik-Nya atas kita dan yang memberikan Roh Kudus di dalam hati kita sebagai jaminan dari semua yang telah disediakan untuk kita.

Karena itu Paulus menyatakan bahwa orang-orang percaya di Korintus yang karnal (duniawi) sekalipun telah menjadi milik Allah berdasarkan transaksi keselamatan yang telah dikerjakanNya di dalam Kristus untuk mereka.

1 Korintus 6:19-20 Atau tidak tahukah kamu, bahwa tubuhmu adalah bait Roh Kudus yang diam di dalam kamu, Roh Kudus yang kamu peroleh dari Allah, --dan bahwa kamu bukan milik kamu sendiri? Sebab kamu telah dibeli dan harganya telah lunas dibayar: Karena itu muliakanlah Allah dengan tubuhmu!

Roh Kudus sebagai Jaminan

Hal ini sekali lagi merupakan gambaran mengenai peran Roh Kudus terhadap orang-orang percaya. Seperti halnya uang jaminan (uang muka) yang dibayarkan oleh pembeli dalam sebuah transaksi pembelian rumah. Uang muka ini menjadi jaminan akan diadakannya pembayaran penuh oleh sang pembeli pada waktu yang telah ditetapkan. Demikian pula dengan pemberian Roh Kudus kepada orang percaya oleh Allah. Pemberian Roh KudusNya itu menjadi jaminan dari Allah tentang pemenuhan janji-janjiNya di masa yang akan datang. Yakni bahwa kita pada akhirnya akan menerima segala berkat yang terkait dengan keselamatan itu. Istilah “jaminan” dalam ayat-ayat berikut ini menunjuk kepada kepastian pemenuhan janji dalam sesuatu transaksi.

Efesus 1:14 Dan Roh Kudus itu adalah jaminan bagian kita sampai kita memperoleh seluruhnya, yaitu penebusan yang menjadikan kita milik Allah, untuk memuji kemuliaan-Nya.

2 Korintus 1:22 memeteraikan tanda milik-Nya atas kita dan yang memberikan Roh Kudus di dalam hati kita sebagai jaminan dari semua yang telah disediakan untuk kita.

Pendekatan Posisional

Baptisan Roh Kudus berfungsi mempersatukan orang percaya dengan Kristus. Hal ini merupakan posisi rohani yang baru yang diterima oleh setiap orang percaya. Perkataan seperti “di dalam Kristus,” “di dalam Dia, yang dikasihiNya,” yang digunakan berulang kali dalam surat-surat Paulus, menunjuk kepada konsep pemikiran ini. Ini menegaskan bahwa kita telah diselamatkan dan diterima oleh Allah berdasarkan posisi kita atau persatuan kita dengan Kristus.

Efesus 1:3 Terpujilah Allah dan Bapa Tuhan kita Yesus Kristus yang dalam Kristus telah mengaruniakan kepada kita segala berkat rohani di dalam sorga.

Efesus 1:6 supaya terpujilah kasih karunia-Nya yang mulia, yang dikaruniakan-Nya kepada kita di dalam Dia, yang dikasihi-Nya.

Efesus 2:5-6 telah menghidupkan kita bersama-sama dengan Kristus, sekalipun kita telah mati oleh kesalahan-kesalahan kita--oleh kasih karunia kamu diselamatkan-- dan di dalam Kristus Yesus Ia telah membangkitkan kita juga dan memberikan tempat bersama-sama dengan Dia di sorga.

Kolose 2:10 dan kamu telah dipenuhi di dalam Dia. Dialah kepala semua pemerintah dan penguasa.

2 Timotius 2:11-13 Benarlah perkataan ini: Jika kita mati dengan Dia, kitapun akan hidup dengan Dia; jika kita bertekun, kitapun akan ikut memerintah dengan Dia; jika kita menyangkal Dia, Diapun akan menyangkal kita; jika kita tidak setia, Dia tetap setia, karena Dia tidak dapat menyangkal diri-Nya.

Perkataan dalam ayat berikut ini bukan sekedar jaminan saja, melainkan jaminan ganda! Persatuan kita dengan Kristus sekaligus merupakan jaminan terhadap kemuliaan yang pasti akan menjadi bagian kita.

Kolose 3:3-4 Sebab kamu telah mati dan hidupmu tersembunyi bersama dengan Kristus di dalam Allah. Apabila Kristus, yang adalah hidup kita, menyatakan diri kelak, kamupun akan menyatakan diri bersama dengan Dia dalam kemuliaan.

Pendekatan Logika

Apabila sebelum kita bertobat, Allah telah melakukan hal yang sedemikian besar bagi kita ketika kita masih sebagai orang-orang berdosa yang terpisah dari Dia, ketika kita masih sebagai musuh Allah, apalagi sekarang ini ketika kita telah diperdamaikan dan dipersatukan dengan Dia, yang telah dibenarkan di dalam Kristus. Pasti Ia akan melakukan hal-hal yang lebih besar dan lebih banyak lagi bagi kita yang telah menjadi anak-anakNya.

Roma 5:8-10 Akan tetapi Allah menunjukkan kasih-Nya kepada kita, oleh karena Kristus telah mati untuk kita, ketika kita masih berdosa. Lebih-lebih, karena kita sekarang telah dibenarkan oleh darah-Nya, kita pasti akan diselamatkan dari murka Allah. Sebab jikalau kita, ketika masih seteru, diperdamaikan dengan Allah oleh kematian Anak-Nya, lebih-lebih kita, yang sekarang telah diperdamaikan, pasti akan diselamatkan oleh hidup-Nya!

Roma 8:32 Ia, yang tidak menyayangkan Anak-Nya sendiri, tetapi yang menyerahkan-Nya bagi kita semua, bagaimanakah mungkin Ia tidak mengaruniakan segala sesuatu kepada kita bersama-sama dengan Dia?

Pendekatan Tangan Allah

Ada janji khusus yang amat indah dari Tuhan yakni bahwa tak seorangpun (termasuk Setan dan diri kita sendiri) dapat merebut atau merampas kita dari tangan Anak atau Bapa. Kitab Suci menyatakan bahwa kita sekarang berada dalam genggaman tangan Allah yang penuh kuasa Didalam tangan Allah merupakan tempat yang paling aman karena Ia lebih besar dan lebih berkuasa dari siapapun di dunia ini.

