False teaching about salvation

There is a faction in Christianity that says God is too loving to send His Son to the cross as a substitute for sin. It was men alone who did this terrible thing. Another faction says that salvation is by being good, totally ignoring what the Bible says about grace. To this, the Bible says, 

But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:16–19)

In today’s devotional reading, Spurgeon focuses on the phrase, “God’s firm foundation stands.” He says that this foundation is the biblical declaration that we are saved by grace through faith. We cannot do anything to earn or deserve God’s forgiveness. All of us fall short and, unlike us, God does not have a measurement for sin with a cutoff point to mark the “too many sins” point. He says if we break one of His laws, we have broken “the law” and are guilty. We need a Savior because we cannot save ourselves.

When I think about the factions and their ideas, I wonder if they read the Bible, or if they think about the implications of what they teach. For instance, what questions are raised by the idea that God is too loving to send Jesus to the cross?

First, it says to me that if men alone are responsible for Calvary, then the actions of men are more powerful than the love of God. If love means that God wanted no harm to His Son, then His love was not strong enough, nor is God strong enough to protect Jesus from the angry mob. I don’t want to worship a God like that. If He could not protect Jesus, how can He protect me? Clearly, protection was not His intention.

Besides, the Bible calls us to a love that is self-sacrificing. How then could God tell us to love like that, but does not do it Himself? The factions who define the love of God as anti-sacrifice have not seriously considered the nature of biblical love.

As for salvation by good works, the usual questions are, “How many are required?” “What good things must I do?” and “Does God overlook my mistakes?” All of this leaves me in shadowy doubts. How can I know that I am doing good enough or enough good? How is goodness even measured? I can do the same action, such as giving a pie to my neighbor, with vastly different motives. I might be doing it because I care about the neighbor, or because I am showing off my baking skills. Which of these is good?

I suppose that salvation by grace raises questions too. The unfairness of it pops to mind. Sinners like the thief on the cross and the child who accepts Christ at age four and walks with Him all her life are both destined for eternity with Him. Is that fair? I could suggest that the sins of the thief are no different in the eyes of God than the sins of that little one. Woe to those who measure spirituality in a worldly way using degrees. While some evils produce more great losses and horrible results, God doesn’t look at sin they way we do. Nor does He save on the same basis as some think He should.

The Bible is clear; those who have Jesus Christ have life. Eternal life is His gift given to sinners. This is an offense to human pride and a perplexity to the human mind. Nevertheless, this is clearly taught in the Bible. No matter what false teachers come up with, God’s firm foundation stands. He knows those who belong to Him. He says that those who name His name, even though charged to depart from their sin, are already His.

If I receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that He has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:9–12)

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Father, this foundation is also my anchor. I know that I could never come close to the standard that I see set by Jesus Christ. To think so is pride and self-deception. Instead, it is the sacrifice of Jesus that pays for and covers my sin. Salvation is not about a mushy, sin-overlooking God, nor is it about being good enough to earn it. Instead, because You love me, You sent Jesus to die for my sin and by Your grace I am saved. Amen.