DEAR EDITOR,—As your Magazine is widely circulated amongst the gallant sailors and soldiers who are laying down their lives, so freely and nobly, for the sake of their country in this terrible war, may I ask you to insist continually, and to combat with all your energy, the gross delusion of “saving merit by death through battle” for that country?
I know that this fatal error has been, again and again, exposed and refuted; but, inasmuch as it is being spread, heedless of such refutation, it becomes those who know its Satanic deception to do all they can to open the eyes of these brave, devoted men to their danger. True it is that the sacrifice they make is the very greatest that could be made. It is magnificent; but have we the slightest warrant for thinking that it, in itself, is an atonement for sin against God? That is the real question. What about the claims of the throne of God and His condign and necessary judgment of sin?
It is truly written that “God is love”; and that love has been richly proved by the gift of His Son; but the sacrificial death of our blessed Lord, whilst making perfect atonement, effects nothing for the sinner apart from repentance for his sins and faith in the Saviour.
It is this condition that is wholly ignored by the teachers of this error, and herein lies the cruel delusion.
Repentance before God is incumbent on every soul of man, everywhere; and so we read in the words of our Lord:— “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:33And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3)). That is conclusive.
When I truly repent and judge myself before God—the more deeply the better—and, like the Prodigal of Luke 15, I go to the Father making a clean breast of my miserable sins, receive at once from His gracious hand forgiveness and welcome to His house; but not otherwise. That house was not flung open to the Prodigal one moment before he cried:— “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee.” But that was enough! In fact we read that he had intended to do something meritorious—to become a “hired servant” in order to enter the house. Such an idea was never allowed; he was kissed and clad and welcomed on the sole but necessary ground of repentance. Need that word be explained? It is not penance, nor payment, nor personal merit, nor sacrifice great or small; but it is simply confessing to the gracious ear of God the Father the dread story of a life of guilt, and sin, and failure, and casting yourself fully on His saving grace.
Thus love and holiness are established. If God be “love,” remember that God is also “light,” and that it is quite as essential that “light” should be displayed, as that “love” should be shown.
The error in question hides the light, deceives the seeker, and puts the love in a wrong aspect.
We read of a “Padre” at the front who, just as the men were about to “go over the top,” passed down the word:— “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,” and there he stopped. He omitted what follows — the omission is fatal. He “went over the top” with the men, and made the “greatest sacrifice” —nobly—but infinitely more so had he added the saving clause to the part of that verse, viz.: — “That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Believing in Him is the twin of repenting towards God.
And believe me, sir, the need of calling aloud for repentance before God is, today, and on all hands, profoundly necessary.
“Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:33I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3)). This, too, is conclusive.—I am, yours, &c.
J. W. S.