Yohanes 10:28-29 an Aku memberikan hidup yang kekal kepada mereka dan mereka pasti tidak akan binasa sampai selama-lamanya dan seorangpun tidak akan merebut mereka dari tangan-Ku. Bapa-Ku, yang memberikan mereka kepada-Ku, lebih besar dari pada siapapun, dan seorangpun tidak dapat merebut mereka dari tangan Bapa.

Pendekatan Tata Bahasa

Penggunaan bentuk waktu lampau (perfect tense) dalam beberapa ayat dalam Perjanjian Baru juga menunjukkan terjaminnya dan amannya keselamatan orang percaya. Makna dari bentuk waktu lampau (perfect tense) dalam bahasa Yunani ditambah dengan konteks dan analogi yang digunakan dalam Kitab Suci juga merupakan argumentasi mengenai terjaminnya keselamatan orang percaya. Bentuk lampau dari kata kerja (perfect tense) menunjukkan suatu tindakan atau peristiwa yang telah selesai dikerjakan pada masa lampau, namun efek dari tindakanNya itu berpengaruh pada masa sekarang, yakni pada saat pembicara mengucapkannya. Jadi hal ini ada kaitannya dengan keadaan sekarang. Kata kerja dalam ayat-ayat berikut yang menggunakan bentuk lampau (perfect tense) menegaskan terjaminnya keselamatan orang percaya.

Yohanes 5:24 Aku berkata kepadamu: Sesungguhnya barangsiapa mendengar perkataan-Ku dan percaya kepada Dia yang mengutus Aku, ia mempunyai hidup yang kekal dan tidak turut dihukum, sebab ia sudah pindah dari dalam maut ke dalam hidup.

Roma 5:2 Oleh Dia kita juga beroleh jalan masuk oleh iman kepada kasih karunia ini. Di dalam kasih karunia ini kita berdiri dan kita bermegah dalam pengharapan akan menerima kemuliaan Allah.

1 Korintus 1:2 kepada jemaat Allah di Korintus, yaitu mereka yang dikuduskan dalam Kristus Yesus dan yang dipanggil menjadi orang-orang kudus, dengan semua orang di segala tempat, yang berseru kepada nama Tuhan kita Yesus Kristus, yaitu Tuhan mereka dan Tuhan kita.

Efesus 2:8 Sebab karena kasih karunia kamu diselamatkan oleh iman; itu bukan hasil usahamu, tetapi pemberian Allah.

Pendekatan Kasih Karunia

Argumentasinya adalah ini. Perjanjian Baru jelas menyatakan bahwa kita diselamatkan karena kasih karunia melalui iman, dan keselamatan bukanlah hasil pekerjaan atau perbuatan amal kita. Namun andaikata setelah kita percaya kepada Kristus dan menerima karyaNya, lalu kita kehilangan keselamatan akibat sesuatu perbuatan yang kita lakukan atau tidak lakukan, maka itu sama dengan mengatakan bahwa kita diselamatkan oleh perbuatan-perbuatan kita. Tentu saja hal ini sangat bertentangan dengan ajaran Perjanjian Baru (lihat juga Rom. 4:1-5; 11:6).

Efesus 2:8-9 Sebab karena kasih karunia kamu diselamatkan oleh iman; itu bukan hasil usahamu, tetapi pemberian Allah, itu bukan hasil pekerjaanmu: jangan ada orang yang memegahkan diri.

Titus 3:5 pada waktu itu Dia telah menyelamatkan kita, bukan karena perbuatan baik yang telah kita lakukan, tetapi karena rahmat-Nya oleh permandian kelahiran kembali dan oleh pembaharuan yang dikerjakan oleh Roh Kudus.

Pendekatan Mengenai Dosa Apa

Pendekatan yang dimaksudkan di sini adalah mengenai pertanyaan, Dosa apa yang dapat menyebabkan seseorang kehilangan keselamatannya? Setiap dosa pasti tidak mencapai sasaran kekudusan Allah yang sempurna yang telah ditetapkanNya. Terlepas dari tingkat kedewasaan rohani atau hubungan seseorang dengan Tuhan, tak ada yang sempurna menurut ukuran Allah. Kita semua, tanpa kecuali, sadar atau tidak, pasti ada kekurangan dan kelemahan (istilah-istilah yang digunakan manusia untuk memperhalus dosa). Dan setiap dosa, besar atau kecil, menurut definisi Kitab Suci, tidak mencapai sasaran kemuliaan Allah.

1 Yohanes 1:8-10 Jika kita berkata, bahwa kita tidak berdosa, maka kita menipu diri kita sendiri dan kebenaran tidak ada di dalam kita. Jika kita mengaku dosa kita, maka Ia adalah setia dan adil, sehingga Ia akan mengampuni segala dosa kita dan menyucikan kita dari segala kejahatan. Jika kita berkata, bahwa kita tidak ada berbuat dosa, maka kita membuat Dia menjadi pendusta dan firman-Nya tidak ada di dalam kita.

Jika demikian, di mana kita harus menarik garisnya? Dengan kata lain, dosa apa yang menghilangkan keselamatan dan dosa apa yang tidak menghilangkan keselamatan? Mereka yang berpendapat bahwa orang percaya dapat kehilangan keselamatan cenderung memilah-milah dosa, seolah-olah Allah membiarkan dosa-dosa yang satu dan menghukum dosa-dosa yang lain. Akhirnya yang dipermasalahkan adalah mengenai tingkat dosa, sehingga pertanyaan yang muncul adalah dosa yang bagaimana yang menyebabkan seseorang kehilangan keselamatan? Manusia sering membeda-bedakan dosa menurut tingkatannya, namun pembedaan itu sama sekali tidak sesuai dengan cara pandang Allah mengenai dosa. Bagi Allah dosa, besar atau kecil, tetap dosa.

