God's Plan with Men

by T. T. Martin

The second charge against those who hold this theory is that by their own theory none will be saved. If salvation is by character, by what kind of character, a perfect character, or an imperfect character? If by a perfect character, no one has it; no one even claims it. If by an imperfect character, how imperfect may it be and the man yet be saved? Where is the standard? If a man's character, in order to be saved by it, must be the best he can make it, no one has even that character,—no one's character is the best he could have made it. Hence, salvation by character is a chimera.

The third charge against salvation by character is, that even if a man's character were perfect from man's standpoint, in the sight of God his character would still be corrupt. "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."—Is. 64:6. Why? Because motive is the measure of the character. "They that are in the flesh cannot please God."—Rom. 8:8. Why? Because they have not, and cannot have, the right motive. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing."—1 Cor. 13:1-3. And no man has this love, no man can have this love, until he is saved by Christ dying for his sins (1 Cor. 15:3). "The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then all died; and he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again."—2 Cor. 5:14, 15.

The fourth serious, fatal charge against the theory of salvation by character is that it is contrary to the teaching of the Saviour. "Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you."—Matt. 21:31. Certain it is that the publicans and the harlots had worse characters than those to whom the Saviour was speaking; the fact is therefore evident that Jesus taught salvation without character, irrespective of character.

Let the reader consider two cases that will show conclusively that the teaching of salvation by character is absolutely contrary to the teaching of the Saviour. "The chief priest, mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said: He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him; for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also that were with him, cast the same in his teeth."—Matt. 27:41-44. Let the reader notice that both the thieves "that were with him, cast the same in his teeth." Then "one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise."—Luke 23:39-43. From the time that both thieves "cast the same in his teeth," to the time the one made his earnest plea, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom," there had been no time in which this thief could have formed, developed a character that merited salvation. Hence, when Jesus said, "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise," to this thief, He branded the teaching of salvation by character as not from Heaven. The one who does not see from this case that the cruel, heartless, selfish teaching of salvation by character contradicts the Lord Jesus, will never see anything contrary to his own preferences and preconceived opinions.

The second case is just as conclusive. As the Saviour was reclining at meat in the house of Simon the Pharisee, a woman, noted as a sinner, came in and stood behind him weeping. "And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."—Luke 7:50. The Saviour said the woman was saved, yet she was of notorious character,—she had no character.

That the Saviour saved irrespective of character is shown by two cases in the book of Acts. We have the accounts of the salvation of two men of opposite characters. One was "A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always,"—Acts 10:2, a man of most excellent character. Among all the unredeemed men of the earth, not one could show a better character. If any man could be saved by character, here is the man. God sends word to him, "Send to Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter, who shall tell the words whereby thou and all thy house shalt be saved."—Acts 11:13. Notwithstanding his noble, unusual character, God tells him that he is unsaved. If he, with his character unexcelled among unredeemed men, was yet unsaved, how can any other unredeemed man hope for salvation by character? Peter's message to this man of irreproachable character was, "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of sins."—Acts 10:43. Why is it necessary for this man of character to believe on Christ in order to be saved? Because, though of unusual character, he had sinned, "for all have sinned" (Rom. 3:23); and sin once committed can only be atoned for by blood, "apart from shedding of blood there is no remission" (Heb. 9:22), and there is no blood of atonement in a noble character.

Over against this case is that of the Philippian jailor, a man of hardened character; for he took two helpless, bleeding preachers who had been beaten by a mob, and "thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks" (Acts 16:24), and left them with their backs bloody and gave them no supper. When the earthquake came and the doors were opened, the hardened jailor started to commit suicide. Paul having called to him and prevented the suicide, the jailor "came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"—Acts 16:30. If ever a man should be told of salvation by character, here was the opportunity, that he might at once begin the tremendous and all but hopeless task of changing, so late in life, a hardened character into one that would enable him to merit Heaven. Instead, they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved."—Acts 16:31. How similar the answer to the instructions of Peter to Cornelius, and yet how widely different the characters of the two men! Why this similarity? Because God has but one way of salvation, and that is irrespective of character. "He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel" (Ps. 147:2), the God of Jacob.

While the Saviour saves without character, and irrespective of character, God the Father does not leave them without character, but develops in them the right kind of a character. The man redeemed, saved, without character, does not remain without character. "And such were some of you" (1 Cor. 6:11), but they did not remain such characters,—but "sanctified, called to be saints."—1 Cor. 1:2. God's plan with men, then, is to save irrespective of character, and then develop in the redeemed, saved man a character that shall "be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."—1 Peter 1:7.

Three ways in which God develops character in the redeemed are: