THE ORIGINAL THIEF
Saved By His Life
“Saved by his life!” His holiness, his righteousness, his truth....saved now and in the future by and in Christ’s risen life which we now share.

William R. Newell
Shop online for books on grace.

THE GREAT TREASURES
By Lee LeFebre

One of the great treasures we have is the book, The Saving Life of Christ, by Major Ian Thomas. This incredible man has founded Torchbearer centers around the world. Young men and women from around the world attend these schools for the purpose of being discipled by one of the Major’s leadership teams.

In his book, Major Thomas tells the story of how he came to grasp the truth that we are saved by Christ’s life. After describing seven years of doing everything he could to serve Christ, but only becoming utterly exhausted spiritually, he says:
 
"…I got down on my knees before God, and I just wept in sheer despair. I said, 'Oh, God, I know that I am saved. I love Jesus Christ. I am perfectly convinced that I am converted. With all my heart I have wanted to serve Thee. I have tried to my uttermost and I am a hopeless failure!' That night things happened.

"I can honestly say that I had never once heard from the lips of men the message that came to me then … but God that night simply focused upon me the Bible message of Christ who is our Life … The Lord seemed to make plain to me that night, through my tears of bitterness: 'You see, for seven years, with utmost sincerity, you have been trying to live for Me, on My behalf, the life that I have been waiting for seven years to live through you.'

"I got up the next morning to an entirely different Christian life, but I want to emphasize this: I had not received one iota more than I had already had for seven years!"

I suppose it is possible Christians would have noticed, sooner or later, they aren’t saved by Christ’s death, but Thomas’ book certainly makes clear what Romans 5:10 states so plainly … we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Not Only Major Thomas

The truth of being saved by his life is one that escaped me for most of my life. If you had given me a quiz, ask- ing me what I was trusting in for my salvation, my answers would have been any of the following: my beliefs, my faith, Christ’s death for me, the blood of Christ, the fact that I’m forgiven, etc. Others, who followed church traditions rather than the Scriptures, might have added baptism, church membership, or liv- ing a life of love and concern for others.

Certainly believing is necessary for salvation, however, believing in itself is not sufficient for salvation. As James, the Lord’s brother, indicated in verse 2:19... even the demons believe, and tremble! The Scripture does say... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31), however, God never intended for us to trust in our ability to believe. It was God’s intent for us to emphasize the one in whom we believe—the Lord Jesus Christ. Believing is an activity of the mind, but salvation takes place in the spirit as we partake of divine life.

Faith is a necessary ingredient of salvation. For by grace you have been saved through faith… (Ephesians 2:8). However, faith alone is not what saves us. If we believe we were born dead (separated from God), and that Christ died for us in order to remove our sins (reconciliation), so that he could give his life to us (salvation), then it certainly makes sense to ask him to give us his life. That very decision is an act of faith. But faith, in this sense, is an activity of the will, just as believing is a function of the mind.

Many claim they are trusting in Christ’s death for salvation. Certainly, without Christ’s substitutionary death for us we could not be saved. This final sacrifice was necessary to divert the wrath of God from us to the innocent Lamb who was made sin for us. Furthermore, as Romans 5:10 reads... We were reconciled to God through the death of His Son. We were reconciled because the source of our enmity with God was removed, i.e. our sins. Thus Christ's death on the cross reconciled us to God according to the Scripture; but his death is not what saves us.

Still others trust exclusively in the blood of Christ to save them. Many songs reinforce the idea that we are saved by the blood. It is true that the blood cleansed us from our sins, redeemed us, and gained our access to the Father. But while the blood of Christ has tremendous significance in the process of salvation, it is not ultimately what saves us.

There are many fine Christians who trust in confession and forgiveness for their salvation. They worry they will not enter Heaven if they do not have all their sins confessed up to date. They believe in a cleansing based on a sin-by-sin confession. Thus for example, if someone commits suicide, he cannot possibly enter Heaven, because there is no time for confession after the suicide mission is completed. So they are really trusting in an up-to-date cleansing and confession resulting in forgiveness for salvation, which of course then depends partly on works, i.e. the work of confession. The common misunderstanding of 1 John 1:9, leads to such erroneous thinking.

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled  to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10 is clear that none of these responses should be trusted in for our salvation. For most of my life, I would not have been able to say that it is his life that saves me.

What was our basic birth defect at salvation? Ephesians 2:1 tells us, we were dead in trespasses and sins.

What do dead people need more than anything else? Life, of course! Thus when Christ died in our place and shed his blood for our sins, he removed the only obstacles keeping us from partaking of divine life. In other words, he had to give his life for us before he could give his life to us! The death of Christ was not an end in itself; it was a means to an end. After all, wasn’t it he who said... I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly (John 10:10)?

I fully realize that many Christians are taught Christ gave his life for us in order that we could be forgiven and go to Heaven when we die. Although that is true, it is not the complete salvation story.

So many gospel messages are impotent today, at least in part, because of an incomplete presentation of the salvation message. Jesus did not say, "I have come that you might have forgiveness and have it abundantly." He wanted to be united to us; to be intimate with us; to be one with us. That is why He said... I have come that they may have life! That is why his desire for oneness was repeatedly included in his teaching, that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us (John 17:21).

Let me challenge you to be one of the very few Christians who unashamedly say, “I am saved by his life!”

IM WORLDVIEW | [VISIT HERE]