Amsal 6:16-19 Enam perkara ini yang dibenci TUHAN, bahkan, tujuh perkara yang menjadi kekejian bagi hati-Nya: mata sombong, lidah dusta, tangan yang menumpahkan darah orang yang tidak bersalah, hati yang membuat rencana-rencana yang jahat, kaki yang segera lari menuju kejahatan, seorang saksi dusta yang menyembur-nyemburkan kebohongan dan yang menimbulkan pertengkaran saudara.

Ayat-ayat Problematik

Bagaimana dengan ayat-ayat yang sering dianggap mengajarkan mengenai kehilangan keselamatan? Pelajaran ini tak bermaksud membahas semua ayat-ayat itu. Namun bila dicermati dengan saksama, dengan memperhatikan konteks dekat maupun konteks seluruh Perjanjian Baru, dan memperhatikan analogi iman, sesungguhnya tak ada dari ayat-ayat itu yang mengajarkan bahwa orang percaya dapat kehilangan keselamatan.

Analogi Iman

Analogi iman merupakan prinsip hermeneutika (ilmu penafsiran) yang mengajarkan bahwa ayat-ayat yang kurang jelas harus diartikan berdasarkan ayat-ayat yang jelas, bukan sebaliknya. Saya yakin mereka yang mempercayai keselamatan bisa hilang, atau yang mengajarkan keselamatan KeTuhanan (Lordsship salvation), telah mengabaikan prinsip ini.

Ada dua cara mereka mengabaikan prinsip ini :

(1) Mereka mendasarkan pemahaman akan Injil pada ayat-ayat yang kurang jelas, bukannya kepada ayat-ayat jelas yang jumlahnya sangat banyak.

(2) Mereka tidak mau menggunakan prinsip-prinsip penafsiran yang benar terhadap ayat-ayat yang jelas dengan mengartikannya menurut pandangan keliru tentang ayat-ayat yang tak jelas atau sulit.

Kategori-kategori Ayat-Ayat Sulit

Ayat-ayat problematik (ayat-ayat yang dianggap mengajarkan bahwa orang-orang percaya bisa kehilangan keselamatan, atau yang dianggap mengajarkan bahwa orang-orang seperti itu sama sekali belum selamat atau dianggap mengajarkan bahwa orang percaya tak boleh melakukan perbuatan-perbuatan tertentu) sebenarnya dapat dikategorikan pada salah satu kategori di bawah ini. Juga sebenarnya ayat-ayat itu sama sekali tidak bersangkut paut dengan keselamatan kekal:

(1) Ayat-ayat yang berkaitan dengan Bema (Takhta Pengadilan Kristus) yang memperingatkan orang percaya mengenai kemungkinan kehilangan pahala, bukan kehilangan keselamatan.

1 Korintus 3:12-15 Entahkah orang membangun di atas dasar ini dengan emas, perak, batu permata, kayu, rumput kering atau jerami, sekali kelak pekerjaan masing-masing orang akan nampak. Karena hari Tuhan akan menyatakannya, sebab ia akan nampak dengan api dan bagaimana pekerjaan masing-masing orang akan diuji oleh api itu. Jika pekerjaan yang dibangun seseorang tahan uji, ia akan mendapat upah. Jika pekerjaannya terbakar, ia akan menderita kerugian, tetapi ia sendiri akan diselamatkan, tetapi seperti dari dalam api.

1 Korintus 9:25-27 Tiap-tiap orang yang turut mengambil bagian dalam pertandingan, menguasai dirinya dalam segala hal. Mereka berbuat demikian untuk memperoleh suatu mahkota yang fana, tetapi kita untuk memperoleh suatu mahkota yang abadi. Sebab itu aku tidak berlari tanpa tujuan dan aku bukan petinju yang sembarangan saja memukul. Tetapi aku melatih tubuhku dan menguasainya seluruhnya, supaya sesudah memberitakan Injil kepada orang lain, jangan aku sendiri ditolak.

(2) Ayat-ayat yang memperingatkan tentang dahsyatnya disiplin dari Allah terhadap orang-orang yang melalaikan kasih karunia (anugerah) Allah.

1 Korintus 3:16-17 Tidak tahukah kamu, bahwa kamu adalah bait Allah dan bahwa Roh Allah diam di dalam kamu? Jika ada orang yang membinasakan bait Allah, maka Allah akan membinasakan dia. Sebab bait Allah adalah kudus dan bait Allah itu ialah kamu.

Ibrani 6:1-6 Sebab itu marilah kita tinggalkan asas-asas pertama dari ajaran tentang Kristus dan beralih kepada perkembangannya yang penuh. Janganlah kita meletakkan lagi dasar pertobatan dari perbuatan-perbuatan yang sia-sia, dan dasar kepercayaan kepada Allah, yaitu ajaran tentang pelbagai pembaptisan, penumpangan tangan, kebangkitan orang-orang mati dan hukuman kekal. Dan itulah yang akan kita perbuat, jika Allah mengizinkannya. Sebab mereka yang pernah diterangi hatinya, yang pernah mengecap karunia sorgawi, dan yang pernah mendapat bagian dalam Roh Kudus, dan yang mengecap firman yang baik dari Allah dan karunia-karunia dunia yang akan datang, namun yang murtad lagi, tidak mungkin dibaharui sekali lagi sedemikian, hingga mereka bertobat, sebab mereka menyalibkan lagi Anak Allah bagi diri mereka dan menghina-Nya di muka umum.

Ibrani 10:23-31 Marilah kita teguh berpegang pada pengakuan tentang pengharapan kita, sebab Ia, yang menjanjikannya, setia. Dan marilah kita saling memperhatikan supaya kita saling mendorong dalam kasih dan dalam pekerjaan baik. Janganlah kita menjauhkan diri dari pertemuan-pertemuan ibadah kita, seperti dibiasakan oleh beberapa orang, tetapi marilah kita saling menasihati, dan semakin giat melakukannya menjelang hari Tuhan yang mendekat. Sebab jika kita sengaja berbuat dosa, sesudah memperoleh pengetahuan tentang kebenaran, maka tidak ada lagi korban untuk menghapus dosa itu. Tetapi yang ada ialah kematian yang mengerikan akan penghakiman dan api yang dahsyat yang akan menghanguskan semua orang durhaka. Jika ada orang yang menolak hukum Musa, ia dihukum mati tanpa belas kasihan atas keterangan dua atau tiga orang saksi. Betapa lebih beratnya hukuman yang harus dijatuhkan atas dia, yang menginjak-injak Anak Allah, yang menganggap najis darah perjanjian yang menguduskannya, dan yang menghina Roh kasih karunia? Sebab kita mengenal Dia yang berkata: Pembalasan adalah hak-Ku. Akulah yang akan menuntut pembalasan. Dan lagi: Tuhan akan menghakimi umat-Nya. Ngeri benar, kalau jatuh ke dalam tangan Allah yang hidup.

