Fundamental Truths of Salvation

By Edward Dennett

Chapter 6

“WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?"

HAVING pointed out God's provision for the need of souls, we may now consider the subject from man's point of view. No sooner indeed is he convicted of sin than the question springs up within his heart in one form or another, “ What must I do? ” It was so on the day of Pentecost, when the Jews were pricked in their heart by the power of the Holy Spirit under the preaching of Peter. “ Men and brethren," they said, “what shall we do? ” The jailor asked Paul and Silas, “ What must I do to be saved? ” (Acts xvi. 30.) Twice our Lord Himself was asked, “ What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? ” (Mark x. 17; and Luke x. 25.) The question addressed to our Lord by Paul, or rather Saul— “ Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? ” (Acts. ix. 6)—is different, and need not therefore be considered.

The peculiarity of these questions is that the “ I ” occupies a prominent place, or rather perhaps the thought of doing. It is, What must I do? a sure sign that the questioners have not yet learnt what God is, or their true place before Him. It is on this very account the more important to answer the question, because it marks in many souls a distinct stage of their history. There are very few indeed who have not asked the same question at some period of their soul - anxiety. We propose therefore to examine some of the examples which we have cited, that we may ascertain the answer given to it in the word of God.

1. We take first the case of the young man. (Mark x. 17; Matt. xix. 16; Luke xviii. 18.) We read that when Jesus “ was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to Him, and asked Him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? (there is) none good but one, [ that is,] God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto Him, Master, all these things have I observed from my youth.” (Matthew tells us that the young man added, “ What lack I yet? ”) “ Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. ” (Mark x. 17-22.) This case is the more remarkable and instructive from the fact that this young man was so blame less and unexceptionable in conduct and character. He was both sincere and upright, one who could say, what Paul said of himself, that touching the righteousness which was in the law, he was blameless (Phil. iii. 6); for he replied to our Lord's enumeration of the commandments, “ All these have I observed from my youth," and added, “ What lack I yet? ” (See Matt. xix. 20.)

Is not this a picture of many in our own day, young people and others, whose whole lives, morally, as we speak, in their outward expression leave nothing to be desired? Gentle, amiable, and loving; observant, and tenderly observant of their duties as sons or daughters, upright and honour able in all the relationships of life, and diligent also in attendance upon what are termed religious duties, they win the approbation of their whole circle, both of relatives and friends. And what lack they yet? The Lord's answer to this young man is the answer to our question. What then is its import? First, that man can bring nothing to God, and therefore can DO NOTHING to inherit eternal life. Like Paul, he must learn that his righteousness is as filthy rags, to count the things which were a gain to him as a natural man loss for Christ, that nothing that he is, or has done, is of any merit before God; nay, that his best things must be regarded as worthless and unclean. Secondly, that he must be willing to suffer the loss of all things — self, his own righteousness, and the world --for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. Hence our Lord told the young man to sell all that he had, and give to the poor; and then to come, take up the cross, and follow me. ”

Such is the first answer to the question, " What must I do to inherit eternal life? " You must take the place of having nothing, and being nothing - self, the world, yea, and every thing being nothing -- at the feet of Jesus. And let not the solemn warning of this whole incident be forgotten, that moral attainments, and the advantages of position, etc., are to be classed among the greatest hindrances to coming to Christ, because they so often cover up and conceal the soul's real condition before God.

2. The case of the lawyer. (Luke x.) This is in many respects totally different from that just considered; for the lawyer comes tempting Christ, and thus occupying a much lower moral place. Accordingly our Lord connects with it much deeper lessons of man's true condition. “ A certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? How readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And He said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? ” etc. Then follows the parable of the “good Samaritan. " (Luke x. 25-37.) Here the Lord takes the lawyer, who was tempting Him, on his own ground; viz that of the law; and He thus accepts his statement of the requirements of the law, adding the words connected with its promulgation, “ This do, and thou shalt live ” (“ which if a man do, he shall live in them.” Lev. xviii 5). But he used the law, according to its divine intention, as a standard of God's requirements from men in the flesh, and so brought in the knowledge of sin. (Rom. iii. 20.) For His words, " Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live ” (v. 28), convicted the tempting lawyer of sin; for we read, “ He, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? ” The Lord had searched him with that word which “ is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two -edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart ” (Heb. iv. 12); but instead of bowing to it he desired to escape from its application, if not to insinuate the impossible character of the divine requirements. He sought to justify himself, as if a man could be just with God, by alleging that, since he could not carry out the divine command, he could not be expected to do any thing. But the Lord had brought into his mind the knowledge of sin, and then, to teach also the lesson as to who was his neighbour, described the man who fell among thieves, and how he was succoured by a Samaritan.

