CHAPTER VI

Our Means of Salvation

INTRODUCTION

A college student had participated in a discussion about man’s sin and came a few days later to the leader to say:

“Your description of what Presbyterians believe about human sinfulness left me somewhat depressed and uncomfortable. I did not feel exactly like a worm, but I did not feel very good either.”

To such a person we may reply: (1) It is much better to be realistic about human nature than it is to look at ourselves through rose-colored glasses. The more honestly we face the awful facts about ourselves, the better we will be able to deal with them. (2) This somewhat pessimistic view of man as a sinner is not final and is not the total view of Presbyterians about what man may become. It is the starting point in dealing with man, but it is not the goal toward which Presbyterians move in either thought or experience. Let us never mistake the starting point for the goal. (3) Such a view of man as we have considered leaves us dissatisfied and therefore encourages us to lay hold on the means of salvation which God has provided. Let us therefore turn our thoughts to the first means of salvation, which is the election of believers by God.

A. THE MEANING OF ELECTION

The doctrine of election is defined in our Confession in terms of the decrees of God, which we studied in a previous chapter, and in terms of the covenant of works which Adam and Eve failed to keep. Therefore God in His mercy initiated the covenant of grace, which is described in these words:

“Man, by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace: wherein he freely offered unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe.” (Chapter VII, Article III)

This covenant was a covenant of promise in the Old Testament dispensation. Through circumcision, the sacrifices, the prophecies, and other means the promises of God to provide salvation in Christ were made increasingly clear. In the New Testament dispensation, this covenant is a covenant of fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He is the Mediator who is revealed in the preaching and teaching of the word, and in the faithful administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. This covenant is not two covenants, but one. It is claimed by all of the spiritual seed of Abraham through their faith in Christ. It is called a covenant of grace.

1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE

Three characteristics of this covenant of grace should be mentioned. The first is that God freely offers life and salvation through Jesus Christ to all sinners. The Gospel is offered to all men. It is not withheld by God from those who may not be among the elect.

The second characteristic is that God requires of sinners a saving faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. God offers this salvation in the Gospel, but it is not given until it is received. Let us illustrate this important principle. If a parent should offer his child a nickel, it remains an offer until the child reaches up his hand and takes it. Then it becomes a gift. So also God offers salvation in Jesus Christ. That offer becomes a gift when a repentant sinner claims it in faith. The meaning of a saving faith will be discussed in the next chapter. It is mentioned here because it is ordained as God’s way of providing salvation to believers.

The third characteristic is that God promises to give the Holy Spirit to all who are ordained to eternal life, to make them willing and able to believe. In the previous chapter we considered the fact that sin prevents persons from thinking clearly or from acting nobly. Even to a historian not posing as a theologian, the human race seems to be bent on its own destruction. But God by His Spirit reaches out and lays hold on many human hearts to pull them back from their self-destruction. It is as though men were walking in darkness toward a precipice and some hear within them a voice of warning to turn back to the bridge which spans the precipice. God gives His Holy Spirit to make them willing and able to believe. Concerning the work of the Holy Spirit in leading the elect to salvation, the Confession says:

“The dispensation of the gospel is especially committed to him. He prepares the way for it, accompanies it with his persuasive power, and urges its message upon the reason and conscience of men, so that they who reject its merciful offer are not only without excuse, but are also guilty of resisting the Holy Spirit.” (Chapter IX, Article II)

2. THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION DOES NOT EXCLUDE BELIEVERS

Someone may ask, does not this doctrine of election work arbitrarily to exclude some who otherwise might believe? No, it does not. Jesus promised to receive all who came unto Him. Presbyterians believe that He will keep to His promise. At the same time, they believe that God has the final word on every one of His creatures. Jesus commanded His disciples to preach the Gospel to every creature. The Gospel says that there is no other means of salvation than that which comes by faith in Jesus Christ. No person who has heard the Gospel may blame God for his failure to respond, for as God offers His grace, man must take it and use it. Those who felt that they were among the elect did so, not by reading the eternal mind of God, but by claiming for themselves the grace of God in Christ. They acted freely, and they felt responsible for their choice. It is because our knowledge of the infinite ways of God is so limited that we are urged to handle the high mystery of predestination with special prudence and care (Confession of Faith, Chapter III, Article VIII.) We must recognize the fact that God takes the initiative and offers the Holy Spirit. We must also remember that it is only when we take this offer and exercise a saving faith that redemption becomes effective in us.

