WHAT DO YOU MEAN ...
SALVATION?
By Herbert W. Armstrong
Do you realize not one in a hundred knows what
salvation is -- how to get it -- when you will receive it? Don't be too sure
you do! Here, once for all, is the truth made so plain you will really understand
it!
COULD you, yourself, answer these
questions? If someone asked you to open your Bible and show him exactly where
the Bible says salvation means going to heaven -- could you do it? Is salvation
a place, a destination, a condition, a reward --or what? ... and where would
you turn in your Bible to find it?
Are you sure?
Could you open your Bible and show a
questioner where it tells you when you receive salvation? Do you actually get
it now, when you die, when Christ returns -- or at some other time? This
booklet will show you plainly. Are you, at conversion, an inheritor, an heir to
inherit, or what -- and just what does one inherit?
Suppose you were asked what connection
there is between salvation and that whole third of the Bible devoted to prophecy?
Could you explain it? Another third or more of the Bible is taken up with
history. Can you explain the connection of this vast amount of Scripture with
salvation? Can you believe MOST of the Bible is totally unconcerned with the
matter of salvation?
Let's Make it PLAIN!
Religious people talk about "getting
saved." Yet even most religious people understand no more of what the
Bible teaches about salvation -- the real meaning of the word
"salvation" -- than a certain young man did about another religious
expression. He said to me, "I gave my heart to the Lord at the revival
meeting last night." "Well," I said, "Just what do you mean
-- you gave your heart to the Lord? Just how did you do that? Did you reach in
your hand, take your heart out, and actually hand it to the Lord -- and was He
really right there, in Person?"
"Well, uh -- uh -- " he
stammered, confused, "uh -- well, no, I didn't do that."
"Then just what did you do? How did
you give your heart to the Lord?" He stammered some more, then guessed he
didn't know. That's the way it is with a lot of people who say "I got
saved." They don't really know what they mean by "getting
saved."
Do you know what the Bible teaches about
salvation? Millions of sincere people have supposed they knew -- yet have been
deceived into accepting a false salvation.
It's about time to get to the plain WHYS,
WHATS, HOWS, and WHENS, SO you can see it clearly, plainly, right in your own
Bible! Why should the most important thing in life be a vague, mysterious,
superstitious, ethereal, meaningless thing?
I'm going to make it plain -- in your
Bible! So prepare yourself for a shock! And don't believe me -- believe the
Bible!
What Salvation Is
While the real truth must come from the
Bible, the dictionary definition may help a little. Webster defines
"salvation" as: "1. The saving of man from the spiritual
consequences of sin; especially deliverance from sin and eternal damnation ....
2. Preservation from destruction, failure, or other evil." Now we need to
learn the Bible definition of sin, and to see what the Bible reveals the
spiritual consequences to be. Whatever the consequences, Webster says salvation
is to save you from it -- and in this the Bible shows Webster was right. Also
salvation means preservation -- and in this, we shall see the Bible affirms the
definition.
But why would you need to be saved from
the spiritual consequences of sin? And why, if you are an immortal soul, do you
need preservation from destruction? What has this to do with you? Suppose you
say, "Look, I don't go to church. I don't pretend to be religious. Why
should I be concerned with all these religious words like 'sin' and 'salvation'
and 'spiritual consequences'?" Does this concern only religious people?
WHY You Are Concerned
God Almighty, who designed, created, and
sustains human life -- including yours, says this: "ALL have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God" (Romans
That involves you!
Right now you probably have no conception
of what is meant by "the glory of God" you have come short of. You'll
really open your eyes in astonishment when that is made plain to you.
But, whatever sin is, you have sinned. ALL
humans have! Christ, only, is excepted. You are involved. And since salvation
is saving man from the consequences of sin (and the Bible affirms this, as we
shall see), let God's Word tell you what the consequences are.
It is plain and simple. Here it is:
"The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom.
But why have you hardened possibly
believed-just the opposite? Look at that -- read it in your own Bible! Notice!
The wages you are going to be paid for having sinned is death! Then why do so
many religious people teach exactly the opposite of the Bible -- why do they teach
that the wages of sin is eternal life in hell?
Look at that again, in your Bible! On the
one hand, the penalty is death -- on the other hand, the gift is eternal life.
The two are contrasted -- it is one or the other -- death, or eternal life.
Right here let me make very plain one
thing the Bible teaches. A few persecutors have accused us of teaching "a
salvation by works" -- that is, that our "works" earn salvation.
Let it be made clear and plain right here
that your "works" -- your evil works -- do earn something -- but it
is not salvation -- what they earn -- the wages they earn -- is death, and not
salvation!
Further, let's get this point straight and
plain right here--eternal life is not something you can earn, it is God's gift
through Christ! That is the plain teaching of your Bible! You earn wages. The
only wages you can earn is death. Your Bible says that. We say that. But our
accusers actually teach the very thing they accuse us of teaching! -- they
teach that eternal life is the wages you earn by your works -- even though it
is eternal life in hell fire!
Again -- your Bible says very plainly that
"the gift of God is eternal life." Now this very verse (and all
others in the Bible bearing on the subject agree) says plainly that what you
receive by God's grace -- as His gift, is eternal life. It says that eternal
life is something you have to obtain as a gift from GOD! Therefore salvation
actually is "eternal life" -- a gift! But do you know the accusers
who try to discredit this very work of God deny that? They actually deny that
eternal life comes only as God's gift by grace and through Christ. They say you
already have eternal life. They say you are an "immortal soul"!
Yes, this is amazing!
This is important! This is the crux of the
whole question -- of life -- of the reason for existence! If you have an
immortal self you already have eternal life -- then the Bible is not true when
it says plainly eternal life is a gift from God. According to the Bible, what
the "saved" receive as God's gift through Jesus Christ is eternal
life. Salvation, then, actually is the receiving of something you don't now
have -- eternal life. And if that Bible statement is true, then our accusers
are false!
They try to deceive people into believing
they do not need to be saved from death by Christ's free grace -- by His shed
blood. They say you do not need saving from death at all. They say, as Satan
deceived mother Eve, that you will not surely die -- you are -- or have -- an
immortal soul!
Notice this in your Bible!
It's time to quit believing and following
men. Look in your own Bible. Believe God!
WHY You Are Helpless
Now does the Bible say anywhere that you
are, or have, an "immortal soul"? For years we offered $1,000 to
anyone who can show any place where the words "immortal soul" are
found in the Bible. No one ever found it! Why is it that religious people speak
continually about "your immortal soul," about "going to
heaven," about dead loved ones being now "with the Lord," and
many other such things supposed to be the basic beliefs of Christianity -- and
yet never once showing you any such teaching in the Bible! They talk of these
teachings as if they were true. They lead you to take these teachings for
granted -- to suppose they came from the Bible.
What does the Bible teach about the soul?
Will you read it in your own Bible? Don't take my word for it-don't believe me
-- believe God!
Read it, in Ezekiel 18:4: "The soul
that sinneth, it shall die." Yes, again the wages of sin is DEATH -- that
soul that sins shall DIE! That truth about the soul is so important God caused
it to be written twice. Turn now to Ezekiel 18:20: "The soul that sinneth,
it shall die." Souls are not immortal. Your Bible says they can die!
But the deceiver may say: "That's in
the Old Testament." Read in the NEW Testament that ALL Scripture all that
Timothy had known from youth, which was the Old Testament -- is given by
inspiration of God (II Timothy 3:15-16).
Again, in the New Testament: Jesus Christ
Himself said you should "fear him which is able to destroy both soul and
body in hell" -- a fire that will burn them up -- cause them to die --
destroy what is burned! Oh, yes, the Bible does teach that kind of hell fire --
but not the kind where one burns forever and yet never burns up (Matthew
This may come as a surprise: not only is
it true that there is no such expression anywhere in the Bible as
"immortal soul," but the word "immortal" occurs only once
in all the Babylon I Timothy 1:17, where it refers to GOD as being immortal.
Further, the word "immortality"
can be found only five times in all the Bible. In Romans 2:7 you will read it
is something for us to seek for. Of course! It is the gift of God, who has it
to give! You don't need to seek for something you already have! In I
Corinthians 15:53, and again in verse 54, immortality is something the
"saved" shall put on, at the time of the resurrection. In I Timothy
All have sinned. That includes you. The
penalty is death! You do not possess eternal life from natural birth. Christ
said: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6). So you
are only mortal, material FLESH. You are "of the earth -- earthy" (I
Cor.
