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IS LIVING
A
GOOD LIFE
GOOD ENOUGH?
Mony think thot living
o
"good life" is good enough.
Others cloim thot simply "believing"
on
Christ is al/
that God requires. ls either view the whole truth?
A
MODERN AUTHOR
and avant–
J-\..
garde theologian popular
among today's youth has
brought up an old issue. lt is the
question of whetber living according
to one's conscience will qualify a
person for eternal life.
Today, it is a common beHef that
good, sincere people of all religions
will be accepted by God. Others ve–
bemently disagree. Many Chris–
tians, for example, claim that good
works bave nothing to do with one's
eternal salvation. "Professing
Christ," tbey argue,
"is
the way to
etemal Jife. All one must do is ac–
cept the grace of God and believe in
Christ
as
Saviour."
Good Works Versus Grace?
ls either view correct? If faith
alone is enough, why did the apostle
Paul write: "... work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling"?
(Philippians
2: 12.)
Or if being "good" is enough,
why did Peter tell an assembled
crowd, "... there is salvation in no
one else [Christ], for there is no
otber name under heaven given
among meo by which we must be
saved"? (Acts 4:12, RSV.)
And if performing good works is
enough, then why did Jesus say,
22
by
William F. Dankenbring
' 'The time
is
fulfilled, and the king–
dom of God
is
at hand; repent, and
believe in the gospel"? (Mark 1: 15,
RSV.)
If just believing is enough, why
did James write: "You believe that
God is one; you do well. Even the
demons believe - and shudder"
(James
2:19,
RSV). Since they be–
lieve,
will
they also be "saved"?
Advocates of these points of view
generally claim their view
is
based
on the authority of the Bible. So
let's look into it.
The Role of Faith
Most teachers of the Christian re–
ligion acknowledge that faíth in
Christ and his sacrifice is required
for salvation. Yet "saving faith"
is
a
subject that is wídely misunder–
stood.
Many people confess that it
is
hard for them to have real faith in
God. Their lives are tormented with
doubt and discouragement. They
explain:
"I
can't seem to
work up
the faith." What they are unaware
of is that they are making faith a
''work." They actually are trying to
work up the belief that faíth alone is
sufficient for salvatíon.
But what
is
faith and what part,
if
any, does it play in salvation?
The author of Hebrews put it this
way: "Now faith is the assurance of
things hoped for, the conviction of
things not seen" (Hebrews
11: 1,
RSV).
Faith is solid confidence or con–
viction that something unseen, or
not pbysically discernible, exists.
Biblically, it's knowing what God
says in his word
is
true.
lt
is the
firm
assurance that God means what he
says and tbat be will keep his prom–
ises.
Faith in connection with salvation
means that we believe God's word is
true, that Jesus Christ is the Messiah
who died for our sins, and that we
can be saved through him.
How can we obtain that faitb?
The apostle Paul declared, "So then
faitb cometh by hearing, and hear–
íng by the word of God" (Romans
10: 17).
Real faith comes by hearing
God's way expounded and by
studying the Bíble.
But other scríptures reveal that
faith is also a
gift
of God supplied
by tbe Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
This saving faith
is
not our own
human faith.
It
is a divine
gift.
Humanly, of course, we must first
become acquainted with tbe prom–
ises of God and come to believe on
Christ as Saviour. Weak and in-
PLAIN TRUTH September 1973