(3) Ayat-ayat yang menggambarkan perilaku anak-anak Allah, yang seharusnya mewarnai kehidupan anak-anak Allah. Termasuk di dalamnya adalah ayat-ayat yang menggambarkan sifat dan kondisi orang-orang yang tidak percaya sebagai pendorong untuk mengejar kesalehan atau kekudusan dan menjalani kehidupan sesuai dengan posisi kita di dalam Kristus. Ayat-ayat ini tidak mengancam hilangnya keselamatan dan juga tidak mengajak kita untuk meragukan atau mempertanyakan keselamatan kita, melainkan mengajak kita untuk hidup sebagaimana layaknya orang-orang yang berada di dalam Kristus. Misalnya, bandingkan dengan Efesus 5:1-12.

Sebab itu jadilah penurut-penurut Allah, seperti anak-anak yang kekasih dan hiduplah di dalam kasih, sebagaimana Kristus Yesus juga telah mengasihi kamu dan telah menyerahkan diri-Nya untuk kita sebagai persembahan dan korban yang harum bagi Allah. Tetapi percabulan dan rupa-rupa kecemaran atau keserakahan disebut sajapun jangan di antara kamu, sebagaimana sepatutnya bagi orang-orang kudus. Demikian juga perkataan yang kotor, yang kosong atau yang sembrono--karena hal-hal ini tidak pantas--tetapi sebaliknya ucapkanlah syukur. Karena ingatlah ini baik-baik: tidak ada orang sundal, orang cemar atau orang serakah, artinya penyembah berhala, yang mendapat bagian di dalam Kerajaan Kristus dan Allah. Janganlah kamu disesatkan orang dengan kata-kata yang hampa, karena hal-hal yang demikian mendatangkan murka Allah atas orang-orang durhaka. Sebab itu janganlah kamu berkawan dengan mereka. Memang dahulu kamu adalah kegelapan, tetapi sekarang kamu adalah terang di dalam Tuhan. Sebab itu hiduplah sebagai anak-anak terang, karena terang hanya berbuahkan kebaikan dan keadilan dan kebenaran, dan ujilah apa yang berkenan kepada Tuhan. Janganlah turut mengambil bagian dalam perbuatan-perbuatan kegelapan yang tidak berbuahkan apa-apa, tetapi sebaliknya telanjangilah perbuatan-perbuatan itu. Sebab menyebutkan sajapun apa yang dibuat oleh mereka di tempat-tempat yang tersembunyi telah memalukan.

Argumentasi 1 Yohanes 3:6 dst.

1 Yohanes 3:6-10 Karena itu setiap orang yang tetap berada di dalam Dia, tidak berbuat dosa lagi; setiap orang yang tetap berbuat dosa, tidak melihat dan tidak mengenal Dia. Anak-anakku, janganlah membiarkan seorangpun menyesatkan kamu. Barangsiapa yang berbuat kebenaran adalah benar, sama seperti Kristus adalah benar; barangsiapa yang tetap berbuat dosa, berasal dari Iblis, sebab Iblis berbuat dosa dari mulanya. Untuk inilah Anak Allah menyatakan diri-Nya, yaitu supaya Ia membinasakan perbuatan-perbuatan Iblis itu. Setiap orang yang lahir dari Allah, tidak berbuat dosa lagi; sebab benih ilahi tetap ada di dalam dia dan ia tidak dapat berbuat dosa, karena ia lahir dari Allah. Inilah tandanya anak-anak Allah dan anak-anak Iblis: setiap orang yang tidak berbuat kebenaran, tidak berasal dari Allah, demikian juga barangsiapa yang tidak mengasihi saudaranya.

Konteks I Yohanes 3:6 berbicara tentang alasan mengapa orang-orang percaya tidak boleh berbuat dosa. Dalam ayat ini Yohanes mengemukakan beberapa alasan namun tidak mempersoalkan keselamatan orang percaya melainkan memotivasi atau mendorong orang-orang percaya agar berjalan dalam terang. Namun pertanyaan yang muncul adalah apakah 1 Yohanes 3:6b mengindikasikan bahwa orang yang di dalam Dia, orang beriman kepada Kristus, tak pernah akan berbuat dosa lagi? Pemikiran ini seperti ini tentu saja bertentangan dengan 1 Yohanes 1:8 dan 10 dan 5:16. Sebagai manusia yang lemah dan tidak sempurna tentu saja orang percaya pun tak lepas dari perbuatan dosa. Jika demikian apa maksud Yohanes dalam ayat ini?

Sebagai ilustrasi, andaikata seorang anak mencuri permen di sebuah supermarket. Kemudian ibunya mendapatinya berbuat hal itu, lalu ia mengatakan kepada anaknya, “anggota keluarga kita tidak biasa mencuri, ngerti?” Masuk akalkah ucapan ibu itu? Namun ternyata anaknya sebagai salah satu anggota keluarga telah melakukan perbuatan itu. Apa sebenarnya maksud ibu itu? Maksudnya ialah bahwa mencuri adalah perbuatan yang bertentangan dengan standard moral yang berlaku dalam keluarga, karena itu anak itu harus menyadarinya dan tidak boleh melakukan perbuatan seperti itu. Ibu itu tidak mengatakan bahwa ia telah berkeliling dan menanyakan satu per satu anggota keluarganya dan mendapati bahwa tak seorangpun dari mereka yang pernah mencuri. Tidak. Namun yang ia ingin tunjukkan dalam kasus ini adalah mengenai standard moral yang berlaku dalam keluarga mereka sebagai dorongan atau motivasi bagi anaknya.

