davidbu@loowit.wr.tek.com (David E. Buxton) (04/18/91)
A new Christian, reading from the Gospels, commented that he was finding
that Jesus did not come to save everyone. Is it possible that Jesus
salvation is selective and not for everyone?
"I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
Mat 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32
Paul writes a similar message about Christians who seem to think their sal-
vation has been secured:
"Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long
suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repen-
tance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart
you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and reve-
lation of the righteous judgment of God, "-- Rom 2:4,5 (NKJ)
"For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it;
though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you
sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice, not that you were made
sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry
in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For
godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted; but
the sorrow of the world produces death. " -- 2 Cor 7:8-10 (NKJ)
Let us return to what Jesus had to say:
""I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one
sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no
repentance." -- Luke 15:7 (NKJ)
""As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and
repent." -- Rev 3:19 (NKJ)
It is human nature to want to feel secured for eternity. We want to be able
to relax and coast into heaven. But does this bring us to a condition simi-
lar to those who rejected Jesus, those conceited in their legalism and/or
their high credentials from the lineage of Abraham and seats of power in the
Sanhedrin? Jesus can save the sinner who comes to Him in repentance. But
how can He save the self-righteous? Does it matter if our self- righteous-
ness comes from an attitude of law keeping or from an attitude that the law
no longer applies? Either way we can convince ourselves that we are ade-
quately righteous, no longer repentant sinners and no longer in need of sal-
vation. The text says that Jesus is our Savior from sin. He did not come
to save us in our sins. So let us be repentant always. And remember that
repentance includes a turning away from our sin, nor mere apology.
Paul sites himself as an example of the thinking of his day. He felt that
he was a perfect example of law keeping, keeping the law blameless (Phil
3:6). But then he met Jesus and discovered his need of repentance, discover-
ing that he fell far short of the perfection of God's law. And Paul said,
"I die daily", which is another way of saying that he came to the cross in
an attitude of repentance every single day. Is not the cross the symbol of
Justification? Regardless of the Biblical assurance of salvation for those
who follow Jesus, we are admonished to plead our need to be Justified each
day. Repentance is not something to exercise once for salvations sake and
then to rest assured that such a one time repentance has eternally saved us.
Jesus clearly stated - I came to save sinners and not the righteous - that
is He came to save those who recognize that they are sinners and not those
who proclaim that they are now secured.
It is not the law that saves us. Law keeping can doom people to feeling
smugly self righteous. But rather the law is intended to bring us to a
knowledge of our sin and so to repentance. After what Jesus said about the
law it should be clear that nobody should feel smug about law keeping.
Without the law there is no knowledge of sin and so no need of repentance.
And law keeping, the old way, can make us just as smug as Paul was before
Jesus. So, the law of God, especially illuminated by Jesus, serves a very
clear purpose, to point out our need of repentance. If we become smug about
law keeping, or we proclaim the law done away with, is not the result the
same -- self righteousness? The same result being that we conclude there is
nothing for which to repent. The law cannot save us because its purpose is
to point out our sin, it is a mirror before us. But the law can indirectly
save us in the sense that when we discover our sin, we turn to Jesus in
repentance. So, the law saved no one, except that they turn in repentance
to Jesus. So, the law does play a vital role in salvation, even though it
has no saving power of its own.
A science museum offered a beautiful example: A large white easel with an
unraveled hemp rope down the middle. A small note said to lift the rope
aside. It was instantly obvious that one side was grey and the other white.
With the rope between us, the grey and even the black of sin looks just as
white as the other side. Self righteousness is thinking that we are white
enough and in no need of repentance. But if we ask Him to, the scales are
lifted from our eyes and we see ourselves as grey and black with sin. That
is the Christian paradox. Without Him we feel self righteous. As we draw
closer to Him, our sins become increasingly repulsive and so much the less
attractive and tarnished tinsel. With His purity illuminating our sin, that
sin becomes something we are all the more eager to purge from our lives.
Then victory, in Christ, becomes achievable. But then do these victories
finally lead us to the day when we can feel smugly self-righteous? No!
Besides, without Him there would have been no victory, so why feel securely
smug.
Let me site one of many Bible examples of Bible heros:
"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man
was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. "--
Job 1:1 (NKJ)
"Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."" -- Job
42:6 (NKJ)
While the Bible finds Job to be a righteous man, Job says no such thing
about himself. And many other examples can readily be sited from the OT
and NT. The Bible does not offer affirmative examples of proclaiming "I'm
saved". Rather quite the opposite. It is repentance that the Bible
examples. Yes, there is security in Christ, in a knowledge that He is our
Shepherd and near at hand to save us and with us always. But that does not
prompt us to attitudes of self-righteousness. Rather, the closeness reveals
our lack of self-righteousness and our even greater need of Him. When peo-
ple came to Jesus asking about salvation, did Jesus ever turn to of them and
say -- rest assured, you are one of the saved? He pointed out to each their
different need and offered them the living water that they could drink every
day.
Now consider what Jesus said about the self righteous Pharisee (Luke
18:11,12) and the repentant Publican (Luke 18:13,14). Would it be fair to
rewrite that story into the following parable?
And the Christian went about proclaiming at every opportunity, with a
loud voice - "I'm saved, I'm saved, Praise the Lord" - while the
Jehovah's Witness knelt before Jehovah God, hardly daring to look up,
saying "God be merciful to me a sinner".
Is what I just illustrated a heresy? Is it heresy to say that a JW repen-
tant before God is more savable than a Christian smug in self-righteousness?
No, this is not heresey. Read Romans chapter 2.
