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There are many divine and human factors united in effecting our salvation. Not any one factor will save independently from all the others, yet no single factor is to be rejected or minimized. If we are "to come to the unity of the faith" (Eph. 4:13). we will readily accept all that God has ordained in the scheme of redemption.

May I illustrate this principle with this example. A man has fallen into a well and is near drowning. His cries arrest the attention of a passer-by who seeks to save him. The helper lowers a chain for the drowning man to grasp. Once the man catches the lower end of the chain, he is hoisted to safety. Now, which link in that chain really saved the man? Which was the most important? Was it the link at the top which his benefactor held, or the bottom link which the drowning man grasped? One would be safe in asserting, "No one single link saved the man: rather he was saved by each and every link working together. And the breaking of any one link would have rendered the chain worse than useless! Every link was vital in saving the man. Therefore we should not minimize the importance of any single link in the chain!"

Now, in much the same figure, the chain of salvation lifts us from a lost state to the eternal salvation which God has promised. Yet each factor in our salvation may be likened to a link in a chain, We must take care that we never minimize the importance of any single factor, or link, which God has forged into the chain that saves us! And it should also be recognized that a requirement from God need not be stated in every page in the Bible to be authoritative. If God commands it in any one verse, that requirement stands forever. It becomes a vital link in salvation's chain.

Space will not permit an exhaustive study of each factor bearing on our salvation, but we have listed those prominently mentioned to fully establish the principle.

God Is Our Savior

When Paul was writing to Timothy, he expressed a truth which encounters no controversy among Bible loving people: "We trust in the living God, who is the savior of all men, specially of those that believe." (1 Tim. 4:10). Without God there could be no salvation. The prophet of old declared, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he is also become my salvation." (Isa. 12:2). Surely we must all agree that God saves us, for "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom 6:23). None can afford to minimize this factor in our salvation, but this last passage discloses that God does not save us by Himself alone. So another factor is thus introduced.

Jesus Christ saves sinners. It was a mission which He stated clearly: "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10). Even before His birth it was foretold. "And

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she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matt. 1:21). To the end that He would be the perfect savior, He had to be perfected in obedience to the Father's will. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." (Heb. 5:8-9). This mission of mercy was so great that Paul wrote "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." (1 Tim. 1:15). There can never be any argument on this point by men who believe — Jesus Christ saves! But Jesus Christ does not save independent and apart from all other factors which the Bible lists! The fact that Jesus Christ saves us does not rule out the first factor we studied; namely, that God saves us!

The system of salvation also rests upon the Holy Spirit. He also has much to do to effect our salvation from sin. In 1 Cor. 6:11, Paul wrote, "But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." Thus we see that we are justified by the Spirit of God! If you will study carefully passages like 2 Pet. 1:20-21; Jno. 3:34; and Jno. 7:37-39, you will find that the Word of our salvation was presented by inspiration of the Hoy Spirit! When Jesus was soon to depart, He outlined for them the work which the Holy Spirit would do through them in presenting the gospel to the world. From Jno. 14:15-18; 14:25-26; 15:26-27; and 16:7-14, we find the Holy Spirit was to be "another Comforter" to the apostles; sent by the Father in Christ's name; would teach the apostles all things; bring to their remembrance all Christ had said unto them; would testify of Christ so they could be witnesses; and through their words would convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; and would show the apostles things to come. This measure of the Spirit was not promised to all, but His work through the apostles presented the gospel to save the world (see Acts 2:4). The Holy Spirit set forth the words of life and thereby became a factor in our salvation. Without the Spirit's work we could know nothing of God, Christ, heaven or hell!

Still, the grace of God cannot be discounted in the plan of salvation. Paul declared, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). Only a casual investigation will convince man that he can be saved only by unmerited favor (grace) from God. Nothing would be more foolhardy than to claim salvation on our own goodness! We are at best only unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10). Therefore God extends salvation by grace. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should

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live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." (Tit. 2: 11-12). So Paul asserts that we are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Rom. 3:24). Still, grace is yet but one factor among many which combine to produce salvation. It is just another link in a great chain.

