February 7, 2001
It Is How You Finish That Counts
Richard Brown
NOTE: I am writing this sermon, but at the same time, it is technically not my sermon. I was at the mall about a week ago and I found some hand-written, loose leaf notebook pages that had been wind-blown around the section of the parking lot where my vehicle was parked. Out of curiosity, I picked one of the pages, perused it, and was totally floored by what I read. Curious and intrigued, I gathered as many of them as I could find, which were four pages in all. Some just had scribblings and doodlings that were unrelated to the first page I picked up. There were no acknowledgements written relating to where the information came from. In my spare time, I did some research on a couple of fellows mentioned in the notes named Chuck Templeton and Bron Cliffort. As some of the notes referred to Billy Graham's friendship with Templeton, I checked out his book, 'Just As I Am' from my local library to confirm some of what I had read.
As I worked on this 'sermon', I was struck with the revelation that it was God's awfully strange providence that crossed my path with these notebook page scribblings and set my feeble mind to thinking about this message to share with you. In light of the fact that I have absolutely no clue who or where these notes came from, I humbly bestow all credit to the person who lost the notes and the resources they used.
So, today's Mid-Week Pulpit message is something I compiled from those resources, as well as the extensive research I did on Cliffort and Templeton and the information I obtained from Mr. Graham's autobiography. And I believe there is a message here that God has led me to which we all can relate to.
Here goes:
Most people probably have heard of Billy Graham, but how about Chuck Templeton? How about Bron Cliffort? Are you familiar with those names? They were packing out auditoriums in 1945 when Billy Graham first preached to large crowds. Here are some thoughts prompted from the book 'Finishing Strong' by Steve Farrar.
All three of these young men rose to prominence in their mid twenties. One seminary president, after hearing a brilliant preacher named Chuck Templeton, called him "the most gifted, talented young preacher in America". Templeton and Graham became very close friends. They started preaching together with the Youth for Christ Organization. Most observers thought that Templeton would be the one who would go to the top. One magazine called Templeton the "Babe Ruth of evangelism."
Bron Cliffort was another gifted young evangelist. Many believed that Cliffort was the most gifted, powerful preacher to come up in the church for many centuries. People lined up for hours to hear Him preach. When he gave a discourse at Baylor University, the ropes of the bells of the tower were actually cut, because they wanted nothing to interfere with his preaching. For two and half hours the students of Baylor sat on the edges of their seat as he gave a sermon titled "Christ and the Philosopher's Stone". At the the early age of twenty-five, Cliffort touched more lives, influenced more leaders, and set more attendance records than other clergyman in American history. National leaders vied for his attention. He was also tall, handsome, dashing, intelligent and sophisticated. Hollywood actually tried to cast him in the role for the famous movie, 'The Robe'. He seemed to have everything.
In the mid 40's, Graham, Templeton and Cliffort started like Olympic gold medalists. But why have you not heard of Chuck Templeton and Bron Cliffort? Well, the answer may surprise you.
By 1950 Templeton had left the ministry. He pursued a radio career, became an announcer and newscaster and told the world that he no longer believed Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He became a devout atheist. By 1950, this future "Babe Ruth" of preaching was not even in the ball game. By 1954 Cliffort had lost his family, ministry and health. Eventually he lost his life because of his addiction to alcohol. Financial irresponsibility left his wife and their two Downs-Syndrome children penniless. This once famous preacher died of cirrhosis of the liver at the age of thirty-five in a rundown hotel on the edge on Amarillo. He died unwept, unhonored, and unsung. Some of the pastors from Amarillo, Texas, got together and collected enough money to buy a cheap casket. His body was shipped back to the east coast, where he was buried in a common pauper's cemetery.
One day, Chuck Templeton told Graham that if he continued to preach from Word of God, it would be intellectual suicide. He told Graham the the Bible was a lie and that belief in God was pretty much, well, hogwash.
Billy Graham was thirty, and already a well-known evangelist, when he came to this crisis of faith. Could he believe the Bible to be the word of God? Chuck Templeton and others were raising doubts in his heart. In his autobiography, 'Just As I Am', he tells the story of what happened next.
He took a walk in the moonlight of the San Bernardino Mountains in California. He dropped to his knees in the woods, opened his Bible and put it on a tree stump before him. He prayed, "O God! There are many things in this book I do not understand. There are many problems with it for which I have no solution. There are many seeming contradictions. There are some areas in it that do not seem to correlate with modern science. I can't answer some of the philosophical and psychological questions Chuck and others are raising."
