Semantics and Salvation

A CONVERSATION between Alice in Wonderland and Humpty Dumpty sums up the problem of semantics so well that it has often been quoted. But here it is again:

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less."

"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean different things."

And Humpty Dumpty replied, "The question is which is to be master—that's all."

We live today in a theological wonderland of religious jargon where words mean different things to different people. Words and phrases may mean one thing to the speaker and quite another thing to the hearer.

When it comes to righteousness by faith, our problem is not semantics alone. In addition—and an even greater threat to our understanding—we have an enemy who is absolutely determined that the subject shall not be understood. "The enemy of God and man is not willing that this truth [righteousness by faith] should be clearly presented; for he knows that if the people receive it fully, his power will be broken." —Gospel Workers, p. 161.

So we're up against two problems—semantics and the devil. Let's try to do something about the semantics right now—with God's guidance. And that He can and will take care of the other problem, there is no question.

Christ our righteousness. Jesus is to be the center. Jesus is to so capture our attention that every other interest will be crowded into the unimportant back ground. When we say "righteousness by faith" we are cutting it short. It is really "righteousness by faith in Jesus." We aren't saved by faith. We aren't made righteous by our faith. It's all Jesus!

Let's not be worried about the words and phrases. Many of them mean the same thing. Many overlap. The distinctions between them may be so fine as not to be important. One man uses one word to describe what we are talking about. One man uses another word, another phrase. If we could think of these words and phrases as being so many roads, all leading to a personal relationship with Jesus, most of our confusion would clear.

Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again. He told the woman at the well that her need was to drink of living water. On another occasion He told the people they needed bread from heaven and that He Himself is the Bread of Life. Peter on the day of Pentecost called on people to repent. And Paul and Silas urged people to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Are There Different Ways to Be Saved?

Were all these different ways to be saved? Does God's plan for saving men change from place to place and from time to time? Didn't the woman at the well need to repent? Didn't Nicodemus need living water? And didn't the people at Pentecost need the Bread of Life? Isn't there a common denominator running through them all? Aren't all these words and phrases trying to tell us that we need a personal relationship with Jesus?

We may call it righteousness by faith or justification by faith or conversion or the new birth or knowing Christ or a personal relationship with Christ or the new life or the victorious life or the surrendered life. Or we can just call it true Christianity. Aren't they all essentially the same? We're just looking at a many-faceted diamond. And Jesus is the diamond!

The terms we need to be careful about are perfection and sanctification. It is dangerous to claim these or even to talk about them too much. Because being made perfect and being sanctified are continuing processes. If we claim them we have our eyes on ourselves instead of on Jesus, and they disappear. Perfection becomes imperfection the moment you claim it!

But again, let's not worry about the words. Let's just get acquainted with Jesus, however it happens. After all, we are describing a supernatural experience. Is it any wonder that our words fail to describe it adequately?

We hear a great deal about the steps in coming to Christ and in the resulting new life. We list them one way. Some one else will list them a different way. One preacher will list three steps, an other five, another ten. We should not be disturbed by the difference, as long as they all lead to Jesus.

Nor should we be disturbed about the sequence of these steps. God leads us all differently. He leads us from where we are to where He wants us to be. This means that the destination will be the same, but the routes will vary. If you want to go to New York from Miami you will travel north. If you want to go to New York from Chicago you will travel east.

For this reason we should never criticize a fellow traveler because he hasn't taken the same steps we have and in the same order. We may have made some surrender that he hasn't made yet. But he may have made one that we haven't made yet!

So don't worry about the sequence, as long as you aren't trying to do something ridiculous like trying to grow before you are born, or trying to witness before you have anything to tell! Some of us have been working at both those impossibilities!

A Personal Relationship With Jesus

Righteousness by faith is not a catch phrase or a slogan or a status symbol. It is simply knowing Christ. Jesus summed it all up when He said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).

It doesn't matter so much whether or not you can explain it. The tragic thing is to be able to explain it and yet never experience it!

True Christianity is more than knowledge. It is more than belief. It is more than faith. It is more than obedience. It is a personal relationship with Jesus!

Too many people, sincere people, have been trying to have a personal relation ship with the law. And you can't do it. It's inanimate. It doesn't live. You don't bow down to the ninth commandment and say, "Dear Ninth Commandment, I'm sorry I broke you today." No. We bow down to a Person. The law cannot save. It cannot heal the hurt of sin!

On the other hand, we should never forget that when we come to Jesus we come to a Person who has the law in His heart (see Ps. 40:8). The law is His character in writing. He died rather than set it aside. So if at any point we have a quarrel with the law we have a barrier in our relationship with Jesus!

What we are talking about is a relationship like that of David and his God. David, the young brother who his family thought didn't count. David, out there at night alone with his sheep. Looking up at the stars and talking with his Creator. Knowing that God was looking after him just as he, David, was looking after his sheep with his slingshot.

David, hunted by his enemies. David, with his unclean hands. David, who sinned and then wept his heart out. Not because he feared that he might lose Bathsheba or his child or his kingdom or even his own life, but because he feared he might be forever separated from his God!

Is it any wonder that the relationship between God and David was something special?