Yohanes di sini mengemukakan hal yang sama. Inilah standardnya, sebagai anggota keluarga Allah, kita tidak berbuat dosa, dan kita harus ingat akan standard ini. Ia tidak menyangkal fakta bahwa orang-orang percaya masih berbuat dosa atau bisa jatuh ke dalam dosa. Untuk lebih memperjelas kebenaran ini maka ayat ini diikuti dengan beberapa alasan dan ilustrasi mengenai dosa yang terjadi di dalam kehidupan orang-orang percaya.

Motivasi atau dorongan lain yang dikemukakan Yohanes terdapat dalam ayat 9: “Setiap orang yang lahir dari Allah, tidak berbuat dosa lagi; sebab benih ilahi tetap ada di dalam dia dan ia tidak dapat berbuat dosa, karena ia lahir dari Allah.” Ayat ini tidak berarti bahwa orang-orang percaya tidak dapat berbuat dosa lagi. Pemikiran ini sekali lagi bertentangan dengan ayat-ayat di atas tadi.

Ada yang mengartikan ayat ini bahwa Yohanes bermaksud mengatakan bahwa orang-orang Kristen tak dapat berbuat dosa atau tidak biasa berbuat dosa. Apakah ini yang dimaksudkan Yohanes? Saya yakin bukan itu maksudnya. Pengertian “berbuat” sebagai kebiasaan (present tense) merupakan pengertian yang keliru. Apabila ini yang dimaksudkan Yohanes, maka bagaimana istilah Yunani prass, yang digunakan Yohanes dalam ayat-ayat berikut ini.

Yohanes 3:20 Sebab barangsiapa berbuat jahat (prasso), membenci terang dan tidak datang kepada terang itu, supaya perbuatan-perbuatannya yang jahat itu tidak nampak.

Yohanes 5:29 dan mereka yang telah berbuat baik akan keluar dan bangkit untuk hidup yang kekal, tetapi mereka yang telah berbuat jahat (prasso) akan bangkit untuk dihukum.

Kalau begitu apa yang dimaksud Yohanes dalam ayat ini? Istilah “tidak dapat berbuat dosa” tidak berarti tak mampu berbuat (melakukan). Perkataan ini dapat juga berarti tidak mau. Ayat-ayat lain dalam Perjanjian Baru berikut ini menjelaskannya:

Lukas 11:5-7 Lalu kata-Nya kepada mereka: Jika seorang di antara kamu pada tengah malam pergi ke rumah seorang sahabatnya dan berkata kepadanya: Saudara, pinjamkanlah kepadaku tiga roti, sebab seorang sahabatku yang sedang berada dalam perjalanan singgah ke rumahku dan aku tidak mempunyai apa-apa untuk dihidangkan kepadanya; masakan ia yang di dalam rumah itu akan menjawab: Jangan mengganggu aku, pintu sudah tertutup dan aku serta anak-anakku sudah tidur; aku tidak dapat bangun dan memberikannya kepada saudara.

Lukas 14:20 Yang lain lagi berkata: Aku baru kawin dan karena itu aku tidak dapat datang.

Markus 1:45 Tetapi orang itu pergi memberitakan peristiwa itu dan menyebarkannya kemana-mana, sehingga Yesus tidak dapat lagi terang-terangan masuk ke dalam kota. Ia tinggal di luar di tempat-tempat yang sepi; namun orang terus juga datang kepada-Nya dari segala penjuru.

Markus 6:3-5 Bukankah Ia ini tukang kayu, anak Maria, saudara Yakobus, Yoses, Yudas dan Simon? Dan bukankah saudara-saudara-Nya yang perempuan ada bersama kita? Lalu mereka kecewa dan menolak Dia. Maka Yesus berkata kepada mereka: Seorang nabi dihormati di mana-mana kecuali di tempat asalnya sendiri, di antara kaum keluarganya dan di rumahnya. Ia tidak dapat mengadakan satu mujizatpun di sana, kecuali menyembuhkan beberapa orang sakit dengan meletakkan tangan-Nya atas mereka.

1 Korintus 10:21 Kamu tidak dapat minum dari cawan Tuhan dan juga dari cawan roh-roh jahat. Kamu tidak dapat mendapat bagian dalam perjamuan Tuhan dan juga dalam perjamuan roh-roh jahat.

I Yohanes 3 bermaksud menyatakan bahwa kita tidak mau berbuat dosa lagi karena kita telah lahir dari Allah dan memiliki sifat Allah. Ini pulalah arti yang terdapat dalam Roma 6:1-10 yang ditulis setelah Paulus menulis 5:20-21.

Sebagai contoh, andaikata dokter memberitahu seorang perokok yang telah terkena gangguan tenggorokan, “Anda tidak dapat merokok lagi.” Ini bukan berarti orang itu tak dapat merokok lagi melainkan ia tidak mau merokok lagi karena merokok itu akan mengakibatkan gangguan yang lebih parah lagi terhadap kesehatannya.

Jelas terlihat dalam kehidupan Raja Daud, yang dijuluki orang yang sangat dekat dengan Allah, bahwa orang percaya masih dapat jatuh atau terjerumus ke dalam dosa untuk jangka waktu yang lama. Demikian pula orang-orang percaya di dalam Kristus pun (dengan segala hal yang mereka telah miliki di dalam Kristus), yang hidup dalam dosa sehingga perilaku hidupnya menyerupai orang-orang yang tidak percaya, perilaku seperti ini merupakan hal yang aneh dan tidak masuk akal lagi karena bertentangan dengan posisinya yang sebenarnya di dalam Kristus. Hidup dalam dosa bagi orang percaya akan membawa konsekuensi yang dahsyat, bahkan bisa membawanya kepada perbuatan dosa yang mendatangkan maut, sebagai bentuk disiplin Allah untuk menghentikannya dari berbuat dosa terus menerus.