Finally he was able to say, "Father, I am going to accept this as Thy Word by faith! I'm going to allow faith to go beyond my intellectual questions and doubts, and I will believe this to be Your inspired Word."
He says, "When I got up from my knees at Forest Home that August night, my eyes stung with tears. I sensed the presence and power of God as I had not sensed it in months. Not all my questions were answered, but a major bridge had been crossed. In my heart and mind, I knew a spiritual battle in my soul had been fought and won".
He was right. And you know the results.
In 1945 all three of these young men with extraordinary gifts were preaching for the purpose of multiplying the church by thousands of people. But within ten years only one of them was still on track for Christ.
The gist of this story is this: In the Christian life, it is not how you start. It is how you finish that counts.
Probably you will say that this is a really an interesting story but that you can't relate to it because you're not in ministry. Well, I have news for you. If you are Christian and are serious about Jesus Christ and His gospel, then you ARE in the ministry. All Christians are in the ministry. Just read what Ephesians 4:11 tells us, "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers." Colossians 3:23 goes on to say, "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." So, regardless of your profession, you work for Jesus. Jesus said that you are salt of the earth and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-14). You are only thing flavoring and saving this world. See? We are co-workers for Jesus.
Now, will you finish strong for Christ? Will you be a multiplier for Him throughout your life? And think about this: What could it be that keeps you from being one who leaves the race?
You see, those who finish strong are the exceptions. Why? Because when it comes to finishing strong, there so many strong odds against you. The devil is against you and so are the lust, the flesh, the eyes, the pride of life, and the cares of this world. You COULD become your own enemy as you place your own wants and desires above seeking the kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God needs Christians who are committed to the call of Christ and the Great Commissions. To finish strong, we have to choose to stand for truth when critics are the loudest; to release and not control people in ministry; to pray and fast and pray again. And again. And again.
So, how will you finish?
"And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourself this day whom you will serve....But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord." - Joshua 24:15
February 14, 2001
Bypassed Opportunities
Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, Pastor
The Moody Church, Chicago, IL
You've all heard the words of John Greenleaf Whittier, "The saddest words of tongue or pen are simply these, 'It might have been.'"
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday, it represented one of the greatest opportunities for the nation Israel. But unfortunately, it ended in failure.
Christ always found Himself at odds with the establishment. And He did nothing that would make Him more acceptable to the religious elite. When He rode into Jerusalem to the cries of "Hosannah" on the part of the multitude, He was in effect precipitating a popular demonstration. The religious leaders had decided that He should be put to death, but they wanted to do it after the feast. However, the Old Testament had predicted that Christ would be put to death during the feast. So Christ, in effect, offered Himself to the nation, forcing a quick decision on the part of official religion.
But after Christ came to Jerusalem that day, He looked around the temple area then retired to the town of Bethany. The next morning, He returned to Jerusalem and performed two acts which are often thought to be out of character: He cursed the fig tree and He cleansed the temple.
Perhaps the most troubling event in the account of the entry into Jerusalem is the cursing of the fig tree. We wonder (a) why He treated the tree as if it were a moral agent. It's like blaming a tire if it goes flat. Furthermore, (b) how could He have expected figs from it when Mark expressly says, "It was not the time for figs."? And why does He walk toward the tree expecting to find something to eat? If He was the Son of God, surely He would know that it did not have figs.
The answer to these objections is that Jesus was using this as a parable, an illustration of the nation Israel. Of course, He knew that the tree was not to be blamed for not having figs. He was, however, using this object that lacked consciousness as a vivid reminder of what would happen to the nation. The fig tree is often used as an illustration of Israel. As God, Christ could do whatever He wished to a tree, and if He wanted to use it as an object lesson, so be it.
Why did Christ go toward the tree expecting to find something? There were times when Christ obviously exercised His gift of omniscience; He even knew the hearts of men. But there were other times when it seems as if Christ refused to depend upon His attributes of deity and lived just as man, so we should not be surprised that Mark presents Christ as going to the tree expecting to find something to eat. Perhaps He, at least, expected small buds on the tree that were edible, for these precede the figs. At any rate, we have to believe the story as it stands.
In this vivid way, Christ was showing contempt for the nation that took its privileges for granted. In the face of great opportunity, the nation squandered its privileges. How did it do this? In at least three ways.
First, it abused the will of God. When Christ speaks about expecting to find some fruit, He represents God Who expected the nation to show forth His life. He wanted to rule in the hearts and minds of people so that they would display His own character. But the Jews were too busy accentuating the outward, and neglecting the inner life.
We all take advantage of the fact that people see only the outside of us, and not what is within. We put on our best clothes because we know that people will judge us by our appearance. While people look on the outward appearance, it is the Lord that looks upon the heart. And that's where God wants us to know Him, in the inner parts of the mind and heart.
In fact, if you as a Christian are not bearing fruit, as far as Christ is concerned, you have no reason to give. Remember Christ's parable of the vine and the branches? He says, "If a man abides not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered, and men cast them into a fire, and they are burned." Why are the fruitless branches burned? Because they have squandered their right to exist. Above everything else, God wants fruit -- the outward expression of His own inner nature.
And what did Christ find when He came to the fig tree? Leaves. Leaves that looked impressive, and deceived the traveler, but no fruit. Just empty show, that's all. The trap that the nation had fallen into was deceptive and neglected the most important aspect of life. What a wasted opportunity!
Second, the nation abused the witness of God. Here we come to Christ's cleansing of the temple. What was going on in the outer courtyard? The atmosphere was like that of a bazaar. In Exodus 30, God requested that everyone who went to Jerusalem take a poll tax of one-half shekel, whether rich or poor. And it was to be paid in the currency of the nation. So when people came from Egypt, or from Greece, or wherever, they had to exchange their money for the coinage of Jerusalem. So the Jews provided an opportunity for such exchanges. This was a fine service that was afforded the people, but the exchange rate was unfair. The people of the temple were making money by cheating the worshippers.
Furthermore, the Jews were to bring a sacrifice, either a lamb or some pigeons. The priest was to make sure that the lamb was worthy, without blemish. Often the lamb was disqualified on a technicality, so people were forced to buy one on site that met the standard ... at a healthy price, of course. After the worshipper was gone, the priest would turn around and sell the one that he brought ... to somebody else. This angered Christ.
Of course, the worship continued. The poll tax was paid; the lambs and turtle doves continued to be sacrificed. But commercialism had gripped the hearts of the people and had become a stumbling block to those who should have been eager to worship God.
Where was all this happening? In the court of the Gentiles, the place especially designated for foreigners so that they could observe the worship of God from a distance. When Solomon dedicated his temple to the Lord, he prayed that the foreigners, the Gentiles, would also be able to come to the temple to pray and to be received by God. This was to be the area where missionary work was to take place. And what had it become? A place filled with people whose minds were consumed with the love of money.
It's easy for us to be interested in missions, particularly the people who are in the far-flung countries of the world. Yet, like the Jews of old, we may support foreign missions but bypass the opportunities that lay on our doorstep. We may be a stumbling block to people in our community, even though we profess an interest in winning the world to Christ. Jesus said that the temple was to be a place for "all nations." Clearly, the witness of the Jews to the greatness of Jehovah had long since become a mockery.
So the nation failed, not only because it frustrated the will of God, but also abused the witness of God. No longer could people come and find a clear witness to Jehovah and His power. No wonder Jesus wept over Jerusalem!
Finally, the Jews also profaned the worship of God. Christ said, "My house be called a house of prayer for all nations ... but you have made it a robbers' den" (Mark 11:17). What should the people have thought of when they thought of the word temple? Primarily, they should have recognized it to be a house of prayer. But all that they could think of was the carnival atmosphere taking place in the courtyard with greedy men trying to cheat anyone who walked by. It's like visiting some of the shrines over in Israel, or at the Vatican, where vendors hawk their wares hoping to make a quick buck. It's not conducive to spiritual contemplation.
I wonder what our churches are known for? Good music? Good preaching? A place where the Bible is believed? All these are good, and even necessary. But how many of our churches today are known as houses of prayer? Sad to say, I believe, all too few.
What are the lessons that we can learn from these two incidents? (1) The greater the privileges, the greater the responsibility. That was true for the nation Israel, and it is also true for us. "To whom much is given, much is required." How many Bibles do you have in your home? Do you read them? How many opportunities does God give for you to pray, to witness and to share the good news? We will be held accountable for all of these privileges.