You are only one breath away from death --
the cessation of the existence we call "life." If you don't draw that
next breath, you can't keep alive or conscious ten more minutes. There is no
immortal soul that will keep you alive and conscious. You ARE a soul (Gen. 2:7)
that has sinned, and so shall die, unless saved from it by Christ's grace.
If your heart does not make that next
beat, there is nothing in you to keep you alive ten minutes. You exist by
breathing of air and circulation of blood -- fed by food and water. You have
only temporary chemical existence. You are like a clock wound up, and running
down. You don't know at what second it will stop!
You can't give yourself any life beyond
this running-down chemical existence. There is no eternal life inherent in you.
Nothing you can do will produce it, supply it, or earn it. You can't get it by
your own works!
What your own works have done for you is
earn for you the penalty of death. And it is eternal death -- eternal
punishment! You see, everyone has "works" -- either good or bad.
GOD -- and God only -- has immortality!
Instead of assuming carelessly the pagan teaching of "immortality of the
soul," turn again to I Timothy
HOW Seek God?
So how, when this barrier stands between
you, are you going to go to God to obtain eternal life? Again Isaiah answers;
"Seek ye the Eternal while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is
near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts
....For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith
the Eternal" (Isaiah 55:6-8).
So now you seek God, so you may obtain
eternal life from Him. You repent! You forsake your way of life, and turn to
God's way. But you find something is still lacking! You find you still are cut
off! The barrier is still there! Do you know why? At this point we need to stop
and find out what is meant by that word "sin." Haven't you honestly
been a bit confused by this religious terminology? You hear people talk about
"sin," "getting saved," "under law or under
grace," "justification," "sanctified,"
"heaven," "hell," "predestination," and dozens of
other terms. Haven't they been pretty vague to you -- rather meaningless? Do
you know that most religious people who use all these religious words usually
don't know any more than you do what they really mean?
What Do You Mean -- SIN?
We started by quoting the scripture
"ALL have sinned." We said that included you!
But what is sin? Why, when men preach,
don't you hear that explained, defined, made clear and understandable? Why are
these religious terms used most of the time loosely, vaguely, meaninglessly?
Once, in
"Well now," I said, "Does
your evangelist teach that Christ saves us from sin?" He assured me he
did.
"Well, what I want to know," I
persisted, "is what I have to quit doing -- or what I have done that you
call 'sin.' Just what is 'sin'?"
"Well," he answered,
"Christ died for our sins."
"But that doesn't tell me exactly
what I've done that Christ had to die for," I insisted. "What is
'sin'?"
"Christ died for our sins," came
the reply.
"Yes, I know -- you said that before.
But what is this thing, 'sin,' that He died for? What do I have to quit doing?
Can you open that Bible you have, and show me the Bible definition of the word
'sin'? Is there a place in the Bible where it gives a plain definition -- where
it says 'sin is -- ' and then in plain words tells what it is?"
He called to a second of the young men --
then a third, and a fourth. Finally, with a large crowd gathering, they called
the evangelist himself. But even he could not -- or would not -- turn to the
Bible answer! One by one, they all slunk away!
Then I took a Bible out of my briefcase,
turned to I John 3:4, and read to the crowd: "Sin is the transgression of
the law."
But what law? This is explained in Romans
7. So next I read: "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid.
Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law" -- or, in the plainer English of
the Moffatt translation: "Why, had it not been for the Law, I would never
have known what sin meant!" In other words, the Law defines sin. Sin is breaking
the Law. But what Law? Continuing, same verse: "for I had not known lust,
except the Law had said, Thou shalt not covet" (
Now notice Romans 3:20. "Therefore by
the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the
law is the knowledge of sin." Of course! False accusers to the contrary
notwithstanding, that is precisely what we teach. Keeping the Law will not
justify anyone. We have all sinned. We cannot justify this guilt we have
incurred -- we cannot avoid the wages we have earned -- death -- by obedience,
goodness, works, or anything we can do. Let's make that real plain! Most women
carry a mirror in their purses. A woman takes out her mirror, steals a glance
at her face, discovers dirt on it. Does she try to wash off the dirt with the
mirror? Ridiculous? Yes, of course. Looking into the mirror won't cleanse the
dirt already there. Why? Because by the mirror comes the knowledge that the
dirt is there! Now God's Law is His spiritual mirror. Your Bible says so --
plainly (James
God's Law is His spiritual mirror. But
keeping yourself from becoming more dirty today does not wash off the dirt
already there. So, "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be
justified in his sight" -- why? Because "by the law is the knowledge
of sin." Of course! Sin IS "the transgression of the law." Paul
would not have known it was sin to lust, except the law had said "Thou
shalt not covet." The function of the Law is to tell us what sin is! Not
to cleanse us of yesterday's sin or erase the penalty of last year's sin. There
can never be a law, unless there is a penalty for its violation. And, where
"no law is, there is no transgression" (Rom.
