The Man Said So

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

This isn't my writing. It's an excerpt from a sermon preached by Reverend Alistair Begg. It is GREAT news for everyone, but especially for those who think they have to earn their way into Heaven. (We cannot.) This story from God's Word is irrefutable proof. Read on...

...without the preaching of the Cross, without preaching the Cross to ourselves all day and every day, we will very, very quickly revert to faith plus works as the ground of our salvation. So that to go to the old Fort Lauderdale question, 'If you were to die tonight and you were getting entry into Heaven, what would you say?'

If you answer that and if I answer it in the first person, we've immediately gone wrong.

Because "I", ...because "I" believed, ...because "I" have faith, ...because "I" am this,  ...because "I" am continuing...

Loved ones, the only proper answer is in the third person - because He! Because He! Think about the thief on the cross. What an immense (pause), I can't wait to find that fellow one day to ask him, "How did that shake out for you?!? Because you were cussing the guy out with your friend... You've never been in a Bible study and never got baptized. You didn't know a thing about church membership and yet, and yet, you made it. You made it!  How did you make it?!?"

That's what the angel must have said, you know, like 'What are you doing here?'

[thief] Well, I don't know

[angel] What do you mean you don't know?!?

[thief] Well, because I don't know!

{angel] Well, you know...were you (stuttering) did you... (pause) Excuse me, let me get my supervisor.

So they go get the supervisor angel.

[supervisor] Sir, just a few questions for you. First of all, are you clear on the doctrine of justification by faith?

The guy said, I never heard of it in my life.

[supervisor] And what about - let's just go to the doctrine of Scripture immediately...

The guy is just staring, and eventually, in frustration, he [supervisor] says, Then on what basis are you here?

And the thief said, "The Man on the middle cross said I can come."

Now, that is the only answer. That is the only answer. And if I don't preach the Gospel to myself all day and every day, then I will find myself beginning to trust myself, trust my experience, which is part of my fallenness as a man. If I take my eyes off the cross, I can then give only lip service to its efficacy while at the same time living as if my salvation depends upon me.

And as soon as you go there, it will lead you either to abject despair or a horrible kind of arrogance. And it is only the cross of Christ that deals both with the dreadful depths of despair and the pretentious arrogance of the pride of man that says, "You know, I can figure this out and I'm doing wonderfully well." No! "Because the sinless Saviour died, my sinful soul is counted free, for God the Just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me." (from Before the Throne of God) That's why Luther said that most of your Christian life is outside of you - in this sense, that we know we are not saved by good works, We are not saved as a result of our professions, but we're saved as a result of what Christ has achieved.

The Man on the middle cross said so.

Prayer:

Father, 

           O the beauty of Your Grace, the depth of Your love to provide salvation for us - to make the way when there is nothing we could do in our own self-righteousness to earn our way to Heaven. Thank you seems hardly adequate and yet, we are so grateful. Help us to ALWAYS be aware that it is You and Your work on Calvary's Cross that gives us access and entrance to Your presence. Give us clean hands and grateful and pure hearts. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Alistair Begg - The Message of the Cross