Then (2), the greater the responsibility, the greater the judgment. It would certainly be better not to have known the Lord's will than to know it and not to do it. Here, of course, the fig tree was entirely cursed from the roots up. The nation had been given awesome privileges, with many assurances and promises from the Lord God. But because of its neglect of the inner life, it was severely judged by God.
Of course, as believers, we shall escape the wrath of God, but the Judgment Seat of Christ will be a very serious matter. For some, it will be a time of shame, a time of weeping. The reason? Because of neglected opportunities.
Then finally, (3) the greater the judgment, the greater the regret. Today our memories may fail. Things that we have done or not done have long since left us. But the time is coming when every one of us, whether Christian or not, shall have a memory that is completely accurate and clear. The events of the past shall be immediately present to the mind. We shall remember the opportunities that God gave us, and we shall see the way that we have squandered them.
This is, of course, what eventually happened to the nation of Israel whom Christ cursed. He predicted, as He sat on the Mount of Olives overlooking the temple area, that not one stone would be left upon another. And it all came to pass. When Titus surrounded the city of Jerusalem in 70 AD, he massacred the women and children, and the city of Jerusalem went through an incredible holocaust. Why? Christ explained that it was because they did not. know the day of their visitation. They did not see the oppo rtunity that was immediately available. Through their spiritual darkness, their commercialism, and their totally worldly outlook they missed a great opportunity. Christ says that there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth." The opportunities of life will some day be gone forever.
Where does this leave us? With the chilling realization that the meek and mild Jesus can curse a fig tree and judge an entire nation. If we are not bearing fruit, committed to the witness and worship of God, we might not be spared.
Thankfully, some repented and chose Christ as their Savior. Let us be sure we are numbered with those who seize the moment to worship Christ as Messiah and King.
Copyright 1997-2000 The Moody Church and The Moody Church Radio Ministries.
February 21, 2001
Things That Must Come To Pass
Erwin W. Lutzer, Pastor
Moody Church, Chicago, IL
Back in 1934 the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr prayed, "0 God, give us serenity to accept what cannot be changed, courage to change what can be changed and the wisdom to know the difference." This is a message about things that cannot be changed. Things which all the prayer meetings in the world could never alter. Things which we must accept personally and events that will happen, no matter what.
Some things will happen in the world because of divine necessity. Just so, some things in our lives must happen. You cannot avoid death, no matter how hard you pray. And there are certain trials that God might bring into your life that you cannot pray away. Yes, some things must come to pass.
For example, Christ predicted, "Many will come in my name saying,'I am Christ' and shall deceive many. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see to it you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. " Then He goes on to list other things which must come to pass.
Listen to this. To the people of Corinth Paul wrote, "For there must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved might become evident among you" (I Corinthians 11:19). His point is that doctrinal disputes are often used by God to help identify true believers. Yes, some unpleasant things must happen.
Then think of the words of Paul, "Through tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22b). Prayer might relieve us of some tribulations, but not all of them! That little word must occurs dozens of times in the Bible. All kinds of tribulations and other divinely appointed events must of necessity take place.
Some things are logically necessary: two plus two equals four. Other things are morally necessary: I must pay my bills. There is also the necessity of obligation: I must help my friend who locked his keys in his car. But there is also the necessity of love; the necessity that was upon Christ's shoulders when He came to this earth on our behalf. Think of all of the "musts" in his life. At the age of 12 he said, "/ must be about my Father's business. " He knew that his assignment had been given to Him by his Father. " I must do the will of Him who sent me and to finish his work. "
Christ did not write His own job description. He accepted it just as it was handed to Him. Whether it was the Sermon on the Mount, the feeding of the five thousand or the resurrection of Lazarus, we get the impression that Christ was doing what He and the Father had agreed on in eternity past.
A composer might write a piece and leave it on his desk for many months or years. But later the composition is played on the piano. We get the impression that Christ was playing on earth what was agreed on in eternity. He was doing what He had to do. "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring. " He was doing what had to be done to fulfill the Father's plan. His life bore the marks of necessity.
And if we think that only some of the major matters were a part of the grand plan, remember his words to the little man in Jericho, "Zaccheus, I must dine at your house. "
Once the Father and the Son agreed on the plan, Christ had to fulfil it. His integrity was at stake. Not only His life, but also the details of His death were necessary. After the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, Christ explained to the disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and die at the hands of the Jewish leaders.
