Grace -- the One Way of Salvation

worlddic.com

Acts 15:11

But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Consider the text as —

I. AN APOSTOLICAL CONFESSION OF FAITH. "We believe." We will call it the "Apostle's Creed," and it has quite as clear a right to that title as that which goes by the name.

1. The apostle did not believe in —

(1) Ritualism. All his testimony is concerning the grace of Christ. He says nothing whatever about ordinances, ceremonies; and those are the true successors of the apostles who teach you that you are to be saved through the free mercy of God.

(2) Self-righteousness. Peter did not say, "We believe that through doing our best we shall be saved like other people," nor even "that if we act according to our light, God will accept that little light for what it was." If we are ever saved at all we must be saved gratis, not by wages; by God's love, not by our own merits. Those who preach mere morality, or set up any way except this, preach another gospel, and they shall be accursed, even though they preach it with an angel's eloquence.

(3) Salvation by the natural force of free will. He takes the crown from off the head of man in all respects, and gives all glory to the grace of God.

2. Take this creed to pieces. It implies the doctrine of —

(1) Human ruin. Peter saw this most clearly, or he would not have been so explicit upon man's salvation.

(2) The atonement. What does the apostle mean but the grace which came from the Cross of the Saviour? What the sun is to the heavens, that the doctrine of a vicarious satisfaction is to theology. Take away the cleansing blood, and what is left to the guilty?

II. THE CONVERTED MORAL MAN'S STATEMENT. A company of Jews have assembled to discuss a certain matter, and some of them say, "Well, perhaps these Gentile dogs may be saved; yes, Christ told us to go and preach the gospel to every creature; therefore, no doubt, He must have included them — we do not like them, though, and must keep them as much under our rules and regulations as we can; we must compel them to be circumcised." Now, you expect to hear Peter say, "Why, these 'Gentile dogs' as you call them, can be saved, even as you." No; he turns the tables, and says, "We believe that you may be saved, even as they." It was just as if you should say, "We believe that a drunkard, etc., may be saved," and I respond, "You may be saved even as these." What a rebuke that would be! This is precisely what Peter meant.

1. Now, some of us were favoured with Christian parents, and consequently never did know a great deal of the sin into which others have fallen. This is cause for great thankfulness; but if you ever are saved, you will have to be saved in the same way as those who have been permitted to plunge into the most outrageous sin. In this respect we are all alike; we are born in sin, and alike are we dead by nature in trespasses and sins, heirs of wrath, even as others.

2. Moreover, the method of pardon is the same in all cases. I never heard of but one "fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel's veins." That fountain is for the dying thief as much as for you, and for you as much as for him.

III. THE CONFESSION OF THE GREAT OUTWARD SINNER WHEN CONVERTED. Now, I will speak for you. We shall be saved, even as the best are saved.

1. Yonder sits a very poor believer. Now, do you expect that when you get to heaven you will be placed in a corner as a pauper pensioner? "Oh, no!" you say, "we shall leave our poverty when we get to glory." Some of our friends are rich, but we believe that we shall be saved, even as they.

2. Others of you are poor in useful talent, You cannot preach, or conduct a prayer meeting, etc. Well, do you expect that the Lord Jesus will give you a second-hand robe to wear at His wedding feast, and serve you from cold and inferior dishes? "Oh, no! Some of our brethren have great talents, and we are glad that they have; but we believe that we shall be saved, even as they."

3. Most likely there is some doubting brother here — Mr. Much-afraid, or Mr. Little-faith; but, how is your heart? Do you believe that you will be put off with a second-rate salvation — will be admitted by the back door into heaven? "Oh, no!" say you; "I am the weakest lamb in Jesus' fold; but I believe that I shall be saved, even as they who are the strongest in grace."

4. I will suppose that there has been a work of grace in a prison. There are half a dozen villains there, but the grace of God has made new men of them; and, if they understood the text, as they looked across the room and saw half a dozen apostles, they might say, "We believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as those apostles are."

5. I will select the three Marys whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus. These holy women, we believe, will be saved. But I will suppose that I go to one of our Refuges, and there are three girls there who were once of evil fame: the grace of God has met with them. These three might say, humbly, but positively, "We believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we three reclaimed harlots shall be saved, even as they."

worlddic.com