Proposition 6

My sixth proposition is that the first Christians were taught by the inspired teachers to consider themselves as saved persons.

Because of some ambiguity in the common meaning of the term saved when applied to the disciples of Christ, we will define it as used in this proposition. I need not here elaborate on the temporal saviors and temporal salvations that are so prominent in sacred history. I need not state that Noah and his family were saved from the judgment inflicted upon the Old World; the Israelites from the Egyptians and all their enemies — that Paul's companions were saved from the deep, and God's people in all ages, along with all mankind, from countless dangers to which their persons, families, and property have been exposed: It is not the present salvation of our bodies from the troubles of this life; rather, it is the salvation of the soul from the guilt, pollution, and dominion of sin. "You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." It is the salvation of the soul in the present life of which we speak. And here it should be clearly and distinctly stated that there is a present and a future salvation, of which all Christians are to partake. The former is properly the salvation of the soul, and the latter is the salvation of the body, at the resurrection of the righteous. There are few professing Christians, perhaps none, who do not expect a future salvation — the glory of salvation to be revealed in us at the last time. Peter, who uses this expression at the beginning of his first epistle and who invites the saints to look forward to the salvation yet to come, in the same connection reminds them that they have now received the salvation of the soul. Indeed, the salvation of the soul is but the first fruit of the Spirit, and only an earnest until the adoption, "the redemption of the body" from the bondage of corruption. It was in this sense of the word that salvation was announced to all who submitted to the Lord Jesus, and hence it is in this connection equivalent to a deliverance of the soul from the guilt, pollution, and dominion of sin. Having thus defined the present salvation of the soul, I proceed to the proof of my sixth proposition, namely, that the first Christians were taught by their inspired teachers to consider themselves as saved persons.

Peter, on Pentecost, urged the Jews to save themselves from that corrupt generation by repenting and being "immersed for the remission of their sins, in the name of the Lord Jesus." Luke, in recording the success following Peter's efforts, expresses himself thus: "And the Lord added daily the saved to the congregation."²²

Those who obeyed the gospel were recorded by Luke as "the saved." The King’s translators added the words "should be" from their own system. They are not in any copy of the Greek Scriptures. Such is the first application of the words, "the saved" in the Christian scriptures.

Paul uses the same words in the first letter to the Corinthians and applies them to all the disciples of Jesus. "To the destroyed, the message of the cross is foolishness; but to us, the saved, it is the power of God."²³ In the same letter, he says of the Gospel, "By which you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you."²⁴ In his second letter he uses the same style and distinguishes the disciples by the same designation: "We are through God a fragrant aroma of Christ among the saved and among the destroyed." He declares the Ephesians are saved by grace; and to Titus, he says, "God has saved us not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy" — by what means we will soon hear Paul affirm. Promises of salvation to the obedient are found in almost every public address given by the Apostles and first preachers. For the Savior commanded them to assure people that everyone who believed the gospel and was immersed would be saved. And, connecting faith with immersion, Peter declared that immersion saved us, cleansing the conscience through the resurrection of Jesus.²⁵

While Christians are taught to expect and hope for a future salvation — a salvation from the power of death and the grave — a salvation to be revealed in the last time — they receive the first fruit of the Spirit, the salvation of the soul from guilt, pollution, and the dominion of sin, and come under the dominion of righteousness, peace, and joy. This is what Peter affirms of all the Christians in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia Minor, and Bithynia, to whom he thus speaks: "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."²⁶

These six propositions, each and every one of them, clearly supported by the unequivocal testimony of God, now presented, and, as is well known to the informed disciple, by many more passages, equally plain and forceful, not presented here; we will now combine them into one leading proposition, which we will in this essay consider unquestionable — as irrefutably proven.

The converts made to Jesus Christ by the Apostles were taught to consider themselves pardoned, justified, sanctified, reconciled, adopted, and saved; and were addressed as pardoned, justified, sanctified, reconciled, adopted, and saved persons by all who first preached the Gospel of Christ.

