DO YOU QUALIFY FOR SALVATION?
In this highly competitive world the best qualified get the best jobs. This usually implies specialized training. But I want you to consider this in another realm, the spiritual, that having to do with the salvation of your eternal soul. Do you qualify for salvation?
The Bible says that "salvation is of the Lord." It is something God has for mankind. It is of utmost importance. It is something every thinking person should want. It is something you need. But do you qualify?
Some have the notion that we must do something special to qualify. Such is not the case. If you are a sinner, you qualify for God's salvation. The Bible says that "all have sinned." And Jesus came not "to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
As a sinner, you are lost. The Bible says, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
But Jesus came "to seek and to save that which was lost."
So what must you do to qualify? Nothing. You are a lost sinner; and that is who God the Father had in mind when He made salvation's plan, and who Christ had in mind when He brought it down to man, and who the Holy Spirit had in mind when He came to convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.
The only thing that remains for you to do is to acknowledge the fact: first, that you are a sinner as God says; second, that you are lost and hell-bound; and, third, that Christ died for your sins and that He is your Saviour the moment you receive him into your heart by faith.
It is not enough just to qualify for salvation. Everyone qualifies, whether they know it or not. You must receive it to have it. And you receive it and have it when you receive Christ Jesus the Lord as your own, personal Saviour.
-- Editor.
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God . . . hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things.
Hebrews 1:1,2.
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SALVATION IS OF THE LORD*
He thought it. Before creation was in God's hand, the salvation of His fallen creatures was in His mind.
Christ was delivered up to crucifixion "by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God"1 long before wicked hands of sinful men actuated the deed. "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world -- the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."2
And "he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world."3 "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."4 "Brethren beloved of the Lord . . . God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation."5
He wrought it. Salvation is not the work of man, but of God.
"Now he that hath wrought us . . . is God."6 "For by grace are ye saved through faith . . . not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works . . . For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus."7
"It is God which worketh in you."8 "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."9
He bought it. Though salvation is free to man, it cost God dearly.
"Ye were bought with a price."10 "The church . . . he hath purchased with his own blood"11
"Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ."12 "We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."13
"Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."14
He brought it. The only pilgrimage that had to be made was made by the Son of God Himself.
"When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son."15 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."16 "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."17
"Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures . . . he was buried . . . he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."18
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him . . . and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places."19
God has done all that is necessary for man's salvation. The question of importance for you is: Have you sought it or fought it?
"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near."20 "He is not far from every one of us."21 "He that seeketh findeth."22 "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved; (but how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?)."23
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."24
"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."25 "Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart."26
Christian Martyrs of the Past
JOHN ROGERS
Rev. John Rogers, an aged minister, was in charge of the church of St. Sepulchre, Snow Hill, London. He was the first to fall a victim to the law which had just been passed (giving power to the church to give over for burning all persons who refused to acknowledge the pope of Rome). He had long been known as an earnest upholder of the reformed faith, and had acted at one time as chaplain to the English society of merchants at Antwerp. While in that city he had become acquainted with Tyndale, the translator, and had aided him in distributing the New Testament in English. Believing marriage to be lawful for the clergy as well as for other men, Rogers had married a wife in Antwerp, and continued to live there until Edward ascended the throne of England. He then returned to his native country, and was promoted by bishop Ridley to be an assistant at St. Paul's, London; he also kept his place as vicar of St. Sepulchre's.
Rogers continued to hold these places until the death of king Edward. In the second year of queen Mary's reign he preached a sermon against the growing power of the pope in England, enlarged on the virtues of the late king, and urged the people to remain true to the reformed religion. For this sermon he was summoned before the council, but he defended himself so ably that he was dismissed with a warning.
This indulgence on the part of the council displeased the queen, as she considered Rogers a mischievous heretic, so he was arrested a second time; yet such was the respect felt for him that he was again let go, but cautioned not to leave his own house. This order he obeyed although he might have made his escape if he would. He knew he could have a church in Germany if he applied for it, and he had a wife and eleven children to support, but all these things did not move him; he did not court death, but he was willing to meet it fearlessly when it came.
Rogers remained confined in his own house for several weeks, until Bonner, bishop of London, had him committed to Newgate prison, where he was shut in with thieves and murderers. He was afterward brought a third time before the council, where Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, presided. It was not, however, with any intention of showing mercy to the prisoner, nor with a view of convincing him of error, that he was brought there, for his death had already been decided on. After he had been examined before the council, he was turned over to Bonner, bishop of London, who declared him to be an obstinate heretic. A report of this was sent in the regular way to the court, and a writ was issued for the burning of Rogers at Smithfield. This dreadful sentence does not seem to have alarmed him; for he is said to have prepared himself even with cheerfulness for the day he was to suffer.
On the 4th of February, in the year 1555, in the morning, the prisoner was warned suddenly by the keeper's wife, to prepare himself for the fire. Being sound asleep, he could scarcely be awakened. At length being roused, and told to make haste, he said, "Is then this the day? If it be so, I need not be careful of my dressing." Rogers was taken first to Bonner to be degraded; that done, he begged of Bonner one favor. And Bonner asking what that should be, he said, "Only that I might talk a few words with my wife before burning." This request, it is said, Bonner refused to grant. Now when the time had come, the prisoner was brought from Newgate to Smithfield, the place of his execution. Here Woodroofe, one of the sheriffs, asked him if he would change his religion to save his life; but Rogers answered, "That which I have preached I will seal with my blood." "Then," said Woodroofe, "thou art a heretic." "That shall be known," replied Rogers, "at the day of judgment." "Well," said Woodroofe, "I will never pray for thee." "But I will pray for thee," replied Rogers.
So Rogers was brought by the sheriffs toward Smithfield, repeating the fifty-first psalm by the way, all the people greatly wondering at his constancy; and there, in the presence of Rochester, comptroller of the queen's household; Sir Richard Southwell; the sheriffs, and a large number of people, he was fastened to the stake and burned to ashes.
It is related, that "Roger's wife and eleven children, ten of whom were able to walk and one was at the breast, met him by the way as he went toward Smithfield. This sorrowful sight of his own flesh and blood did not move him, but he constantly and cheerfully took his death with wonderful patience in the defense of Christ's gospel. A little before his burning at the stake, his pardon was brought, if he would have recanted, but he utterly refused it. He was the first martyr of all the blessed company that suffered in queen Mary's time at the fire."
(In "Foxe's Christian Martyrs of the World," published by Moody Press, Chicago.)
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PSALM 51
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Wash my thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against, thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
Behold, I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it; thou delightest not in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
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"WHEN THOU PASSEST THROUGH THE WATERS"
Is there any heart discouraged as it journeys on its way?
Does there seem to be more darkness than there is of sunny day?
Oh, it's hard to learn the lesson, as we pass beneath the rod,
That the sunshine and the shadow serve alike the will of God;
But there comes a word of promise like the promise in the bow --
That however deep the waters, they shall never overflow.
When the flesh is worn and weary, and the spirit is depressed,
And temptations sweep upon it, like a storm on ocean's breast,
There's a haven ever open for the tempest-driven bird;
There's shelter for the tempted in the promise of the Word;
For the standard of the Spirit shall be raised against the foe;
And however deep the waters, they shall never overflow.
When a sorrow comes upon you that no other soul can share,
And the burden seems too heavy for the human heart to bear,
There is One whose grace can comfort, if you'll give Him an abode;
There's a burden-Bearer ready if you'll trust Him with your load;
For the precious promise reaches to the depth of human woe,
That however deep the waters, they shall never overflow.
When the sands of life are ebbing and I know that death is near;
When I'm passing through the valley, and the way seems dark and drear;
I will reach my hand to Jesus, in His bosom I shall hide,
And 'twill only be a moment till I reach the other side;
It is then the fullest meaning of the promise I shall know:
"When thou passest through the waters, they shall never overflow."
-- Contributed by a reader.
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FLOURISHING CHRISTIANS
By Walter J. Parker, Jr.
In Psalm One our Lord promises that a Christian will flourish like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does he will prosper, provided he does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful, and provided further that he delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night.
The Psalmist appears to have enjoyed fastening his attention on certain trees, learning about them and then making spiritual applications from their characteristics, e.g. a green olive tree, a palm tree, a cedar in Lebanon and others.
In Psalm 52, when David was concerned about Doeg revealing to Saul his hiding place, and after analyzing Doeg's wicked condition and ultimate end under God's punishment, he turns his mind away from his enemies and determinedly says: "But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the mercy (steadfast love, unmerited favor) of God for ever and ever."
Let us single out certain characteristics of the olive tree and attempt to make spiritual applications as David might have done.
The olive tree manifests the steadfast enduring life and love we can have from meditating on the things of God.
The olive was the basis of life in the Mediterranean world. (Is Jesus Christ the basis of my life?)
It grows richly in Palestine today. Even in dry arid areas the olive tree is helped to grow by placing a "rock mulching" around its base to precipitate the dew. (Am I thirsty for God? And is time given for the heavenly manna to come down daily into my life?) In fact, the olive tree produces its best fruit in rocky, dry lands, in hostile environments, where nothing else will grow.
To make it more fruitful, it was the accepted agricultural practice to prune (purge) back to the root. (Is my life rooted in God?)
The olive tree can survive all manner of damage. Burned, it sprouts again. Cut down, there is always hope it will send up a new shoot, even after appearing to have been dead for years. (Is my life so rooted in God that it could survive similar misfortunes and come back with new shoots? With shoots that are clear grained and not embittered from the past experiences but rather enriched from them.)
Like humans, it takes the olive tree 17 to 30 years to reach its full vintage, and its best fruit is in riper years. It lives for centuries. (Do I have God's eternal life?)
The tree has many uses. The olive fruit is used for eating, its oil in cooking and illumination. The wood is richly grained and sturdy. After the flood it was the freshly sprouted olive leaf that the dove brought to Noah. (Can God use me to bring glory to Himself?)
Throughout the ages the olive had stood for peace -- peacemakers -- steadfast love, unmerited favor (mercy), and newness of life. (Is this quality of mercy being manifested in my life?)
No wonder God diverted David's attention from his enemies to the green olive tree. Oh, that we could flourish like the green olive tree planted in the house of God where living streams of mercy flow forevermore -- although we live in a world of hardship, adversity, and disappointment -- so that with our hearts and minds resolutely rooted in God and in His Christ we will be like David and bring forth our fruit in its season and our leaf will not wither.
In Psalm 92, perhaps after he had weathered some more storms of life, we find the Psalmist actually rejoicing in spite of his enemies. Through God he has learned to triumph over them and is thankful and glad to share the victory with God. He notes that although the wicked do flourish as grass -- both in rate of growth and in number -- yet it is for the purpose that they shall be destroyed. The Psalmist wants no part of that kind of prosperity. Then he proceeds to exalt the Lord by saying, "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; to show that the Lord is upright . . . "
The date palm tree speaks of praise to God and living above things of the earth; its sap speaks of the fulness of the Holy Spirit, the life that flows out from within, and its rich abundant dates of long and enduring fruitfulness. (Is this the kind of Christian I am?)
The cedar of Lebanon speaks of majesty, nobility, stability and long life; it is strong, its realm makes it incorruptible, and its evergreen needles testify to the faithfulness and steadfast love of God. Its rocky habitat suggests it is firmly rooted. ("In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust . . . be thou my strong habitation . . . for thou art my rock." "For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." "As ye have, therefore, received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding with thanksgiving." -- Psalm 71:1-3; I Corinthians 3:11; Colossians 2:6,7.)
May we follow the example of the Psalmist by learning to triumph over our inner enemies of worry, discontent, disappointment, etc., as well as our outer enemies of both this visible, natural world and the invisible, spirit world. "Thanks be unto God who always leadeth us in triumph through Christ . . . " As we flourish in this way, we can testify with the Psalmist that the Lord, He is God, He is ever faithful, His love is steadfast, that the prosperity one receives from His mercy and wisdom is far better than the gains of the wicked, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
(Mr. Parker is a patent attorney, born with cerebral palsy.)
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NOTHIN' TO WORRY 'BOUT
A Black washerwoman who had a very happy disposition was a constant source of surprise to her employer. She was never in the dumps. She never had any despondent spells, but was always rejoicing in the Lord. She was a very poor woman. She lived in two small rooms with almost no furniture or comforts of any kind, yet at the age of fifty-nine she was quite happy and contented. One evening her employer said, "Jack (her name was Mrs. Jackson), what makes you so happy all the time? I never see you in the dumps. I never see you crying over anything. What is the secret of your constant joy?" Her reply was wonderful. We may all learn a lesson from it. She said: "I have no money to lose, so I never worry 'bout losing nothin'. What little furniture I has at home has all been given to the Lord, so if it gets stole or burned up, the Lord done burned up His own stuff. He never burned up nothin' of mine. And then I has a big, health body, and if I gets sick and dies, I'se going right to be with Jesus, so I never worry 'bout that. I'd just as soon that would come. So, you see, I haven't nothin' to worry 'bout, so I just sings."
-- Bible Expositor and Illuminator.
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