Peter believed that this was not in keeping with the majesty of the Messiah. That his master would be humiliated was just a bit much for him to accept. He tried to correct Christ, saying, "This shall never happen to you!" He wanted to remove one of the "musts" from Christ's life. He didn't realize that if Christ had accepted His proposal, he would not have been redeemed. Thus, Peter the Rock turned out to be a stone of stumbling.
Was there the slightest possibility that Christ could have chosen to stay away from Jerusalem? No, for the script called for His dying there. He had to go to fulfill the Father's will. The details of His betrayal were also necessary. "For I tell you that this "which is written must be fulfilled in me, 'And he was numbered with transgressors'; for that which refers to me has fulfillment. " (Luke 22:)
Judas was chosen just as deliberately as were the other disciples. He was a part of the divine plan that Christ would be betrayed by someone who was close to the inner circle. Several times in the Gospel of John we read that Christ's enemies could not take Him because. His "hour was not yet come. " Now, however, when Christ prayed to the Father He said, "Father the hour is come. " His life was regulated by the divine plan.
The details of Christ's death were not left to the whim of random fate. When the soldiers came to Him as He was on the cross, they did not follow custom which required them to break His legs. Yet this happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled, "A bone of Him should not be broken. " It had to be so.
Also the resurrection of Christ was a necessity. On that special day Peter, along with the other disciples, came running to the tomb and entered into it and he saw and believed. But the other disciples, it says, "did not understand the Scriptures that he must rise from the dead. " Finally, his present reign in heaven is necessary, "He must reign until all of his enemies be put under His feet. "
What do we make of all these musts? What kind of necessity drove Christ? As already explained, this was not the necessity of logic or obligation, for he owed us nothing. Was it the obligation of duty? Someone might say that Christ didn't owe it to us, but He had a moral obligation to redeem us because after all we are so valuable as his creatures. No. I don't think so. What was this necessity? We have looked at a series of dominoes, each with the word "must" written on it. In fact there are more than we even had time to mention. Why so many "musts"?
Yes, as already explained, it is the necessity of love; the necessity of displaying God's unreserved grace. The necessity that comes to those who give more love than they can ever expect in return. What if God simply wanted to display His grace; to show his love to those who are unlovable; what if He wanted to confer dignity on those who have none?
There is a story of a woman whose husband committed adultery, and as so often happens he left her and married the new woman. Years later they had several children and when her ex-husband discovered he had cancer he faced a dilemma. He knew that his present wife was unable to care for the children. He remembered that his first wife was such a good, loving mother. He came to her with an unthinkable request: would she adopt his children so that they would have a good upbringing? She said yes, and loved them as her very own.
That was not the necessity driven by logic. It was not a necessity driven by obligation; it was not a necessity driven by moral duty; it was the kind of necessity that drives people who just love to love, for the sheer love of it.
We were on Christ's mind when he accepted the "musts" in His life. Aren't you glad that Christ refused to take the path of least resistance? Aren't you glad He was driven by a holy necessity, the necessity of love?
We might pause to ask: What is the necessity that drives us? Do we serve God out of obligation, a sense of deadening duty? Is it because of the necessity driven by purpose, that is, the belief that we hope to accomplish some personal or corporate end as a result of our commitment? Or is it driven by love, "We love Him because He first loved us?"
First, God calls all of us to some of those "musts." Of course we should pray about all things, for there are some circumstances that God just might choose to change. But let us accept the "musts" in our life with the same sense of tranquillity; let us see in those "musts" the hand of God.
Some of our "musts" are divinely appointed. I say "some" of our musts, because some of our musts might be our own fault. Don't blame God for your sins, or think that it is his fault that through poor planning you are late for church. But some tribulations cannot be helped; these are the "musts" laid upon us. Paul says, "Through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom of God."
Remember we are responsible for those things that we with God's help can change; we are responsible for those things that can be different. But some things that lie in our path, even unpleasant things, might be necessary. And if so, we should not see them simply as things that God allows, but circumstances that are appointed by God. Thus the mature Christian does not interpret tragedy as God's bare permission, but rather as God's chosen appointment. We are appointed to suffer.
Second, all of our musts should be submitted to God. Pray for grace to accept them. A young woman who was victimized as a child wrote to me, asking, "Could my childhood have changed?" I don't know the answer to that question, but I do know that Christ predicted, "It must be that offenses must come ...but woe to those through whom they come... "
Consider this: If Christ could be a victim by the will of God; if it is true that the divine plan called for Christ to suffer at the hands of wicked men, might it not be possible for some of his followers to suffer as victims under the same divine plan?