3. KEY POINTS SUMMARIZING THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION

Some key points which summarize the doctrine of election may be mentioned. The first is that God is sovereign. At the same time He is holy and righteous, loving and merciful. The second is that man is free to choose within the limits of the moral universe which is created by God. His choice is actual and uncoerced within the realm where he has learned to live. The third is that election in the Bible is always for a purpose. Abraham, Moses, and the prophets were called for a purpose. The Hebrew nation existed to witness to God in a pagan world. The apostles were called according to a purpose. They were sent forth to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Believers in the church were also among those “called according to His purpose.” They also were called to witness to their faith. God’s purpose for believers today is the same. We are not to attempt to satisfy our intellectual curiosity as to who is elect and who is not, which is the prerogative of God. We are rather to accept God’s election for the purpose of making us into His likeness and to make us good witnesses of His transforming power.

Fourth, as a consequence of his attitudes and habits in life, man is headed for his own destruction. If left to himself, man will destroy himself. Fifth, God’s purpose to save some from everlasting punishment through their faith in Christ is according to His love and mercy, not according to man’s deserving. Let every believer therefore be grateful, not proud. For he is an object of God’s grace, not a person who lifted himself by his own bootstraps.

Since we do not and cannot ever know on earth who are the elect of God except through their faith in Christ, let us not be led into fruitless speculation. Let us realize our calling as Christians, and let us be faithful in the task of preaching the glorious Gospel of Christ to every creature. Then we can have the drive of the doctrine of election without the harmful speculation which turns it from a glorious doctrine into an academic debate.

B. THE MEANING OF EFFECTUAL CALLING

Effectual calling means that God always does His part in man’s salvation. The best short definition of effectual calling is given in the Shorter Catechism, Answer to Question 31:

“Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel.”

1. FIVE FEATURES OF EFFECTUAL CALLING

Let us underscore five distinct features of effectual calling as these are suggested by this definition and described more fully in our Confession of Faith, Chapter XII.

First, effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit. The starting point is God’s Spirit, not man’s decision. For man is not capable of making the right decision without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Second, the Holy Spirit convinces us of our sin and misery. We may suppose that we are doing all right because we compare ourselves with other sinners who are very much like we are. Imagine a group of men walking in the darkness with only a small candle to guide them. Suppose they were asked whether they needed more light than they were accustomed to using. They might well refuse unless and until a searchlight was put at their disposal and their eyes became accustomed to its light. Then they would wonder why they had ever walked in the semi-darkness for so long. The apostle Paul had to be convinced that the road he traveled as a persecutor was wrong before he was willing to walk in the light of the Gospel. He had to be convinced of his sin and misery before he was willing to seek a better way of living. The Holy Spirit convinces us that our old life is bad and that we need something better.

Third, the Holy Spirit enlightens our minds in the knowledge of Christ. The summary of what we believe about Christ in the Apostles’ Creed points to what the Holy Spirit teaches us about Jesus Christ. He is God’s Son, incarnate in the flesh, crucified for our sins, raised for our justification, and now interceding for us at the right hand of God the Father, coming again in His good time to judge the world, Lord of believers throughout eternity. We do not come to the recognition of the redemptive meaning of Jesus Christ by ourselves. The Holy Spirit enlightens our minds to enable us to see Him as Lord and Saviour, and to know that He is our Saviour. He redeems each one of us who believe. His love constrains us and moves us to commit ourselves to Him.

Fourth, the Holy Spirit renews our wills. The words of Paul, “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10), mark a new centering of Paul’s will. He had been doing what he willed, assuming that God approved because the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem approved. Now he was in the process of ceasing to do his own will, and of seeking the will of Christ. This change of will is the work of the Holy Spirit in effectual calling. It results in being willing to do God’s will rather than our own.

Fifth, the Holy Spirit persuades and enables us to embrace Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord as He is offered to us freely in the Gospel. This is not coercion, but persuasion. It is not leaving us to act of our own power, but bringing us to act by His power. This effectual calling leads us to commit ourselves willingly to Christ to be used by Him in whatever way He sees fit. From recognizing that He gave His life for us it leads us to give our lives to Him. This is the response of the believer to the Holy Spirit. This is the acceptance of God’s calling as effectual for you and for me.

2. THE CALLING OF ELECT INFANTS

It is natural for someone to ask what happens to infants who do not have opportunity to reach an age of decision and hence to claim their effectual calling. The Confession of Faith answers the question in this manner:

“Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit, who worketh when, and where, and how he pleaseth. So also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word.” (Chapter XII, Article III)

While therefore Presbyterians hold to the doctrine that faith in Christ is the only means of salvation, they also affirm that God will provide in fairness and in love for all who have not the opportunity to receive and to embrace the outward preaching of Jesus Christ as Saviour. It is ours to teach and to preach the Gospel to everyone. It is God’s to save all whom He chooses to save by this means or any other dictated by His holy will.

C. THE MEANING OF JUSTIFICATION

Justification is defined in the Shorter Catechism as follows:

“Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein He pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us in as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ, imputed to us, and received by faith alone.” (Answer to Question 33.)