The evangelists of today have devised all sorts of ways by which to sooth
their followers into believing that all is secured eternally for salvation.
Full churches are seen as more important than repentance. The need to come
to the cross in humble repentance is seen as resting in the past. A sense
of secured righteousness is their proclamation. Have we become modern day
Pharisees - having invented new ways by which to feel smug and secure? In
those days it was the publican, or tax collector, who was seen as being
hopelessly misfit for salvation. Does the Jehovah's Witness of today serve
as a modern parallel? Would Jesus today turn to those who hand out salva-
tion right and left and say what He said about the Pharisee? Would Jesus
today turn to a repentant JW and say what He said about the Publican? I
think that the parallels are too close to be cast quickly aside.
Remember that Nineveh was a city famous for its idolatry:
""The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation
and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and
indeed a greater than Jonah is here." -- Luke 11:32 (NKJ)
If anyone was ignorant of the proper formalities of salvation it was those
Ninevites. But they became repentant. Do we acknowledge each day that we
are sinners and turn to Christ and the cross? Jesus came to save repentant
sinners. He cannot save the self righteous until they realize that what
they thought was white, is a horrifying grey painted over the deepest black.
We discover the blackness of sin when we set aside our smug self- righteous-
ness and place our lives in stark comparison beside His perfection.
Let us turn to the cross in repentance every day and acknowledge our need as
sinners. We need our Savior today.
Dave (David E. Buxton)emery@tc.fluke.COM (John Emery) (04/25/91)
In article <Apr.18.03.27.02.1991.7359@athos.rutgers.edu> davidbu@loowit.wr.tek.com (David E. Buxton) writes: > ""I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one > sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no > repentance." -- Luke 15:7 (NKJ) > > ""As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and > repent." -- Rev 3:19 (NKJ) > >It is human nature to want to feel secured for eternity. We want to be able >to relax and coast into heaven. But does this bring us to a condition simi- >lar to those who rejected Jesus, those conceited in their legalism and/or >their high credentials from the lineage of Abraham and seats of power in the >Sanhedrin? Jesus can save the sinner who comes to Him in repentance. But >how can He save the self-righteous? It seems to me the point that David is making is that a saved person should also be a repentant person. I really agree with this and the Bible is clear on it as David has shown. One thing that I would like to share is that having eternal security does not mean that one is conceited and self-righteous. I guess the question is: Is it God's will for us to have eternal security? I would dare to say yes: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13) "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:31) And what peace His Word brings. Many a believer struggle with the insecurity of their salvation. Yet God has called us to peace. >to save us in our sins. So let us be repentant always. And remember that >repentance includes a turning away from our sin, nor mere apology. Amen. And let us not repent out of fear, but out of love for God. Our eternal security through faith in Jesus allows us that priveledge. >Jesus clearly stated - I came to save sinners and not the righteous - that >is He came to save those who recognize that they are sinners and not those >who proclaim that they are now secured. The good news is that He came to make the sinners righteous. Having eternal security yet recognizing and being thankful for the undeserved gift of life is good! How pleasant it is to recognize that one does not measure up to God's requirement yet rejoice in praise to Him because: "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23-24) Jesus Himself said, "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20) When a believer and follower of Jesus is unsure of his/her eternal destiny, it only creates anxiety and fear rendering the believer useless and bound to continually try to earn God's acceptance. Yet the glorious truth of our salvation in Jesus says: "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men." (Romans 5:18) >It is not the law that saves us. Law keeping can doom people to feeling >smugly self righteous. But rather the law is intended to bring us to a >knowledge of our sin and so to repentance. Yes, it is a continual reminder of our fallen state and compels us to Jesus where there is free grace through faith in Him. >Now consider what Jesus said about the self righteous Pharisee (Luke >18:11,12) and the repentant Publican (Luke 18:13,14). Would it be fair to >rewrite that story into the following parable? > > And the Christian went about proclaiming at every opportunity, with a > loud voice - "I'm saved, I'm saved, Praise the Lord" - while the > Jehovah's Witness knelt before Jehovah God, hardly daring to look up, > saying "God be merciful to me a sinner". I think you have to look at the motive. If you read this parable, the Pharisee was proclaiming that he was better than the publican because of his works. A Christian who proclaims "I'm saved, I'm saved", may be doing so out of joy testifying of the miracle that God has done. It may be an expression of gratitude, rejoicing that his name is written in heaven. And in your rewrite, this Christian is not judging anyone. I would say that both are justified in God's eyes! >The evangelists of today have devised all sorts of ways by which to sooth >their followers into believing that all is secured eternally for salvation. >Full churches are seen as more important than repentance. The need to come >to the cross in humble repentance is seen as resting in the past. A sense >of secured righteousness is their proclamation. I would dare say that eternal security and repentance are not mutually exclusive. If repentance was based soley on insecurity, people would be repenting out of fear. Yet the Bible says that: "God's kindness leads you towards repentance" (Romans 2:4). A son does not repent for his wronging because his parents threaten to disown him. Our God is a nuturing Father who disciplines His children, yet loves them and shows them kindness. In view of God's mercy, let us repent of our wrongdoing in respect of His awesome holiness. >Let us turn to the cross in repentance every day and acknowledge our need as >sinners. We need our Savior today. > >Dave (David E. Buxton) Oh how we need Jesus! A hearty amen to the above statement. And let us also know that He accepts our repentance and clothes us in the robe of His righteousness. And let the Spirit compel us onto obedience and good works of love and mercy toward others! Glory to God in the highest, John Emery emery@tc.fluke.COM