Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

The Way of SalvationTHE BASIC ISSUE A T THE REFORM A TIONEphesians 2:1-10 clearly teaches the doctrine ofsalvation by grace alone. This truth was of cardinal importanceat the Reformation. Luther, for example, emphasizedthat grace alone (sola gratia) saves sinners. Withthis all the Reformers agreed; they took the Scriptures astheir sole authority (sola Scriptura) and searching thoseScriptures they were convinced that salvation was bygrace alone.Grace is not a substance; it is not something infusedinto man. Grace is an attitude on the part of God,whereby for Christ's sake, and on the basis of Hisrighteousness and atoning death, the sinner is freelyforgiven, accepted as righteous in Christ and made therecipient of all the blessings of salvation. Thus the sinnerreceives the free and unmerited (so far as he is concerned)favor of God. He is saved by grace and by grace alone. Toadd anything to Christ and His redemption, be it Church,sacraments, good works, etc., is to destroy the wholeconcept of grace.This Biblical doctrine of salvation was rediscoveredat the Reformation and proclaimed with great convictionand enthusiasm. It was, and still is, radically different fromthe Roman Catholic doctrine of salvation. Rome does nothold to the principle of sola Scriptura, and not beingbound by Scripture it is not surprising to find that she hasdeparted from and contradicted Scripture at every vitalpoint. Nowhere is this more obvious than in her doctrineof salvation. Rome teaches that grace is an act of Godwhereby He moves man to respond to the truth, and thisgrace is communicated first of all through the sacramentof baptism and then through the other "sacraments" andordinances of the Church. The Council of Trent declared:"The instrumental cause of Justification is the sacramentof baptism." Rome also denies salvation by grace alone inher doctrine of meritorious works. The Council of Trent,which sought to counteract the Reformation, declared"accursed" anyone who said that good works were the giftof God and "not also the merits of him that is justified."Clearly there is a vast difference between the way ofsalvation as taught in the Bible and as taught by Rome.The basic issue at the Reformation was not the authorityof the Pope, the celibacy of priests and such like, but theway of salvation.To the vital question, "What must I do to be saved?"Rome and the Reformers gave two totally different answers.The Biblical, Christian and Protestant answer tothat question is to trust in Christ alone for salvation, and torecognize that salvation is solely by grace and is the gift ofGod. The Romanist answer to that question is to come toGod through the Church and in the way indicated by theChurch, and through the sacraments of the Churchreceive 'grace' to save your soul. This is not salvation bygrace;it is a total denial of that truth. Saving grace andmeritorious human works do not mix. It is significant thatin Acts 2:38 the Roman Catholic Douay Version makesPeter say, "Do penance, and be baptized every one of youin the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins . .." A modern Roman Catholic textbook in theologydescribes penance as a sacrament in which the penitentsinner renders atonement for his sins, and states thatpenance was at all times a necessary precondition for theforgiveness of sins. Another Roman Catholic authorityasserts: "The just man can then merit strictly eternal life,an increase of sanctifying grace and of glory in heaven."Compare and contrast with such statements, II Timothy1:9; Titus 3:5 and Galatians 2:16.Young people should clearly understand that thefundamental difference between Protestantism and thePapacy concerns the way of salvation. The difference isnot merely one of ritual or ecclesiastical organization. Thebasic difference is that we do not preach the same gospel.Once we grasp this fact we will not seek dialogue withRome, but evangelistic contact; and before there can besuch contact there must be genuine love for the individualRoman Catholic. True Christians must rise above politicaltensions and merely defensive attitudes and seek to reachRoman Catholics with the love and the truth of Christ.F.S.L. The Covenanter Witness of Scotland and IrelandBoard of Foreign MissionsAt its May meeting, the Foreign Mission Board wasunanimous in its call for the Sam Boyles to return to Japanwith an eye also toward work in Taiwan. The call will bepresented to Mr. Boyle through his Presbytery, anticipatinghis return to the field this fall.Rev. James Pennington brought encouraging newsfrom Japan in an interview with the Board. He also indicatedthat his future plans were indefinite, but hinged ona desire for graduate study in missions.Reports from the field showed that Miss Faris hadsuccessfully resumed a partial work-load at Tarumi. TheBoard also learned that Mr. Miwa, a young Japaneseengineering graduate at Higashi Suma, has expressed hisintention of entering the ministry.Guidelines are being drawn up for Miss Carol Spearto work as a mission helper in Japan during the summer.Her passage has been provided by a special CY. funddrive. The Board has also undertaken an in-depth study ofthe Biblical principles regarding the role of youth inmission work. This is to be shared with the National C. Y.Staff.Our missionaries in Cyprus have grave tensionfacing them over the government action which forbidsanyone to give religious instruction to youth of anotherreligion than the teacher.Dr. W. W. Weir has undertaken to write the GreekAmbassador to the U. N. protesting this infringement ofreligious freedom.Mr. Thomas Edgar has returned to Cyprus asprincipal of the Boys' School. The Stegalls are planning toreturn to the U. S. in July in anticipation of an addition totheir family.MAY 19, 1971 3