While this proposition is before us, it may be helpful to note that all these terms express not any quality of mind — not any personal attribute of body, soul, or spirit; but each of them represents, and all of them together represent a state or condition. But though these terms represent state and not character, there is a relationship between state and character, or an influence that state has on character, which makes the state immensely important from a moral and religious point of view.

Indeed, the strongest arguments the Apostles use with Christians to urge them forward in cultivating and displaying all the moral and religious excellencies of character are drawn from the meaning and value of the state in which they are placed. Because forgiven, they should forgive; because justified, they should live righteously; because sanctified, they should live holy and blameless; because reconciled to God, they should cultivate peace with all people and act benevolently toward all; because adopted, they should walk in the dignity and purity of children of God; because saved, they should abound in thanksgivings, praises, and rejoicing, living soberly, righteously, and godly, looking forward to the blessed hope.

As this essay is intended for readers of the most common capacity and most basic education, I trust I may be permitted to speak even more plainly about the difference between state and character. Childhood is a state; so is adulthood. Now, a person in the state of childhood may sometimes act like a person in the state of adulthood, and those who have reached adulthood may in character or behavior resemble those in a state of childhood. A person in the state of a son may have the character of a servant; and a person in the state of a servant may have the character of a son. This is not generally expected, though it sometimes happens. Parents and children, masters and servants, husbands and wives are terms denoting relations or states. To act in accordance with these states or relations is quite different from being in any one of these states. Many people enter into the state of marriage and yet act unworthily of it. This is true of many other states. Enough, we presume, has been said to distinguish state and character, relations and moral qualities.

It is hardly necessary to remark here that as the disciples of Christ are declared to be in a pardoned, justified, sanctified, reconciled, adopted, and saved state, they are the only people in such a state; and all others are in an unpardoned, unjustified, unsanctified, unreconciled, unadopted, and lost state.

When, then, is a change of state effected, and by what means? This is the great question soon to be discussed.

We are compelled to admit that a change in any one of these states necessarily implies, because it involves, a change in all the others. Everyone who is pardoned is justified, sanctified, reconciled, adopted, and saved, and so everyone who is saved is adopted, reconciled, sanctified, justified, and pardoned.

To illustrate what has already been proved, let us turn to some of the changes that take place in society as presently constituted. A woman changes her state. She enters into the state of marriage. As soon as she has submitted herself to the affectionate government and control of the man who has become her husband, she has not only become a wife but also a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a niece, etc.; and may stand in many other relations she did not before. All these are connected with her becoming the wife of a person who stands in many relations. So when a person becomes Christ’s, he is a son of Abraham, an heir, a brother, or is pardoned, justified, sanctified, reconciled, adopted, and saved.

To be in Christ, or under Christ, then, is to stand in these new relations to God, angels, and people; and to be out of him, or not under his mediatorship or government, is to be in, or under Adam. It is to be in what is called "the state of nature," unpardoned, unjustified, unsanctified, unreconciled, and an alien from the family of God, lost in trespasses and sins.

With these things in mind, the question presents itself, When are people in Christ? I choose this phrase to accommodate the familiar style of today. No person is in a house, in a ship, in a state, in a kingdom, unless he has gone or been introduced into a house, into a ship, into a state, into a kingdom; so no person is in Christ unless he has been introduced into Christ. The scriptural style is most religiously accurate. We have the words "in Christ" and the words "into Christ" often repeated in the Christian Scriptures; but in no place can one phrase be substituted for the other. Hence, in all places where any person is said to be in Christ, it refers not to his conversion, regeneration, or putting on Christ, but to a state of rest or privilege subsequent to conversion, regeneration, or putting on Christ. But the phrase into Christ is always connected with conversion, regeneration, immersion, or putting on Christ, translation into his kingdom, or submission to his government.²⁷ Presuming the intelligence of our readers enough to assume they understand this is not just a verbal criticism, but a distinction that reveals one of the pillars of a fallen church, I proceed to another preliminary proposition, which I choose to present in the following word, to wit: