57. John 3:16

In the Bible we learn that man has wandered away from God, and in his present condition he has no hope of salvation until he comes back to God where salvation is located and where it can be found.

Never did Christ promise to save any man in his sins. Even the angels that foretold the work of Christ at his birth said, "He shall save his people from (not in) their sins" (Matthew 1:21). When Isaiah foretold the coming of the Lord, and the law of salvation, he said, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord who will have mercy upon him; and to our God for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:1-7). Seeing that we are to be saved from our sins, and that we must come to God to get this salvation, and that Christ teaches, no one comes to the Father but by him (John 14:6), and as God, Christ, and man are all interested in the salvation of man, it may be well to ask what each one has done, and what each must do for the salvation of man.

John tells us, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). In seeking to know God's love for man, we first find it demonstrated in the creation of man. God is the creator of all things, and his love for man is shown in the fact that he created man above all animals, and gave him power and dominion over all things. He gave man knowledge above all other creatures, and reasoning power to search after knowledge and seek for the truth. We have often seen God's love to man demonstrated in times of sickness and troubles and wars.

On one occasion, God's people became servants to the king of Egypt, who was cruel to them. Yet when they cried mightily unto God, he heard their cry and sent Moses to bring them out. Again, when God's children were sorely distressed and oppressed by the enemy he sent Gideon with three hundred men who routed 135,000 soldiers on the other side, and liberated God's children from fear and bondage.

When the great army of the Philistines came out and defied the army of the living God, he sent the shepherd boy, David, against their great man. He killed the giant and came out conqueror over the enemies of the Lord.

In many instances, we read of, all through the old Bible we find God's love for man demonstrated. When man reached the end of his power with no one able to help, then God's love came in and demonstrated to him that God was always anxious and ready to help those who put their trust in him. We next consider the love of Christ for man, and how manifested.

• By example.

........There is nothing that Christ ever required a man to do that is impossible for him to do, and in all things he required of man we see Christ himself doing these things, showing man that it can be done, and leaving him an example. We see Christ setting an example at the age of twelve, being in the temple and doing his Father's business, showing us that early in life we should select the right way and follow it. He gives us an example in his baptism, by going sixty miles to be baptized of John, and required no man to be baptized until he had performed the act himself. We see his example of resisting temptation when the devil tempted him along the line of hunger, of just of the eye, and of the pride of life,showing us that in all these channels we can resist temptation and come out conquerors in the end. He gave us an example when he walked and lived among men, taking hold of all practical affairs of life and out of each teaching useful lessons for us, not only in this life, but to lead us into a higher and greater life at the end. We see his example in sympathy in the hour of trouble. When the messenger of death comes to our homes, we are all heartbroken, undone, and in need of friends. It was on an occasion like this that Jesus left his work and went to the home of Martha and Mary to mingle his tears with theirs in the hour of trouble and gloom which was over their home. He shows us how to deal with enemies, and how to continue the fight for right even when our friends forsake us. Well did the prophet say, "He tread the winepress alone"; for in his deepest hour of trouble his best friends left him there, and after leaving us an example worthy of imitation by all in our life work here, He goes into the grave, fights the powers of darkness and comes a conqueror over death and the grave, and then gives us a law of life in obedience to which we will be led back to the throne of God, where we can eat fruit from the tree of life and live forever.

This brings me to the third and last part of our lesson which includes the work of man in going back to God. So far as the work of God and the work of Christ are concerned, they are fulfilled; and that man who waits and calls on God to come and save him, or prays for God to send Christ down with converting power in His hands to save poor sinners, is ignorant of what God has already done, and will never come in touch with that eternal life God has promised to those who love Him, until he learns the conditions upon which this life is promised, and goes to God in his appointed way. He will then get the salvation that awaits every one who seeks according to God's will. Then in discussing the work left for man, we find that he should first seek to know God's will, Jesus taught while here, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). In the memorable prayerof the Son of God, He prayed only for all who will believe on Him through the teaching of the apostles (John 17 th chapter).

........Paul, to the church at Rome, declared that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe it (Romans 1:16). To the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), he not only declares they are saved by it, but he tells them what it is they must believe. In writing to the churches of Christ in Galatia he declares if an angel preach any other gospel let him be accursed (Galatians 1:10). In writing to the church at Thessalonica, he says God will take vengeance on them that obey not the gospel, who will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of God, and from the glory of his power (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

Seeing, then, that our only hope of salvation is to know the will of the Lord and do it, a man who values his eternal life can not be too careful to examine into his will, and not be led off and deceived by the doctrines of men, and fail to enter into that rest that remains to the people of God. The final question is, if I must learn and obey the will of the Lord to get eternal life, what is that will or what must I do to be saved?

In the law of Moses, we hear him saying in the 18th chapter of Deuteronomy, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken." Jesus taught in the 7th of Matthew that we must hear his sayings and do them to be saved. So it is not to hear the sayings of Abraham, John the Baptist, John Wesley, A. Campbell, or any other man. I must hear the sayings of Christ and do them. I notice in the second place that Christ commands the man to believe in him with all his heart. In John 20:30, it is said, "These things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name."

........Right here is where all the protestant churches make their fatal mistake in declaring that we are saved by faith only. The same Jesus with the same authority who taught us we must believe in him to be saved, also said repentance must be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47). Paul, laboring under this commission said God commands all men to repent (Acts 17:30). Peter,preaching the first sermon he ever preached after the Holy Ghost fell upon them, commanded the people to repent for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). All people who love and respect divine authority, could not accept a plan of salvation that would not recognize repentance as a command of the Lord, just as essential to obey as the command of faith.

But I look to the will of Christ again to see if anything more is required of man, and I find that Jesus teaches in Matthew 10:32 that I must confess him before men that he may confess me before his Father and the angels. Also the Holy Spirit tells me in Romans 10:8-10 that with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. In Acts 8:39, I learn by example that I am to confess Jesus as the Son of God, and not to confess my feelings in order to salvation. The last thing in the plan of salvation that I must do to be saved from my past sins, I find recorded in the great commission where Jesus said, "Preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:15-16). I then find Peter after receiving power from on high, and laboring under the last commission that God ever gave to man, telling sinners to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38).

No one who wants to follow God in all things can expect salvation without doing what God has ordained must be done, that he might have redemption in His name.

After I obey these commands and am thereby added to the church by God. I take upon me a new life—the Christian life. Then I am to continue steadfastly in his teaching, in breaking of bread, in fellowship, and in prayer, living right, and helping others. In the end I have the promise of a happy home in the city of our God. How great and how grand to think, just on the other side of the river of death there is one eternal day of love, sunshine, and happiness. How easy to find the road that leads to that home, if you only try.

Then will you not, dear sinner, decide today that you will seek the way of happiness, and walk therein that heaven may be your eternal home?