Now where did the Law come from? Again,
through James, God says "There is one lawgiver" (James
Yes, the wages of sin is death! But we
have hope! The gift of God is eternal life.
So now, where are we? Eternal life can be
had only from God. So, as stated above, you seek God. But you find a
tremendous, impenetrable barrier -- your sins you have committed. Until they
are justified you have no access to God. Isaiah 55:6-8, already quoted, says
that if you would seek God the sinner must forsake his way, and turn to God's
way. God's Law is God's way -- and sin, the transgression of His Law --
rebellion and disobedience -- is your way. So now you forsake your way -- you
forsake sin or breaking His Law. You forsake breaking it by keeping it -- obeying
it. At least you try -- you do it the very best you can.
LAW-KEEPING Won't Justify!
But what do you find? You are still cut
off from God! Actually, as we shall see in a moment, you can't keep a spiritual
law with a carnal mind. But, even if you could, your obedience now is only what
is required of you now! It does not make up for PAST law-breaking. That penalty
still hangs over you. As we have seen, by being law-abiding now, no flesh shall
be justified of past law-breaking! A man convicted of committing murder last
month does not erase his sentence by being law-abiding this month.
That is what your Bible teaches! And that
is what The PLAIN TRUTH teaches! That is what Herbert W. Armstrong and The
WORLD TOMORROW television and radio programs proclaim to the whole world! Get
that straight! All the good works in the world -- all the law-keeping -- cannot
justify you of your past guilt. Now where do you find yourself? You are now
submissive -- obedient to God's Law. Is this necessary? Most assuredly it is!
Does it JUSTIFY you? A thousand times no!
NO!! NO!!! Where are you now? You have forsaken your way -- sin; you have
turned to God's way -- His Law. And you are still cut off from God! Your works
your Law-keeping, while certainly required, still has not justified past guilt
-- has not reconciled you to GOD. YOU still have no access whatever to God. And
you have to gain access to Him in order to obtain His gift of eternal life! I
am trying to make this plain. I want all to understand it, once for all!
After all this -- after forsaking sin --
turning to God's way, as He commands -- keeping His Law -- that DEATH penalty
for past sins still hangs over you -- the punishment is still death -- and it
is ETERNAL punishment death for all ETERNITY! So your Bible teaches!
Don't let anyone tell you we do not teach
eternal punishment. The Bible teaches eternal punishment. We teach eternal
punishment. That punishment, your Bible says, is not eternal LIFE in a hell
fire of endless torture -- not eternal punishING -- but eternal punishMENT --
it is death for eternity -- and God's gift is life for eternity! I want to make
it plain. Don't ever be confused about what we proclaim to the whole world. The
Bible is the truth, and we make it plain -- mighty plain!
The Bible says the punishment is the
second death for eternity. It is appointed to men once to die -- but after
that, the judgment (Heb.
So, where are you? Even with your
Commandment keeping which -- make no mistake God requires of you -- still you
are pretty helpless. You can't give yourself eternal life. You are doomed to
die -- and you are still cut off by sins of the past from GOD, who, only, has
eternal life to give. You are pretty helpless, aren't you? Well you have made a
right start, even if you are still helpless.
HOW You Gain Contact
And now you have made this right start,
there IS a way you may gain contact with God who has eternal life to impart.
God so loved this world of sinners, cut off from Him, that He gave His only
begotten Son! Remember, God gives eternal life through Christ! Notice Romans
5:6, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for
the ungodly."
Jesus Christ never transgressed God's Law.
He said, "I have kept my Father's Commandments" (John
The life He gave was that of the MAKER of
us all! God created all things by Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:9). All things-
including all humans made by Him (John 1:1-3). Therefore the life He gave on
the cross was greater than the sum-total of all other human lives! That is the
life that died for you -- that paid your penalty for you! Now, continue in
Romans 5:8-10: "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by
His blood...."