1 Korintus 11:27-32 Jadi barangsiapa dengan cara yang tidak layak makan roti atau minum cawan Tuhan, ia berdosa terhadap tubuh dan darah Tuhan. Karena itu hendaklah tiap-tiap orang menguji dirinya sendiri dan baru sesudah itu ia makan roti dan minum dari cawan itu. Karena barangsiapa makan dan minum tanpa mengakui tubuh Tuhan, ia mendatangkan hukuman atas dirinya. Sebab itu banyak di antara kamu yang lemah dan sakit, dan tidak sedikit yang meninggal. Kalau kita menguji diri kita sendiri, hukuman tidak menimpa kita. Tetapi kalau kita menerima hukuman dari Tuhan, kita dididik, supaya kita tidak akan dihukum bersama-sama dengan dunia.

1 Yohanes 5:16-17 Kalau ada seorang melihat saudaranya berbuat dosa, yaitu dosa yang tidak mendatangkan maut, hendaklah ia berdoa kepada Allah dan Dia akan memberikan hidup kepadanya, yaitu mereka, yang berbuat dosa yang tidak mendatangkan maut. Ada dosa yang mendatangkan maut: tentang itu tidak kukatakan, bahwa ia harus berdoa. Semua kejahatan adalah dosa, tetapi ada dosa yang tidak mendatangkan maut.

Konsekuensi Hidup dalam Dosa

Ayat-ayat kunci:

Mazmur 66:18 Seandainya ada niat jahat dalam hatiku, tentulah Tuhan tidak mau mendengar.

Mazmur 32:3-4 Selama aku berdiam diri, tulang-tulangku menjadi lesu karena aku mengeluh sepanjang hari; sebab siang malam tangan-Mu menekan aku dengan berat, sumsumku menjadi kering, seperti oleh teriknya musim panas.

1 Yohanes 1:6 Jika kita katakan, bahwa kita beroleh persekutuan dengan Dia, namun kita hidup di dalam kegelapan, kita berdusta dan kita tidak melakukan kebenaran.

(1) Kehilangan persekutuan dengan Tuhan plus kehilangan kontrol Roh Kudus dan buah Roh dalam kehidupannya (lihat 1 Yoh. 1:5-7). Dosa selalu mendukakan dan memadamkan Roh (Ef. 4:30; 1 Tes. 5:19). Dosa juga akan mempengaruhi kehidupan doa kita (Maz. 66:18), kesaksian kita (Kisah 1:8), semangat mempelajari Firman Allah (1 Kor. 2:10-16; Ef. 3:16 dst.). Semua hal ini merupakan pelayanan Roh Kudus dalam kehidupan orang percaya. Jika orang percaya berbuat dosa terus maka pelayanan Roh Kudus pada akhirnya akan berubah dari pelayanan yang memberdayakan menjadi pelayanan menginsafkan.

1 Yohanes 1:5-7 Dan inilah berita, yang telah kami dengar dari Dia, dan yang kami sampaikan kepada kamu: Allah adalah terang dan di dalam Dia sama sekali tidak ada kegelapan. Jika kita katakan, bahwa kita beroleh persekutuan dengan Dia, namun kita hidup di dalam kegelapan, kita berdusta dan kita tidak melakukan kebenaran. Tetapi jika kita hidup di dalam terang sama seperti Dia ada di dalam terang, maka kita beroleh persekutuan seorang dengan yang lain, dan darah Yesus, Anak-Nya itu, menyucikan kita dari pada segala dosa.

Efesus 4:30 Dan janganlah kamu mendukakan Roh Kudus Allah, yang telah memeteraikan kamu menjelang hari penyelamatan.

1 Tesalonika 5:19 Janganlah padamkan Roh.

Mazmur 66:18 Seandainya ada niat jahat dalam hatiku, tentulah Tuhan tidak mau mendengar.

Kisah 1:8 Tetapi kamu akan menerima kuasa, kalau Roh Kudus turun ke atas kamu, dan kamu akan menjadi saksi-Ku di Yerusalem dan di seluruh Yudea dan Samaria dan sampai ke ujung bumi.

1 Korintus 2:10-16 Karena kepada kita Allah telah menyatakannya oleh Roh, sebab Roh menyelidiki segala sesuatu, bahkan hal-hal yang tersembunyi dalam diri Allah. Siapa gerangan di antara manusia yang tahu, apa yang terdapat di dalam diri manusia selain roh manusia sendiri yang ada di dalam dia? Demikian pulalah tidak ada orang yang tahu, apa yang terdapat di dalam diri Allah selain Roh Allah. Kita tidak menerima roh dunia, tetapi roh yang berasal dari Allah, supaya kita tahu, apa yang dikaruniakan Allah kepada kita. Dan karena kami menafsirkan hal-hal rohani kepada mereka yang mempunyai Roh, kami berkata-kata tentang karunia-karunia Allah dengan perkataan yang bukan diajarkan kepada kami oleh hikmat manusia, tetapi oleh Roh. Tetapi manusia duniawi tidak menerima apa yang berasal dari Roh Allah, karena hal itu baginya adalah suatu kebodohan; dan ia tidak dapat memahaminya, sebab hal itu hanya dapat dinilai secara rohani. Tetapi manusia rohani menilai segala sesuatu, tetapi ia sendiri tidak dinilai oleh orang lain. Sebab: Siapakah yang mengetahui pikiran Tuhan, sehingga ia dapat menasihati Dia? Tetapi kami memiliki pikiran Kristus.

Efesus 3:16-19 Aku berdoa supaya Ia, menurut kekayaan kemuliaan-Nya, menguatkan dan meneguhkan kamu oleh Roh-Nya di dalam batinmu, sehingga oleh imanmu Kristus diam di dalam hatimu dan kamu berakar serta berdasar di dalam kasih. Aku berdoa, supaya kamu bersama-sama dengan segala orang kudus dapat memahami, betapa lebarnya dan panjangnya dan tingginya dan dalamnya kasih Kristus, dan dapat mengenal kasih itu, sekalipun ia melampaui segala pengetahuan. Aku berdoa, supaya kamu dipenuhi di dalam seluruh kepenuhan Allah.

(2) Kekecewaan, kehilangan sukacita, karena kita dikendalikan oleh sifat lama (dosa).

Mazmur 32:3-4 Selama aku berdiam diri, tulang-tulangku menjadi lesu karena aku mengeluh sepanjang hari; sebab siang malam tangan-Mu menekan aku dengan berat, sumsumku menjadi kering, seperti oleh teriknya musim panas.

