Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20041128.htm

APPLYING OUR CHURCH'S STATEMENT OF BIBLICAL FAITH
Article III, Part VI Of The Nepaug Bible Church Bylaws: Salvation
C. Holding To The Changeless Basis Of Salvation Through Christ
(Rom. 3:23-26 and Rev. 7:9-14 with Gen. 15:5-6; 1 Cor. 15:1-11 and Rev. 14:6-7)
  1. Introduction
    1. We learned in our last lesson that no party can rightly change the true Gospel of Christ in the Church era, i.e., the Gospel of salvation by faith alone in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ alone.
    2. Yet, Scripture names different Gospels God has for different dispensations: (1) Genesis 15:5-6 (in the Hebrew verb, see II,B,1 below) reveals God justified Abraham when he believed God's Genesis 12:1-3 Abrahamic Covenant in Ur of the Chaldees, and (2) Revelation 14:6-7 reveals that in the Tribulation era, people will be saved by faith in the everlasting Gospel about God Who made heaven and earth.
    3. Then, some claim that dispensationalists like us who believe God used different arrangements of rules for men in differing dispensations inconsistently and hopelessly hold to a Gospel of justification by faith in Christ in the Church era but hold to a Gospel of works for other dispensations contrary to the spirit of Paul's words in passages like Romans 4:13-16, cf. Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism Today, p. 110-111.
    4. To address these challenges, the last part of Article III, Part VI of our Church Bylaws reads: " . . . The basis of salvation has always been, always is, and always will be only the shed blood of Jesus Christ." We view the Scriptures on this claim for clarification as to why we believe what we do on this matter:
  2. Holding To The Changeless Basis Of Salvation Through Christ.
    1. The Scriptures reveal that there are key timeless bases to HOW God saves man throughout history:
      1. Scripture reveals that God always justifies men in history based on Christ's atonement:
        1. Romans 3:23-25 reveals that Christ's substitutionary atonement covered not only the sins of those in the Church era, but also the sins of those who lived in past era of human history:
        2. Then, Rev. 7:9-14 (with 5:5-10) shows men in the Tribulation will be justified via Christ's blood.
      2. Also, Scripture reveals God always justifies men in history by faith alone:
        1. Before the law and before circumcision, God justified Abraham by faith alone, Romans 4:1-5, 9-10.
        2. Then, while he was under the Mosaic law, David was also justified by faith alone, Romans 4:6-8.
        3. Accordingly, people today are justified apart from the deeds of the law as well as apart from circumcision in line with how God justified pagan Abraham, Romans 4:9-10 with 4:11-12.
        4. For this reason, even people in the Great Tribulation or Messianic Kingdom after that will be saved by faith alone, the principle being set forth in Romans 4:13-16 (and is implied in Rev. 14:6-7).
    2. Nevertheless, due to the progress of God's revealing His truths to man through history, the content of the Gospel God has man believe in history changes from one dispensation to the next (as follows):
      1. From the way the Hebrew verb is used for "believe" in Genesis 15:5, we know God justified Abraham before He told him of the Genesis 15:4 promise of Abraham's seed being so numerous, for Abraham believed God's Genesis 12:1-3 promise and was justified back in Ur, Bible Know. Com., O.T., p. 55.
      2. Then, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 reveals believers in the Church era are justified by faith in Christ's death for sin and His burial and resurrection from the dead.
      3. Revelation 14:6-7 states men will be justified when they trust the Gospel of worshipping the Creator.
    3. However, in the current dispensation of the Church that ends at the Rapture, the Gospel of faith alone in Christ's death, burial and resurrection is NOT to change, Galatians 1:8-9 with 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.
Lesson: (1) Contrary to charges against us dispensationalists, we do NOT hold to different WAYS of SALVATION: man is ALWAYS saved BASED on the death of Christ, and through faith alone. (2) Yet, DUE to God's progress of revealing His truth down through history, the CONTENT of what God has man believe changes from one dispensation to the next as GOD wills! (3) However, the Gospel of faith in Christ's atonement for salvation is NOT to change in the Church era according to Galatians 1:8-9!

Application: (1) May we realize salvation is ALWAYS by grace through faith alone, but that (2) the CONTENT of the Gospel MUST CHANGE down through history as God reveals more and more of His truths to man. (3) For OUR era, GOD expects us to hold ONLY to the Gospel of Christ for salvation!