NOTICE! "Being now justified."
How? By your works -- by your required obedience to God's Law? No! By the blood
of CHRIST! If you have repented, and accepted Jesus Christ as personal Saviour
you are already now justified!
But right here is where so many go off
into error. They simply do not understand Biblical terms. "Justified"
does not refer to the future -- it has to do only with your guilty past! This
term "justified" does not mean "saved" as we shall now see.
It does not mean the gift of life. It means the gift of acquittal of past
guilt! It means the penalty of past sins has been paid in full, by Christ, for
you!
The law stood over you. It claimed your
life -- you were under it. It took Christ's life in payment instead of yours.
The penalty stands paid! You are no longer under the Law. It no longer has
claim over your life! You are now under grace -- undeserved pardon. You are
pardoned from paying the penalty, since Jesus Christ paid it for you! This is
not your works. It is Christ's sacrifice. You are now acquitted -- justified --
the slate is wiped clean of a guilty past! In other words -- the barrier
between you and God has now been removed! You are now, by Christ's sacrifice,
given contact with GOD -- reconciled to Him!
SAVED By His DEATH?
So, continue: "Much more then, being
now justified by His blood, we shall be saved by Him." Notice it! You are
already justified. Not by works, but by Christ's blood! The past is squared up
-- the penalty paid -- the contact with God made. But are you already saved?
Look at it! It says "we SHALL BE saved." Not that we already are
saved. It says "being now justified" but it does not say "being
now saved." It says "we shall be" -- yes, in the future --
saved. That is still future! See it with your own eyes. Don't believe me. Don't
believe preachers who say you are already, now, saved! Just believe these plain
words in your Bible! It is real plain, isn't it?
Now here comes a surprise. Notice verse
10: "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of His Son ...." Here, again, we were reconciled -- past tense. Not by
your works -- by Christ's death. When you have truly repented, forsaken your
way, sought God, accepted Christ as Saviour and His death as payment for your
past sins, you have been, already, reconciled. So the wording here is we were
reconciled -- past tense -- to God by the death of His Son.
What was accomplished by Jesus' death? It
paid the penalty -- it wiped out your guilty past -- justified you of your
guilt -- reconciled you to GOD. But did it save you? Did it? Wait -- don't just
glibly say yes -- see with your own eyes what your Bible says! It says,
continuing, same sentence: "much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved
by His life."
Can you believe your own eyes? There it
is, in your own Bible! Already reconciled, by Christ's death; but -- "we
shall be saved" -- that is future tense. Not yet saved -- but we shall be
-- in the future -- saved. Now are you going to be saved by Christ's death? Can
death impart life? There is no stronger law in science than the law of
biogenesis which says life comes only from life. Death cannot impart life. Now
how shall we -- in future -- be saved? By Christ's death?
No! Notice! Read it! "We shall be
saved by His life!" After Christ died, God raised Him back to life. We are
saved by His resurrection -- by His life -- by a living Saviour! Read I Cor.
15:14-23.
What Do You MEAN "Not Under the Law"?
Now where do you stand? You are now making
progress. You now have real hope. You have repented -- you have sought God,
forsaken your way -- turned to God's way, as defined in His Law and all through
His Word. You have accepted Jesus Christ as personal Saviour, and His shed
blood for remission of sins. You are now reconciled to God. You are justified
of -- forgiven -- your guilty past. You are out from under the penalty of
broken law. Now, we read the question: "What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound?" (Rom. 6:1). You are now under
grace -- undeserved pardon!
You deserved only death. You didn't earn
forgiveness -- pardon from the death penalty. You received it by grace through
Jesus Christ. Now, shall you continue in sin -- that is, continue transgressing
the Law? The answer is "God forbid" (
Now read this in your Bible!
"What then? shall we sin" --
that is, according to the Bible definition, shall we break the Law --
"because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye
not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to
whom ye obey; whether of sin" -- breaking the law -- "unto
death" -- penalty for disobedience to God's Law -- "or of obedience
unto righteousness?" (
Read that in your Bible: "Being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forbearance of God" (Romans
Would a governor pardon a man convicted of
murder so he could continue murdering more and more people? God's merciful
pardon -- His grace -- is bestowed on us because we have repented, with a
sincere desire to turn from our wicked ways of lawlessness. If we are willing
to live, from here on, righteously, happily as we should have from the
beginning, the merciful and loving God has been willing to give His Son Jesus
Christ, who, in turn, was willing to give His life, to square up our past
law-breaking -- to wipe the slate clean, and give us, by His merciful grace, a
fresh, clean start. So, from here on, we must obey – unto righteousness!
(Rom.6:16). Yet you cannot, of your own strength, keep the spiritual Law
spiritually. Now let's really understand that!
HOW You Get Eternal LIFE
Many religious people -- many ordained
ministers -- will tell you, "It is impossible to keep the Law." Are
they telling the truth? What does your Bible say? Notice! Of the parents of
John the Baptist, you will read: "And they were both righteous before God,
walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless"
(Luke 1:6).
Why, if it is impossible, did Christ
command that if we would enter into life, "keep the commandments"?
(Matt. 19:17.) Of those who claim to "know the Lord," often using
such sentimental religious phrases as "Oh, how good it is to know the
Lord," but who teach we should not keep the Commandments, your Bible says
this: "He that saith, 'I know Him,' and keepeth not His commandments, is a
liar, and the truth is not in him" (I John 2:4).
Yet you cannot, alone of yourself, keep
the Law spiritually! That is not a contradiction. You can keep the literal
letter, but not the spirit. Let's make that plain. At the same time, we shall
explain how you receive Eternal life -- that is, how you receive salvation!
Back again, now, to you! You have now gained contact with God. You are mortal,
possessing only a temporary chemical existence. God only has eternal life. Life
can come only from life -- not from death. Christ's death paid the penalty of
your guilty past -- it reconciled you to GOD -- gave you access direct to God.
But it did not give you eternal life -- did not, yet, save you! Now what?
Jesus Christ said it was necessary for us
mortal humans that He go to the Father's throne in heaven (John 16:7) in order
to send the Holy Spirit of God for us. This required the resurrected living
Christ. So after His resurrection, Jesus ascended to the throne of God that
rules the entire universe (Rev. 3:21). Then, some ten days later, on the annual
day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to enter into the very minds of all who
had sincerely repented of their rebellion against God and His way, and who had
been reconciled to God -- had gained access -- by faith in Christ's shed blood
for the remission of past sins (Acts 2:14). These first disciples received
God's Spirit through the work of the resurrected, glorified, living Christ. The
Spirit of the Father is also the Spirit of Christ. Thus it actually was the
living Christ, Himself, entering into them -- not in Person, but in spirit!
Christ is a living Saviour who does His saving work from within!
Now let's get the connection.
If the Holy Spirit of God actually dwells
within you, then as God raised Christ from the dead, He shall also make
immortal ("quicken" means energize -- make eternally alive) your
mortal body BY His Spirit dwelling in you (Romans 8:11). But (verse 9), unless
His Spirit is actually IN YOU, YOU are not a Christian -- no matter how many
churches you join! God's Holy Spirit is His LIFE. It imparts His life to you!
It imparts more, as we shall now see!
God Doesn't "Kid Himself"
One thing more, the Holy Spirit is divine,
spiritual love -- the love of GOD flowing into you from God Almighty -- through
the living Christ! (Rom. 5:5.) Jesus explained how we should come to him, and
drink in of His Spirit, like drinking in living water -- and how this same Holy
Spirit would flow, like a river of living water, on out from us (John 7:37-39).
Now let's make all that plain and clear.
God's Law is a law of love -- love to God
in reverence, worship and obedience -- love to neighbour in service, kindness,
sharing. It takes love to fulfil -- to perform -- the Law. You will read that
in Romans 13:10. But, remember? -- we saw, in Romans 7:14, that this Law is a
spiritual Law. Science knows only about physical laws. Humans are mortals --
physical. We were born with a capacity only for physical love. The love of a
parent for a child, a husband or wife for a mate, or even relatives, friends, neighbours.
We also are born with capacity for envy, jealousy, hate.
But this spiritual Law can be fulfilled --
performed -- spiritually kept and obeyed -- only by spiritual love! You were
not born with that kind of love. You do not have, naturally, the kind of love required
to truly keep this great Spiritual Law! You must go to God to obtain that kind
of love. That is a love He gives you through the living Christ. That is His own
love. It emanates directly from Him.
