Herbert W Armstrong

Plain Truth Staff  

I often hear you say that Christ did not come to save this world. Doesn't the Bible teach that Christ came to save this world — by dying for it?

   Christ DID come to die for this world's sins (John 3:16). We certainly know and teach the need for Christ's death to pay the penalty of sin.
   But have you read Romans 5:8-10? "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
   Christ bled and died for us. His death makes possible the forgiveness of sin — the justification of our guilty past. But we shall be saved by His LIFE! Read it — Romans 5:10 — "we shall be saved by his life"! The death of Christ does not impart eternal life. The death of Christ justifies your guilty past. It takes the life of Christ — the Holy Spirit — to impart eternal life. Notice Paul's teaching in I Corinthians 15: "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen... And if Christ be not raised... you are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fall en asleep in Christ are perished" (verses 13, 17-18).
   There it is in plain language. Can you believe it?
   If Christ is not living — if His life is not living in you through the Holy Spirit, if there is no resurrection — then your faith is in vain. You are perished! You are yet in your sins because there is no living High Priest to plead for you.
   The death of Christ cannot, of itself, save you. That was not the purpose of His death. The blood of Christ makes possible the justification of your guilty past, your reconciliation to God. But it takes the life of Christ to impart eternal life to man.
   But, this is not what we are talking about when we say that if Christ came to this earth over 1900 years ago to save this world, He failed. Look around you. There are over three and one-half billion people on this earth today. How many are true Christians? How many are living as Christ did? How many believe all that He said and follow His commands?
   How many even know what a true Christian is? Here is the Bible definition: "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him" (I John 2:3-5).
   Looking at it this way — God's way — do you think that the many are being saved today? Is the vast majority living by every Word of God' (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4.)
   Have Christ's teachings put an end to war, crime, adultery, thievery, hatred, oppression, famine?
   If this is the only day of salvation, if the people on the earth today are now being given their one and only opportunity for salvation, then Christ has failed. For millions have lived and died without any saving knowledge. But, Christ did not come to give everyone an opportunity for salvation at THIS time.
   Rather, your Bible shows that most of the world has been spiritually blinded, deceived, yes, made spiritually drunk on false religious beliefs. They CANNOT understand the Bible (Rev. 12:9; Rom. 11:25, 32) unless God reveals His truth to them. This is not the only day of salvation. It is a day of salvation for those whom God is calling. It is their one and only chance. But not all are now being called.
   God has not yet set His hand to convert and save the whole world. If He had, we would not witness the hundreds of contradicting religious ideas and competing sects.
   For 6000 years God is allowing the world to go its own way to teach mankind that its ways only lead to misery and death. God will soon set His Hand to save this world. That is the message of the gospel of the Kingdom of God. For 1000 years the nations are going to learn the way to peace — and everyone will be given opportunity for salvation (II Pet. 3:8-9).
   You need to understand the time element in God's plan of salvation. Write for our amazing article entitled "Is This the Only Day of Salvation?" It will vividly explain why God has allowed mankind 6000 years to go his own way. And how God will remove the spiritual blindness from the eyes of humanity.

Plain Truth Magazine

February 1966

Vol XXXI, No.2