Salvation By Grace

Righteousness Is Essential
One thing is evident-righteousness is essential. But what must be the nature and quality of that righteousness, and how and whence is it to be obtained? Shall it be home-made, or shall it be of God and from above? Shall I go about to establish my own, or shall I subject myself to God's? Shall salvation be of works, or by faith? Is Christ to be a Substitute for the sinner, or will the sinner be a substitute for the Saviour? Shall the altar smell of sacrifice, God-appointed and God-provided, or will we prefer to deck it with flowers that wither and with fruits that shrivel, howsoever fair they seem at first? Is personal goodness, or is God's grace, as revealed in Jesus Christ, to bring us to the world where all is well? The one is a ladder that we ourselves set up, and painfully ascend; the other is an elevator which God provides, into which, indeed, we pass by penitential faith, but with which the lifting power is God's alone. Salvation by works is the choice of the Pharisee, salvation by Grace is the hope of the Publican.

One or other nor can these two principles be combined. They are totally distinct; nay, more, they are at variance the one with the other. A blend of the two is impossible. "If it is by grace, it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace" (Romans 11:6). One cannot merit mercy. This field must not be sown with mingled seed. The ox of mercy and the ass of merit must not be yoked together; indeed, they cannot be; they are too unequal. No linsey-woolsey garment can we weave of works and grace. As Hart quaintly puts it:

"Everything we do we sin in, 

Chosen Jews 

 Must not use 

Woollen mixt with linen."

So the choice must be made between these two ways to heaven. The great question still is, "How can man be just with God ?" and it appears that he must either himself be essentially and perfectly holy, or he must, by some means, acquire a justness which will bear the scrutiny of Omniscience, and pass muster in the High Court of Heaven.

The Four Gospels

The word "Gospel" means "Good News," and is so familiar that its application is supposed to be uniform. When, therefore, we read of

The Gospel of the KINGDOM,

The Gospel of the GRACE OF GOD,

The GLORIOUS GOSPEL, and

The EVERLASTING GOSPEL it is taken for granted that they all refer to one and the same thing. But this is not true.

1. THE GOSPEL OF THE "KINGDOM."~Matt. 24:14

This is the "Good News" that God purposes to set up a Kingdom on this earth over which David's Son, JESUS, shall reign, as prophesied in Luk. 1:32-33. Two preachings of this Gospel are mentioned, one past, beginning with the ministry of John the Baptist, and preached by Jesus and His Disciples, but it ended with the rejection of Jesus as King. This Gospel is to be preached again after the Church is taken out. It will be the fulfilment of Matt. 24:14, where it says: "This Gospel of 'THE KINGDOM' shall be preached in all the world for a WITNESS unto all nations; and then shall the end come." This has no reference to the Gospel that is now being preached to the nations. It is the Gospel of SALVATION, but the "Gospel of the Kingdom" is not for "Salvation" but for a WITNESS, that is, it is the announcement that the time has come to SET UP THE KINGDOM. It will be preached by Elijah the forerunner (Mal. 4:5-6), and by others who shall be commissioned to bear the news to all nations as a proclamation of the coming of Christ as King to occupy the "Throne of David," and for the purpose of regathering Israel to the Promised Land.

2. THE GOSPEL OF "THE GRACE OF GOD."~Acts 20:24.

This is the "Good News" that Jesus Christ, the rejected King, died on the Cross for our SALVATION. This form of the Gospel is described in many ways. It is called the "GOSPEL OF GOD" (Rom. 1:1), because it has its source in the LOVE OF GOD (John 3:16). Its Character is GRACE. Acts 20:24. Its Subject is CHRIST (Rom. 1:16; 2Cor. 10:14), and it is the POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION. And it is the "GOSPEL OF PEACE," because it makes peace between the sinner and God, and brings peace to the soul (Eph. 6:15).

3. THE "GLORIOUS" GOSPEL.~2Cor. 4:4; 1Tim. 1:11.

The "GLORIOUS GOSPEL" is that phase of the Gospel of "The Grace of God" that speaks of Him who is in the GLORY, and has been GLORIFIED, and who is bringing many sons TO GLORY (Heb. 2:10). It has special reference to His Second Coming, and is especially comforting to those who are looking for His GLORIOUS APPEARING (Tit. 2:13), and it is to this Gospel that Satan, the "God of this Age," is particularly anxious to "blind the minds" of those who believe not in the PreMillennial coming of the Lord (2Cor. 4:3-4).

4. THE "EVERLASTING" GOSPEL.~Rev. 14:6.

This Gospel will be proclaimed just before the "Vial Judgments," and by an angel. It is the only Gospel committed to an angel. It is neither the Gospel of the "Kingdom," nor of "Grace." Its burden is not SALVATION but JUDGMENT-"Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME."

It is "Good News" to Israel, and all who are passing through the "fires of Judgment," because it declares that their troubles will soon end in the Judgment and Destruction of Antichrist and his followers. It calls on men to worship God as "CREATOR," and not as "Saviour" and so it is called in the Revised version-"THE ETERNAL. GOSPEL," the Gospel that has been proclaimed front Eden down by Patriarchs and Prophets, and not an "Everlasting Gospel" in the sense that it saves men for all eternity. Its burden is not "Repent," or "do this" or "do that," but-"FEAR GOD, and give GLORY TO HIM; for the HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME; and WORSHIP HIM THAT MADE HEAVEN, AND EARTH, AND THE SEA, AND THE FOUNTAINS OF WATERS." From this we see how important it is to distinguish between the various Gospels, not only as to their message, but the period to which they apply, otherwise there will be confusion and false teaching. See Chart, "The Four Gospels." Page 60.

There is also "ANOTHER GOSPEL" (Gal. 1:6-12, 2Cor. 11:4), which is not another, and which Paul repudiated. It is a perversion of the true Gospel and has many seductive forms, and in the main teaches that "FAITH" is NOT SUFFICIENT to Salvation, nor able to keep and perfect, and so emphasizes "GOOD WORKS." Col. 2:18-23, Heb. 6:1, Heb. 9:14. The Apostle Paul pronounces a fearful "Anathema" upon its preachers and teachers (Gal. 1:8-9).

From the book Rightly Dividing the Word by Clarence Larken (This book was published in 1921, and is now in the Public Domain.)

What Is The Gospel?

By Adrian Rogers

The word Gospel means good news. The thing that makes good news good news is the possibility of bad news. And the bad news is our sin. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

But in 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul gives the good news: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).