Now understand! True righteousness is
keeping "all thy commandments" (Psalm 119:172). It is performing
God's Spiritual law with the spiritual love which only GOD can supply. You
drink it in from Him -- once the contact is established. It pours on out from
you like rivers of living water. Water in a river flows in a certain direction,
guided by the river bed or channel. GOD'S LAW is that river bed which guides
the flow -- the expression -- the direction in which the divine love flows!
God's Law is the way of perfect spiritual character -- the very character of
God.
So -- the very spirit by which God imparts
to you His life -- His salvation -- is also His own love which imparts to you
His righteousness! It is no longer just you, in your own power and strength
"keeping the commandments" -- it is, spiritually speaking, the living
Christ IN YOU, keeping His Father's Commandments -- even as He kept them by
this same divine love even while He was human here on earth!
Can you brag, or boast, then, about your
righteousness? No -- it is not your righteousness -- it is God's! If Christ, by
His grace, erased your guilty past, gave you access to God, and now pours forth
into and through you the spiritual love that keeps the Law, this is not your
righteousness, but God's. And this is not your "works"! It is nothing
you earn!
God does not "kid Himself." Some
religious teachers tell you Christ lived a righteous life FOR you over 1940
years ago, and since you "can't keep the Law," as they claim, God
"imputes" Christ's righteousness of 19 centuries ago to you -- by
sort of "kidding Himself" that you are righteous, while you are given
license to still be a spiritual criminal breaking His Law! GOD does not impute
to you something you do not have. Far from this -- the living Christ by His
power makes us righteous! He imparts to us power to actually become righteous.
It is His doing!
WHY Not to Heaven NOW?
Once again, back to you! Now where are we?
There are, first, two things you must do.
On that very day of Pentecost after Christ had ascended to heaven, many who had
joined the mob crying out "crucify Him!" during Christ's trial before
Pilate, were conscience stricken and afraid, when they heard the inspired
Peter's sermon. They cried out, "What shall we do?" They, too, were
helpless. "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit" was the inspired answer (Acts
1) REPENT -- turn from your way, by
turning to God's way -- His Law! You repent of sin. Sin is the transgression of
the spiritual Law.
2) BE BAPTIZED. The Ethiopian eunuch,
coming to a lake of water, asked Philip what hindered him to be baptized.
"IF thou believest with all thine heart" was Philip's condition (Acts
3) You SHALL RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. This
is God's gift. It is the presence, conditionally, of Eternal Life.
And now if you faithfully follow God's way
-- the way the Holy Spirit leads -- you are already a begotten son of God!
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God" (Romans
Get it straight! You are now converted --
a changed person -- for God's Spirit (Eph.
But it does not yet appear what you shall
be. This scripture does not say "where you shall GO" -- or
"where you shall BE." It is talking about a condition, not a place:
"what we shall be"! Salvation is a matter of what you become -- not
where you shall go! God's purpose is to change you -- from your vile character
to HIS glorious character -- not to change the place where you are! But -- you
are now already a begotten son of God -- you may now call Him Father! -- as
long as you are led by His Spirit! -- and no longer (Heb.
And there are still some "if's."
You must grow spiritually (II Pet.
So, finally, back again to you! Where are
we, now? You have been converted -- changed in mind, concept, attitude,
direction of way of life -- you are begotten as a child of God -- you have now
eternal life abiding in you -- as long as you are LED by God's Spirit in God's
way -- as long as you continue in contact and fellowship with God (I John 1:3)
-- all by God's grace as His gift, and not anything you have earned by your
works; and now if you continue overcoming, growing spiritually -- and all this
actually through God's power -- you shall inherit the Kingdom of God, and be
made immortal to live forever in happiness and joy!
Personal Counsel
If you are one who really wants to receive
salvation -- to repent and obey God -- then here is GOOD NEWS! The Worldwide
Church of God has dedicated, consecrated, converted, fully instructed and
trained, ORDAINED MINISTERS in all parts of the
But if you of your own volition want to
know more about the Bible, salvation, and the Christian life -- why not request
a personal visit? We will have one of God's own ministers call on you.
ADDITIONAL
This booklet has covered the truth of how
we may become a begotten son of God. The Worldwide Church of God has published
a sequel booklet making plain what salvation is -- when we receive it -- what
one inherits -- when and how one is "born again." It is titled
"What Do You Mean -- Born Again?" Send in your request for it now.
It's free, of course.