(3) Menyia-nyiakan sumber-sumber spiritual, mental, dan fisikal.

Efesus 5:18 Dan janganlah kamu mabuk oleh anggur, karena anggur menimbulkan hawa nafsu, tetapi hendaklah kamu penuh dengan Roh,

(4) Munculnya dan meningkatnya perbuatan-perbuatan daging dengan segala akibatnya yang dahsyat.

Galatia 5:19-21 Perbuatan daging telah nyata, yaitu: percabulan, kecemaran, hawa nafsu, penyembahan berhala, sihir, perseteruan, perselisihan, iri hati, amarah, kepentingan diri sendiri, percideraan, roh pemecah, kedengkian, kemabukan, pesta pora dan sebagainya. Terhadap semuanya itu kuperingatkan kamu--seperti yang telah kubuat dahulu--bahwa barangsiapa melakukan hal-hal yang demikian, ia tidak akan mendapat bagian dalam Kerajaan Allah.

Galatia 5:26 dan janganlah kita gila hormat, janganlah kita saling menantang dan saling mendengki.

(5) Disiplin ilahi, ganjaran Allah ditimpakan untuk menyadarkan kita.

Ibrani 12:5-10 Dan sudah lupakah kamu akan nasihat yang berbicara kepada kamu seperti kepada anak-anak: Hai anakku, janganlah anggap enteng didikan Tuhan, dan janganlah putus asa apabila engkau diperingatkan-Nya; karena Tuhan menghajar orang yang dikasihi-Nya, dan Ia menyesah orang yang diakui-Nya sebagai anak. Jika kamu harus menanggung ganjaran; Allah memperlakukan kamu seperti anak. Di manakah terdapat anak yang tidak dihajar oleh ayahnya? Tetapi, jikalau kamu bebas dari ganjaran, yang harus diderita setiap orang, maka kamu bukanlah anak, tetapi anak-anak gampang. Selanjutnya: dari ayah kita yang sebenarnya kita beroleh ganjaran, dan mereka kita hormati; kalau demikian bukankah kita harus lebih taat kepada Bapa segala roh, supaya kita boleh hidup? Sebab mereka mendidik kita dalam waktu yang pendek sesuai dengan apa yang mereka anggap baik, tetapi Dia menghajar kita untuk kebaikan kita, supaya kita beroleh bagian dalam kekudusan-Nya.

1 Korintus 11:29-32 Karena barangsiapa makan dan minum tanpa mengakui tubuh Tuhan, ia mendatangkan hukuman atas dirinya. Sebab itu banyak di antara kamu yang lemah dan sakit, dan tidak sedikit yang meninggal. Kalau kita menguji diri kita sendiri, hukuman tidak menimpa kita. Tetapi kalau kita menerima hukuman dari Tuhan, kita dididik, supaya kita tidak akan dihukum bersama-sama dengan dunia.

Mazmur 32:4 Sebab siang malam tangan-Mu menekan aku dengan berat, sumsumku menjadi kering, seperti oleh teriknya musim panas.

(6) Hubungan-hubungan yang rusak dengan segala efek negatifnya terhadap orang-orang di sekitar kita, khususnya keluarga kita.

Galatia 5:15 Tetapi jikalau kamu saling menggigit dan saling menelan, awaslah, supaya jangan kamu saling membinasakan.

Ibrani 12:15 Jagalah supaya jangan ada seorangpun menjauhkan diri dari kasih karunia Allah, agar jangan tumbuh akar yang pahit yang menimbulkan kerusuhan dan yang mencemarkan banyak orang.

(7) Pudarnya kesaksian kepada dunia dan perbuatan-perbuatan yang mempermalukan Tuhan.

1 Petrus 2:12-15 Milikilah cara hidup yang baik di tengah-tengah bangsa-bangsa bukan Yahudi, supaya apabila mereka memfitnah kamu sebagai orang durjana, mereka dapat melihatnya dari perbuatan-perbuatanmu yang baik dan memuliakan Allah pada hari Ia melawat mereka. Tunduklah, karena Allah, kepada semua lembaga manusia, baik kepada raja sebagai pemegang kekuasaan yang tertinggi, maupun kepada wali-wali yang diutusnya untuk menghukum orang-orang yang berbuat jahat dan menghormati orang-orang yang berbuat baik. Sebab inilah kehendak Allah, yaitu supaya dengan berbuat baik kamu membungkamkan kepicikan orang-orang yang bodoh.

1 Petrus 3:15-17 Tetapi kuduskanlah Kristus di dalam hatimu sebagai Tuhan! Dan siap sedialah pada segala waktu untuk memberi pertanggungan jawab kepada tiap-tiap orang yang meminta pertanggungan jawab dari kamu tentang pengharapan yang ada padamu, tetapi haruslah dengan lemah lembut dan hormat, dan dengan hati nurani yang murni, supaya mereka, yang memfitnah kamu karena hidupmu yang saleh dalam Kristus, menjadi malu karena fitnahan mereka itu. Sebab lebih baik menderita karena berbuat baik, jika hal itu dikehendaki Allah, dari pada menderita karena berbuat jahat.

1 Petrus 4:15-16 Janganlah ada di antara kamu yang harus menderita sebagai pembunuh atau pencuri atau penjahat, atau pengacau. Tetapi, jika ia menderita sebagai orang Kristen, maka janganlah ia malu, melainkan hendaklah ia memuliakan Allah dalam nama Kristus itu.

(8) Kehilangan pahala ketika menghadap Bema (Takhta Pengadilan Kristus).

1 Korintus 3:12-15 Entahkah orang membangun di atas dasar ini dengan emas, perak, batu permata, kayu, rumput kering atau jerami, sekali kelak pekerjaan masing-masing orang akan nampak. Karena hari Tuhan akan menyatakannya, sebab ia akan nampak dengan api dan bagaimana pekerjaan masing-masing orang akan diuji oleh api itu. Jika pekerjaan yang dibangun seseorang tahan uji, ia akan mendapat upah. Jika pekerjaannya terbakar, ia akan menderita kerugian, tetapi ia sendiri akan diselamatkan, tetapi seperti dari dalam api.