We Are Saved by the Blood of Christ Until recently very few would even dare to discount the blood of Christ in God's salvation plan. But Modernists openly deny it today. However, among the believers in the Bible there is still no controversy, for all realize the blood of Christ alone can cleanse from sin. Paul wrote, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Rom. 5:9). So, it is plainly stated that we are justified by the blood of Christ! The real importance of the blood of Christ can be seen in the type of His blood shed under the Old Testament: "Almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without the shedding of blood is no remission." (Heb. 9:22). Yet in the next chapter (Heb. 10:4), we are told that it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. But we are told how these sins can be done away: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Eph. 1:7). Later John wrote: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sins." (1 Jno. 1:7). Can any deny that we are saved by the blood of Christ? Yet, we are not saved by this blood alone, for there are other links in the chain of salvation, and all are vitally important!

We are told that we must be saved by the name of Christ. Peter said, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby men must be saved." (Acts 4:12). God has openly declared that men must be saved by the name of Christ Jesus! Later this same preacher told Cornelius and those with him: "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall have remission of sins." (Acts 10:43). For this cause Jesus had said, "that remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47). And John assigned this reason for his gospel message: "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (Jno. 20:30-31). So, we now find that the name of Christ saves us! It is also a vital link in the chain of salvation!

We Are Saved by the Gospel of Christ We are also instructed that the gospel of Christ saves us. Paul wrote, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein also

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ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." (1 Cor. 15:1-2). Herein he stated that the Corinthians were saved by the gospel. And to the saints in Rome he wrote, "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Rom. 1:15-16). Yes, the gospel saves us, for it is the message that sets forth "words whereby thou shalt be saved" (Acts 11: 14). For this reason James wrote, "Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21). Here is another vital link in God's chain of salvation.

We Are Saved by Hearing the Gospel But it is essential that the gospel be heard; so hearing is also a requisite to salvation. Here we have come to that which man can do to obtain salvation. "For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10:13-14). Too, it Is made quite clear as to why they must hear: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17). One of the undying principles which God has always maintained in dealing with man is that we must hear His Word to be blessed. Even of old God declared, "Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear and your soul shall live." (Isa. 55:3). But there was also a warning: "Whoso turneth away his ear from hearing the word of the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination." (Prov. 28:9). So we can add that hearing the word of God is a vital link in the chain!

Then it is written, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Heb. 11:6). Since it is utterly impossible to please God without faith, we know that this is also a vital link in the chain. Jesus said, "For if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (Jno. 8:24). That verse so often called "the golden text of the Bible" (Jno. 3:16), states that faith is absolutely necessary. And when speaking to the jailer, Paul stated, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31). We find he then spake unto them the word of the Lord, and they then manifested their faith in obedience. Therefore, though faith is essential, it does not save alone. "Salvation by faith only" is an erroneous doctrine, far removed from God's Book! It discounts the worth of every other link in the whole chain of salvation. Its importance by no means will disparage the necessity of all the others. This one link separated from all the others of the chain is worse than useless—it is dead! (Jas. 2:22-24).

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While Jesus Christ was in His personal ministry on earth, He declared, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3). To doubly impress this on His hearers, He restated it again two verses later. No word could make this more emphatic and clear! It is necessary for man to repent to enjoy salvation. It is a necessary link in the chain of salvation. Because of this Peter preached, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." (Acts 2:38). In his very next public discourse he said again, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." (Acts 3:19). After Peter had preached unto the Gentiles and made his defense at Jerusalem, they all "held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." (Acts 11:18). So no one can deny that repentance is a vital link in the chain of salvation!

Just as essential as any link in the entire chain is this last one. Jesus Christ said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16:16). Anyone striving for salvation will find no difficulty in understanding this promise! It is clearly illustrated when those on Pentecost asked, "What shall we do?" Peter's reply was, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:37-38). Did they then understand? "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:41). After Saul of Tarsus had believed, and had shown his fruits of repentance for three days and nights, Ananias told him, "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16). And many years later, Peter wrote that baptism saves us (1 Pet. 3:21).

Of course, baptism alone will not save! It is only one link in the whole chain that lifts the sinner from his lost state. But if that one link is broken, the whole chain is useless! For this reason the devil has arrayed all his forces against this one link! Baptism is the one act which separates the sinner from Christ (Gal. 3:27); from the saving blood shed in His death (Rom. 6:3-4), and the spiritual blessings in His body, the church (1 Cor. 12:13). So Satan uses every sectarian preacher to assail this one link, for if it is destroyed, the whole chain is worthless!