What then are the special lessons taught by this answer to the question, What must I do to inherit eternal life? It is not only that man can do nothing, but that he is also convicted as a sinner before God; and hence we have man's condition as a sinner pictured out in the parable. It is thus described: “ A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded [ him), and departed, leaving [him] half dead. " (v. 30.) The very place in which the traveller is assailed is significant. He was on his way from Jerusalem, the city of God, to Jericho, the city of curse (Joshua vi. 26 - a striking picture of the sinner's journey to destruction. He falls among thieves, who strip, wound, and depart, leaving him half dead; and so he lies helpless and hopeless, at the point of death.

Who does not see in this sketch man's condition as a sinner? And what folly it were for one in that condition to ask, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? The question rather is, What can be done to save him? And this is what our Lord would teach the lawyer — the folly of a sinner asking what he can do, and that if he is saved, it must be by the grace and by the doing of another. This latter truth is brought out in the Samaritan. But first a priest and a Levite pass by, and leave the wretched man to his fate, show ing the helplessness of law to save the soul. Then the Samaritan comes upon the scene, “ And when he saw him, he had compassion [on him), and went to [ him ], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. ” (vv. 33–35.) Who then is the Samaritan? Surely none but Christ — Christ, in the compassion of His love, seeking and saving the lost. For He is moved with pity by the wretchedness of the poor, helpless man, binds up his wounds, carries him to a place of safety, cares, undertakes, and provides for him until He returns. We learn therefore from the whole scene (1) that man is a sinner; (2) that as a sinner he is both helpless and lost; (3) that therefore he can do nothing; and (4) that if he is to be saved, it can only be through Christ, and what He has done.

3. This w prepare us for the case of the jailor. (Acts xvi.) We take this rather than that of the Jews on the day of Pentecost, because the question is put by him in its most distinct form. Paul and Silas, at the instigation of an excited crowd, had been put into prison at Philippi; and at midnight, we read, the apostles prayed, and sang praises to God: and “ suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. ” (Acts xvi. 25–26.) The keeper of the prison was terrified, and in the excitement of the moment, thinking that the prisoners had escaped, would have killed himself, but for the interposition of Paul. “ Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (vv. 27-31.)

Why do Paul and Silas treat him otherwise than our Lord dealt with the two cases already considered? The answer in each case meets the moral condition of the questioner. But Paul and Silas are able to direct the jailor instantly to Christ, because he came in the moral condition set forth by the dying man in the parable. And hence if any of my readers are putting this same question, they cannot be answered until they take the same place. This truth has already been insisted on in the second chapter; but we again emphasize it here. For until the lesson is learnt the way of salvation cannot be known. Are you then, beloved readers, recognizing, not only that you can bring nothing to God, that even the things that might be a gain to you amongst men are worthless before Him, but also that you are sinners, and as such lost and undone; that therefore you can do nothing towards your salvation, and that if you are saved, it must be by the work and grace of another? If you are, we can then unfold to you the blessed truth, contained in the words, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (v. 31.)

To be saved therefore, to have eternal life, you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is thus a question not of doing, but of believing. For it is now, not what the sinner can do, but what Christ has done, for “ He took what I had earned; I get the fruit of what He has done." Therefore it is, and ever must be, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” There is no other way; and hence salvation is always connected with faith. Take a few instances: “ Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace ” (Luke vii. 50); “ Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole " (Luke xvii. 19); " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life” (John iii. 36); “ He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgment); but is passed from death unto life” (John v. 24); “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life ” (John vi. 47); “ To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins ” (Acts x. 43); “ Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. v. 1, etc. etc.)

Do you then, beloved reader, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? We have pointed out the place the sinner must first take; that he must accept God's testimony concerning himself - that he is both helpless, guilty, and lost. If you accept God's word as to yourself and your condition, we then point you to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world; for He who declares to us what we are by nature and practice in His sight, has provided redemption for us in Christ: He “ SO loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John iii. 16.) Look away therefore from yourself to Christ, accept God's testimony also concerning Him, and even while you look you shall pass from death unto life. " The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ” (Rom. X. 8-10.)  

     “'Tis finished! the creature owed
     A debt he ne'er could pay to God;
          Our sins had moved the wrath of heaven:
          That debt is paid, those sins forgiven.
The Son of God hath suffer'd in our stead,
     And we are free; 'tis finished.

     “'Tis finished! the mighty Son
     O'er death and hell the victory won:
          He died, He lives for our salvation,
          And we may say with exultation,
'For me my Saviour's precious blood was shed,
     And come what will, ' tis finished.””

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