Christ was appointed to die in weakness; He said that he must go to Jerusalem to suffer. He died in God's way and according to God's timing. The cross could not be changed. His sufferings were appointed for him. Thus salvation was purchased for us.
Finally, God is just as much with us in our painful "musts" as He was with Christ in his painful "musts." Daily the Son looked to the Father for the next step in the divine plan. Daily the Son received the strength to do that will.
Thankfully, the Son suffered what we shall never have to endure, namely, the loss of the Father's fellowship right at His most painful moment. He cried out, "My God my God, -why hast Thou forsaken Me?" In that moment He was identified with the sins of the world; he became legally guilty of all the terrible sins and crimes we can imagine. Thus the Father turned His back and fellowship was momentarily broken.
Christ was separated from God the Father that we might be accepted. His agony secured our acceptance. "/ will never leave thee nor forsake thee, therefore I will not fear what man shall do unto me. "
Are there any musts in Scripture that follow by logical necessity? "Musts" that are not driven by love or obligation? Musts that follow from valid premises?
Yes. Jesus said to Nicodemus, "You must be born again. " And Peter reminded his listeners at Pentecost, "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved. "
Once we grasp who Christ is and understand who we are, it will be apparent that the conclusion follows necessarily. Yes, Christ can be the only Savior; yes, no one can enter into heaven without being born again. And yes, given the facts, it must be so.
Copyright 1997-2000 The Moody Church and The Moody Church Radio Ministries.
www.moodychurch.org
February 28, 2001
Understanding The Truth of The Gospel
Part 1 - Distorting The Good News
Erwin W. Lutzer, Pastor
Moody Church, Chicago, IL
Some time ago I received a letter from a concerned religious leader who told me that he had received a revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ. Specifically, Christ appeared to him and said, "My body is broken...please heal my body...I want my body to become one again.' The letter went on to say that it was time that we minimized our differences as Christians and united around the doctrine of Christ. Catholics, Protestants and various other Christian groups should confess the sin of division and come together to fulfill Christ's prayer for unity.
What do you think of such a revelation? Can all of Christendom be unified without compromising the Gospel? Unfortunately, two very divergent answers are still given to the fundamental question of how a sinner can stand before a Holy God.
When Paul wrote the Book of Galatians, he spent very little time in giving the church a greeting. Something more important was on his mind; this congregation was being pulled away into a distorted view of the Gospel of Christ. He chided them for mixing error with truth. I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different Gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the Gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:6,7).
How do we recognize a distortion of the Gospel? Basically, all attempts to mix grace and works dilute the purity of the Christian message. Let's put our VCR on fast rewind and look at three examples from church history.
First of all, in the early centuries sacramentalism grew within the church. The sacraments came to be viewed as having such intrinsic value that the worshippers did not even need to have a spiritual disposition or a change of heart to benefit from their power. These ordinances were not merely symbols but actual means of grace given to those who were faithful to the teachings of the church. No one sacrament was sufficient, but perhaps if all of them appropriated, the worshippers would receive enough grace to enter heaven. Salvation, thus, was not in the hands of God but in the hands of men; the priests could dispense these blessings on whomever they wished and withhold them from whomever they wished.
Of course a problem arose: How much grace needed to be dispensed in order for God to be pleased? No one was sure.
Mysticism was a second distortion of the Gospel. The soul, it was believed, was created by God and must get back to God through contemplation. Many people retreated into a life of meditation coupled with self-denial in order to save their souls. They hoped to purify their souls so that they could approach God for themselves.
Once again a question arose: How much self-denial is really needed for the salvation of the soul? What if the soul is not entirely pure despite the disciplined efforts of the faithful?
Salvation, if it could be attained at all, was out of the reach of the common man. Not everyone had the time to retreat into a life of inner contemplation; not everyone was able to find satisfaction in having his soul somehow absorbed into the 'being' of God.
A third way also developed: If one could perform at least one perfect act of contrition, one's soul was worthy of grace. But the honest admitted that all of their motives were mixed. Little wonder the church concluded that only a few ever exhibited this perfect act; only some select saints loved God perfectly!
Those who were honest admitted that salvation was again beyond their reach. The state of one's soul was always in doubt. If salvation were 95% of God and 5% of it depended upon me, my performance, my contemplation or my pure motives - my eternal salvation is surely in jeopardy.