Let us observe four things about this definition of justification. First, it is an act of God’s free grace. As an act of God’s free grace it is not based on His foreknowledge of man’s goodness. It is rooted in the purpose and the will of God from all eternity.

Second, justification wipes out past sin. It is as though every person were carrying a burden on his back and suddenly, like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, had the burden loosed from his back. It is like the experience of the woman whom Jesus forgave in the temple when her accusers refused to cast the first stone at her. He said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.” He told her the past was forgiven and that she could now lead a new life.

Third, in justification, believers are accepted as righteous for Christ’s sake. They are not accepted because they are doing better works than anyone else. They are not accepted because they are worthy. They are declared to be righteous before God because of the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ. His righteousness acts like a cloak to cover the sins of believers. God sees believers as those whose sins are covered through the sacrificial love of Christ their Saviour and Lord.

Fourth, justification is received by faith alone. Presbyterians do not attempt to achieve justification through their works. They do work to become what they are declared to be in Christ. They put their faith to work to demonstrate its genuineness and to express their gratitude to God for providing their redemption in Christ. They open the windows of their soul, as it were, to receive the Spirit who cleanses them and who enables them to strive for the obedience of the sons of God.

D. THE MEANING OF ADOPTION

Adoption is defined in the Shorter Catechism, Answer 34, as follows:

“Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges, of the sons of God.”

Like election, effectual calling, “and justification, adoption is an act of God’s free grace. It is His purpose in operation, not man’s achievement of merit. Adoption by God is something like adoption by human parents. Parents adopt children, and these children in turn accept their adoption as children.

Two important results follow adoption. The first is a sense of belonging to God’s family. Believers are no longer orphans before God, but adopted children. They share in the sufferings, the joys and the blessings of family life. They become a part of the church, which is a fellowship of persons becoming saints on the earth. The second result is that believers enjoy all the privileges of sonship. They have the family name and a share in their inheritance with Christ. God’s bank account belongs to them. His promises are theirs to have and to hold. If therefore their recognition of sin makes Presbyterians feel like worms, their acceptance of their adoption as sons of God brings them into a feeling of belonging to the most glorious fellowship in heaven or on earth.

E. THE MEANING OF SANCTIFICATION

“Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and to live unto righteousness.” (Answer to Question 35 in the Shorter Catechism.)

Let us recognize the four characteristics of sanctification mentioned in this definition.

First, sanctification is a work of God’s free grace. It is not described merely as an act, but as something which is in process for some time. One may be declared righteous before God by an act of adoption. But one becomes the kind of son that one is declared to be by a process of spiritual growth. We work out our salvation only as God is constantly at work within us to will and to accomplish His good pleasure. Thus sanctification is a work of God’s free grace within us.

Second, by sanctification we are transformed and renewed within the whole man. It is something like grafting the bud of an apple tree on the stock of a walnut tree. The apple tree is produced and the stock becomes a part of the apple tree.

Sanctification results from regeneration. No woman would place a geranium pot in a rose garden and expect the geranium to bloom like a rose. Why? Because the life of the rose is not in the geranium plant. If a woman wishes another plant to bloom like the rose, she will get a cutting from the parent rose properly rooted. Then she will water, fertilize, and cultivate this new plant until it blooms like the rose. It will bloom like the rose because it has the life of the parent rosebush in it.

When the Christian is born again through the reception of the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit, he has a little of the life of Christ in him. This new life, when properly cultivated by the appointed means of spiritual growth, keeps on spreading until it roots out the old life and supplants it with the new. The inner man is renewed and transformed by the power of the Spirit of God at work within him. This is why and how he becomes a new creature in Christ. This renewal may be more sudden in some than in others. It is a process by which believers are remade into the moral and spiritual image of God in Christ.

Third, by sanctification the Holy Spirit enables us more and more to die unto sin. It will be recalled that sin is a transgression of the revealed will of God. It is also a failure to measure up to the full will of God. By sanctification we die more and more to the pride and rebellion which is expressed in disobedience to God’s will. More and more we die to the laziness and self-satisfaction which leaves us willing to live half-heartedly for Christ.

Fourth, in sanctification the Holy Spirit enables us to live more and more unto righteousness. As the Spirit of God works in us, we come to accept new and high goals in life. We have wonderful things to live for. We seek to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We keep straining forward to the things which are before us as followers of Christ. We live in the dawn of a great surprise day by day. New life is ours as we enter into a new obedience to the whole will of God. Increasingly and constantly we grow into the likeness of Christ.

While therefore it is true that Presbyterians face their sin realistically, they do hot believe that this is their end or ‘goal. They believe in a new life in Christ. Through election, effectual calling, justification, adoption and sanctification they are transformed into the spiritual image of Christ who dwells in them by His Holy Spirit. This is the new life to which Christians are called. It is the new life toward which, by God’s grace, they strive day by day.