2 Korintus 5:10 Sebab kita semua harus menghadap takhta pengadilan Kristus, supaya setiap orang memperoleh apa yang patut diterimanya, sesuai dengan yang dilakukannya dalam hidupnya ini, baik ataupun jahat.

Konsekuensi-konsekuensi Lain

Selain akibat-akibat yang telah disebutkan di atas adalah:

(1) Penimpaan disiplin Allah yang menjadi semakin dahsyat.

Mazmur 32:4 Sebab siang malam tangan-Mu menekan aku dengan berat, sumsumku menjadi kering, seperti oleh teriknya musim panas.

Ibrani 12:6 karena Tuhan menghajar orang yang dikasihi-Nya, dan Ia menyesah orang yang diakui-Nya sebagai anak.

(2) Terus hidup dalam dosa dapat menyebabkan gereja mengambil tindakan pemecatan dari persekutuan jemaat (1 Kor. 5).

2 Tesalonika 3:6-15 Tetapi kami berpesan kepadamu, saudara-saudara, dalam nama Tuhan Yesus Kristus, supaya kamu menjauhkan diri dari setiap saudara yang tidak melakukan pekerjaannya dan yang tidak menurut ajaran yang telah kamu terima dari kami. Sebab kamu sendiri tahu, bagaimana kamu harus mengikuti teladan kami, karena kami tidak lalai bekerja di antara kamu, dan tidak makan roti orang dengan percuma, tetapi kami berusaha dan berjerih payah siang malam, supaya jangan menjadi beban bagi siapapun di antara kamu. Bukan karena kami tidak berhak untuk itu, melainkan karena kami mau menjadikan diri kami teladan bagi kamu, supaya kamu ikuti. Sebab, juga waktu kami berada di antara kamu, kami memberi peringatan ini kepada kamu: jika seorang tidak mau bekerja, janganlah ia makan. Kami katakan ini karena kami dengar, bahwa ada orang yang tidak tertib hidupnya dan tidak bekerja, melainkan sibuk dengan hal-hal yang tidak berguna. Orang-orang yang demikian kami peringati dan nasihati dalam Tuhan Yesus Kristus, supaya mereka tetap tenang melakukan pekerjaannya dan dengan demikian makan makanannya sendiri. Dan kamu, saudara-saudara, janganlah jemu-jemu berbuat apa yang baik. Jika ada orang yang tidak mau mendengarkan apa yang kami katakan dalam surat ini, tandailah dia dan jangan bergaul dengan dia, supaya ia menjadi malu, tetapi janganlah anggap dia sebagai musuh, tetapi tegorlah dia sebagai seorang saudara.

Matius 18:17 Jika ia tidak mau mendengarkan mereka, sampaikanlah soalnya kepada jemaat. Dan jika ia tidak mau juga mendengarkan jemaat, pandanglah dia sebagai seorang yang tidak mengenal Allah atau seorang pemungut cukai.

(3) Displin yang ditimpakan Allah pada akhirnya bisa berbentuk kematian jasmani.

1 Korintus 11:30 Sebab itu banyak di antara kamu yang lemah dan sakit, dan tidak sedikit yang meninggal.

1 Yohanes 5:16 Kalau ada seorang melihat saudaranya berbuat dosa, yaitu dosa yang tidak mendatangkan maut, hendaklah ia berdoa kepada Allah dan Dia akan memberikan hidup kepadanya, yaitu mereka, yang berbuat dosa yang tidak mendatangkan maut. Ada dosa yang mendatangkan maut: tentang itu tidak kukatakan, bahwa ia harus berdoa.

Memang keselamatan orang-orang percaya aman dan terjamin dalam Kristus dan orang percaya tak akan kehilangan keselamatan, yang telah dikerjakan oleh Kristus, Juruselamat kita, yang sekarang duduk dalam kemuliaan di sebelah kanan Allah Bapa sebagai Pembela kita. Namun realita kehidupan dan Kitab Suci menyatakan dengan jelas bahwa apabila orang percaya tidak tinggal dalam persekutuan dan tidak menyelesaikan dosa dalam kehidupannya, ia dapat saja terjerumus ke dalam keadaan berdosa yang semakin dalam dan dahsyat sebagaimana dialami Daud. Keadaan seperti ini dapat terjadi mungkin saja karena ia sebenarnya belum benar-benar diselamatkan, namun penyebab utama yang sering terjadi adalah karena kegagalan orang percaya untuk tinggal dalam lingkup kehidupan dan kuasa Roh Allah.

Harapan kami kiranya pelajaran mengenai terjaminnya keselamatan orang percaya ini akan menolong orang percaya yang sedang berada dalam permasalahan ini. Tujuan pelajaran tentang jaminan keselamatan ini adalah agar setiap orang percaya beroleh kepastian keselamatan. Dan berbekal kepastian ini akan memotivasinya kepada suatu kehidupan yang saleh, menjauhi dosa, dan terhindar dari sikap menyia-nyiakan keselamatan yang telah dianugerahkan Allah kepadanya. Ingatlah, tujuan Allah Bapa kita dalam mendisiplin anak-anakNya dengan penuh kasih adalah untuk memperbaiki kita dan mengembalikan kita kepadaNya.

Rasul Paulus telah mempertaruhkan imannya di atas anugerah Allah yang pasti dan dapat dipercaya (2 Tim. 1:12b). Meskipun sebagian orang mengartikan ini sebagai karunia-karunia rohani yang telah dipercayakan Allah kepada Rasul Paulus, namun sebenarnya “apa yang dipercayakan Allah” ini adalah mengenai iman kepada Pribadi dan Karya Kristus sebagai dasar keselamatan. Paulus meyakini bahwa iman ini akan tetap terpelihara sampai segala ancaman, tantangan, bahaya dan kegagalan mewarnai kehidupan di dunia ini berlalu, yaitu pada saat kedatangan Kristus kedua kali.

Akan hal ini aku yakin sepenuhnya, yaitu Ia, yang memulai pekerjaan yang baik di antara kamu, akan meneruskannya sampai pada akhirnya pada hari Kristus Yesus (Filipi 1:6)