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It Cannot Be Both Ways
The great questions that divides Christendom
are these: Is salvation by works or by grace? Or, is it by some kind of hybrid
thing – a combination of works and grace? Is a person saved in the first place
by something he does? Is he kept by being
faithful in good works? Is a person saved by
praying the right words? Is he saved by being baptized? Is he saved by making a
decision? What about what some people call “accepting the Lord as Saviour?” Is
salvation by works or by grace? Our title says, “It Cannot Be Both Ways,” as we
shall show.
Remember this fact: while the Bible teaches
that a sinner must be born again in order to be saved, the Bible nowhere tells
us what it is that a sinner can do in order to be born again. The reason?
Because there is nothing a sinner can do to bring about his own spiritual birth.
The new birth is a work of the Holy Spirit of God as Jesus said:
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must
be born again,” (John 3:6-7). Notice that the
statement is passive. Jesus did not say you must do something to be born again.
He said you must “be born.” It is the action of another which accomplishes the
new birth. A baby does not go into labor and birth itself naturally and neither
can the sinner birth himself into the family of God. While a baby is a
participant in its birth, it is passive not causative. So it is in the new
birth!
In dealing with the Bible doctrine of election
or God's choice of those sinners whom He would save, Paul wrote:
“And if by grace, then is it no more of works:
otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more
grace: otherwise work is no more work,”
(Romans 11:6). In this verse he lays down a principle: the new birth and
everything related to it (including election) must be either by grace or by
works. It cannot be both. Salvation is either deserved because of something the
sinner does or is – or salvation is by grace. If by grace then the actions of
the sinner have nothing to do with the new birth. Nothing the sinner does can
cause or bring about his new birth. In another place Paul wrote:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should
boast,” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Do not believe it
if someone tells you “do this” or “do that” and you will be saved. If you are
interested in salvation, know this: salvation is a gift bestowed by God. It is
“not of works lest any man should boast.”
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