We are former Roman Catholics who left the Catholic Church after discovering in the
Bible that salvation is obtained through faith in Jesus Christ, and not through
personal good works or membership in a church. This doctrine of salvation by
faith in Jesus Christ alone means that no one can, through human effort,
become "good enough" to merit eternal life. Only the merits of the God-Man,
Jesus Christ, applied to a sinner's spiritually bankrupt account, will make that
person worthy to stand before a holy God in the final Judgment. Christ paid the
penalty for sin when He shed His blood on the Cross. Salvation is granted to
those who place their faith in Jesus Christ alone rather than in their own
merits.
This is
the way of salvation that is set forth by God in Scripture, as opposed to the
inadequate human methods of trying to be good through personal effort and/or
obeying the manmade rules of a religious organization. The Bible states that
God has made this way of salvation open to all who come to Christ in faith.
The doctrine of salvation by faith alone
is sometimes misconstrued as permission to live as one pleases with a
guarantee of heaven as long as one holds to a mental belief in Christ.
This is not saving faith. Correctly understood, the Scriptures
teach that through faith in Christ a person becomes a child of God with
a new nature that enables him/her to live a holy life. Without the
new birth, it is impossible to do the works that truly please God.
For this reason, Jesus said,
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
To
understand God's love and plan of salvation for lost sinners, please
listen to
“This
Man Receives Sinners”
by William Hughes.
For an excellent study of
spiritual rebirth and growth in Christ, please
see
“The
New Birth Explained” by Miles Stanford.
In Scripture, God's plan of salvation is
presented in Paul's letter to the
Romans, Chapters 3-5.
When I
heard the Gospel, as a Catholic I thought I would be required to participate in some religious
ritual to receive God's offer of salvation. However, salvation is not a matter
of performing an outward religious act but rather a matter of inward repentance
for sin and receiving by faith God's forgiveness and gift of eternal life. If
you too will sincerely repent of your sins, you may trust that the blood of
Jesus will cover all of your sins and that Christ's righteousness will imputed
to you. God has promised in many places in the Bible that He
will not refuse any who come to him in this way.
The LORD
is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a
contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18
For thus saith
the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in
the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite
ones. Isaiah 57:15
All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out. John 6:37
AN ILLUSTRATION
To
illustrate God's way of salvation, the Lord Jesus told a parable about two men
who approached God with very different mindsets:
“Two
men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a
publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
‘God, I
thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or
even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I
possess.’
“And the publican, standing afar off;
would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast,
saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner."
“I tell you, this man went down to his
house justified rather than the other, for everyone that exalteth himself shall
be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14
Bible expositor
Matthew Henry wrote of the wonderful salvation that God has provided for sinners
who thus humble themselves ~
“Our
Lord Jesus is our Redeemer, our everlasting Redeemer; he looked with compassion
on the deplorable state of fallen mankind... at a vast
expense he redeemed the heavenly inheritance for us, which by sin was forfeited
into the hands of Divine justice, and which we could never have been able to
redeem. He purchased a peculiar people, whom he would espouse to himself, though
strangers and foreigners...
“Though he was rich,
yet for our sakes he became poor; but he was abundantly recompensed by his
Father, who, because he thus humbled himself, hath highly exalted him, and given
him a name above every name. To this union Christ invites the perishing sinner.
This relation to the poor, despised believer, he avows and glories in.
“Let us
then joyfully accept his salvation, look for all our happiness from him, and
devote our selves to his service. Let us glorify him with our bodies and
spirits, which are his; by obeying his commandments, following his example,
recommending him and his salvation, by word and deed, to all around us.”
For further understanding
of God's plan of salvation though faith in Jesus Christ, please read the
New Testament, especially the
Gospel of John. If you need a Bible or have questions, please don't
hesitate to write
Watch Unto Prayer.
May God
bless you with the abundant life that is promised in Jesus Christ.
Barbara Aho & Janet Moser
This Man
Receives Sinners
The
New Birth Explained
The
apostle Paul, who wrote letter to the Romans, gave a description of the
human condition with all of its inherent sinfulness and guilt before
God. It is essential that a person coming to God for salvation
first recognize that he/she is among this sinful multitude, and
therefore deserving of God's judgment.
THE BOOK
OF ROMANS
Chapter
3
9 What
then? are we better than they [the Jews]? No, in no wise: for we have before
proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.
10 As
it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They
are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is
none that doeth good, no, not one.
13
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the
poison of asps is under their lips:
14
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15
Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16
Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And
the way of peace have they not known:
18
There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Now
we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under
the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty
before God.
Paul then
explained that, because no one is able to keep the law of God perfectly and all
are guilty of breaking the law, God has provided another way of salvation
through faith in Christ:
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.
21 But
now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by
the law and the prophets;
22 Even
the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all
them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus:
25 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;
26 To
declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
27
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the
law of faith.
28
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the
law.
29 Is
he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the
Gentiles also:
30
Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and
uncircumcision through faith.
31 Do
we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Paul gave
examples from the Old Testament of Jewish patriarchs who were saved by faith and
not through keeping the Mosaic law. Abraham lived before the law was given to
Moses and even David, who was a man after God's own heart, could not obey the
law perfectly. Rather, the Hebrew patriarchs had faith that a Messiah would
come who would be the perfect Sacrifice offered to God for their sins:
ROMANS
Chapter
4
1 What
shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath
found?
2 For
if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before
God.
3 For
what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for
righteousness.
4 Now
to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But
to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his
faith is counted for righteousness.
6 Even
as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth
righteousness without works,
7
Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are
covered.
8
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9
Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the
uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for
righteousness.
10 How
was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in
circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 And
he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith
which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them
that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be
imputed unto them also:
12 And
the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who
also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being
yet uncircumcised. 13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the
world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the
righteousness of faith.
14 For
if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made
of none effect:
15
Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16
Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise
might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that
also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 (As
it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he
believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be
not as though they were.
18 Who
against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations,
according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And
being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was
about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
20 He
staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God;
21 And
being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And
therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now
it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But
for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up
Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who
was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
In
chapter 5 of this epistle, Paul described the benefits of the salvation which
Christ has purchased for sinners who have been justified by faith in Him: peace
with God, the state of grace, joy in the hope of future glory, joy in trials,
the love of God in their hearts and salvation from God's wrath in the day of
judgment.
ROMANS
Chapter
5
1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ:
2 By
whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God.
3 And
not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh
patience;
4 And
patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And
hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
6 For
when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For
scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some
would even dare to die.
8 But
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.
9 Much
more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through him.
10 For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And
not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we
have now received the atonement.
Paul then
described the history of sin from its entrance into the world to the final
accomplishment of God's plan of salvation: That, as sin entered the world
through one man, Adam, so salvation came through one man, Jesus Christ. And
although it took only one sin to condemn all of mankind, Christ's death is
sufficient to cover the transgressions of multitudes. This salvation is the
gracious gift of God to those who repent and turn to Jesus Christ for
forgiveness and deliverance from sin.
12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so
death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For
until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not
sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him
that was to come.
15 But
not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one
many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one
man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And
not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to
condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For
if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one,
Jesus Christ.)
18
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation;
even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life.
19 For
as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one
shall many be made righteous.
20
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound:
21 That
as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