Thankfully the three distortions I have just mentioned are not the Gospel. There is a gulf as wide as the Grand Canyon between these beliefs and what the New Testament actually teaches. The difference is as great as heaven and hell. Little wonder Paul wrote, "But even though we or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a Gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a Gospel contrary to that which you've received, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8,9).
Regrettably, some men, such as Joseph Smith, did not take this warning seriously. Smith accepted false teaching from an angel and misled millions. If he had read Paul's words, he would have known that angels cannot be trusted. The reason of course is obvious: There are two different kinds of angels that roam this planet and often the evil ones appear as good ones in order to deceive.
Paul condemns any false teachers who try to mix law and grace; he is in direct opposition to those who think that faith in Christ plus some other work - some other ritual, some other revelation - is necessary for salvation.
What then is the true Gospel that Paul preached? First of all, it teaches that all human goodness is tainted. Just as you can add billions of bananas and never get an orange, so all human goodness added together can never save a single sinner. All 'perfect acts of contrition,' all 'attempts to find God within the soul,' or all attempts to 'do good works and then trust in God's grace for whatever is lacking' - all such theories lead to despair. The smallest speck of sin would keep us out of heaven.
Second, the true Gospel affirms that God accepts only what Christ did, not what we do. His was the only 'perfect act of contrition.' He alone had the purity of God, for He was Himself divine. Therefore He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
Is it not foolish for us to think that there is something that we can do that will mean more to God than the work of His blessed Son? What arrogance to think that we can contribute to Christ's work through the sacraments, or our own meditations and tainted attempts to love the Almighty?
Third, the true Gospel says that there is one requirement and that is trust, faith in Christ. The faith need not be great: Christ said that if we have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed we can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. But that faith must be directed only to Christ. Faith the size of a grain of mustard seed will save us if it is in Christ alone but faith the size of a mountain will damn us if it is in the sacraments or our own attempts to earn our way to heaven.
We are saved by faith and even that faith is a gift of God. He must give us the ability to receive the free gift!
Now we can understand why a sinner can be accepted by God: It is because God receives sinners wholly on the basis of His blessed Son. Neither their past - good or bad - nor their present determines whether they will be welcomed into heaven. Ultimately, it is faith in Christ and in Him atone that determines the final outcome.
Several implications follow: First, God can save big sinners as easily as small ones. It is better, of course, that you be a small sinner rather than a big one. But as far as God is concerned, since salvation is a free gift, no sin is too big for Him to forgive. No sinner has sunk so deeply but that God's grace and love is deeper still.
If you were giving $1,000 to select individuals, it would not make much difference whether they were rich or poor, black or white, decent citizens or criminals - your gift can be received by them all. Christ said that the prostitutes will go into the Kingdom of Heaven sooner than the self-righteous Pharisees who still think that their eternal destiny is somehow determined by their own noble efforts.
Second, we need the Good News of the Gospel every day. Although we are saved at a point in time when we personally trust Christ as Savior, we must come back to the Gospel again and again. Only then do we silence our conscience and experience freedom in Christ.
Recently I spoke to a man who ruined his marriage because of a sexual affair. He is now divorced and remarried; his sin had a devastating impact on two families. How can he, as a Christian, live with himself? What should people do when they find that their sin has devastated the lives of others and there is no way to make it right? How can he wake up in the morning and live through the day?
Many people respond to such guilt by 1) trying to minimize their sin, emphasizing that there are other sinners in the world who are far worse than they. Of course that doesn't work, because we know intuitively, regardless of what others have done, it is our sin that weighs so heavily on our shoulders. Or, 2) others exaggerate their strong points, trying to 'balance the scales.' But that doesn't work either and it most assuredly does not impress God.
What is the scriptural answer? It is to admit that the truth about ourselves is terrible; in fact, it is far worse than we are willing to believe. But then we point to Christ and know that we are accepted in Him.
I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me.
Should we bring together all of Christendom under one banner in the interest of unity? Should we assume that 'because everyone believes in Christ' that we must unite the body of Christ because it is broken? I think not. Multitudes who believe in Christ will be lost forever for the simple reason that they believe in Christ and something else.
So how shall I respond to the person who claims to have had a revelation from Christ saying that we must unite? I reply with Paul, But even though we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a Gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:8).
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