Bob Cassell, Messenger, RFTC
It is impossible to enter heaven with anything less than a perfect righteousness. Your attention is directed to the defining requirements that are clearly delineated in the immutable word of God. “And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).
Imputed righteousness (outside of man to the inside, by grace, comes only from the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ). This righteousness is absolute and perfect and is the only form of righteousness that is included in salvation by grace. This perfection is so vital and unique that it must come to man by means of the revealer of all truth, God the Holy Spirit. This must be clear! Imputed righteousness is that perfect righteousness of God which Christ is and which the believer becomes when he is positioned in Christ. The central issue in salvation is what constitutes a perfect standing before a holy and righteous God. This involves far more than the removal of sin or the best efforts of man. It is obtained only by God’s amazing grace. It is the thing which God extends to him that works not “But to him that works not, but believes on Him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5). The truth that must be realized by the unbeliever is that he is not entering into a merit system which would demand the production of his own righteousness as a basis of acceptance before God. That demand would be much more than could ever be produced.
Man is born blind and naked before God and cannot produce perfect righteousness from his damned sinful flesh. Many gospel messages have proclaimed the remission of sin through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, but a critical neglect has surfaced which denies and distorts the truth that a perfect standing is instantly imputed to the individual who believes in the person of Jesus Christ. This beautiful truth of the gospel is trumpeted, ever so perfectly, in the gospel of John, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin, because they believe not on me, of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16: 7-11). This clear delineation of gospel truth exceeds man’s limited discernment and demonstrates that careful attention in its declaration and clarity has not been realized. Issuing forth from this neglect is the notion that any kind of general statements will serve as a gospel message. It does not! The careless messenger should direct his attention to the stern anathema that is declared in the book of Galatians “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).
Due to woeful neglect the doctrine of imputed righteousness is not as well understood as the more frequently taught Bible messages such as forgiveness or the powerful drawing power and love of God. There is no question that the two doctrines of imputed righteousness and the remission of sin are incomparable largely due to the fact that remission of sin is more commonly taught, and imputation of His righteousness is less taught.
This result occurs because it has no parallel in human experience outside of what is set forth in clear gospel truth. If these blessed truths were to be compared, imputed righteousness will be held in greater regard by those who understand it rather than remission of sin, which is negative in character. What would constitute more to an assured heart than the conviction that a lost unbeliever may instantly become the possessor of a perfect and eternal position before God?
This great truth of imputed righteousness may appear as an isolated truth that has been imbedded in the word of God for centuries, but it has been open and available to the understanding for those who truly want to know the truths that are contained in His great goldmine of truth. To the extent that this amazing truth of imputed righteousness is unknown to human experience and that it is grounded on an invisible person in heaven rather than on human ability or morality, to that same degree, its presentation to the darkened, unregenerate mind must be supernaturally wrought by the Holy Spirit. This supernatural work is precisely what He does when He convicts of righteousness. This great work of imputed righteousness may not be well understood by the new believer as it is a work of God for man and not a work of man for God. The truth that must be understood is that a complete standing and acceptance before God renders unnecessary all work of human merit. It is then a privilege of grace to understand that this perfect standing before a Holy God proceeds from Christ and is based on a new and vital union between Christ and the one who believes in Him. Herein is the unique and supernatural power of the gospel of the grace of God. God’s wonderful forgiveness of sin is also a supernatural accomplishment because it is based on the death and victorious resurrection of Christ; but far too often the forgiveness of sin is considered to be no more than a benevolent and gracious gift from God.
A dramatic line of distinction is clearly drawn between the righteousness that man offers as the basis of His acceptance before God and the absolute righteousness which God makes available and offers to needful and empty humanity. In God’s great plan of salvation, man must cease from his own works and enter into God’s eternal rest as there remains an unending rest from all works of merit for those who believe in Jesus Christ, “There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For He that is entered into His rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:9-10). With regards to the unbeliever all requirements are met when, by means of the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, it is recognized that Christ, the exclusive Savior, answers every need of the Human Soul for all of time and throughout God’s endless eternity. This is a far greater result than the proposition that sin may be forgiven. God’s amazing grace extends to a larger and greater fact that a perfect righteousness is imputed to all who believe on Jesus Christ. It is important to understand that the Holy Spirit appoints and enlightens the mind of the unbeliever regarding God’s imputed righteousness. This work of the unseen and unfelt Holy Spirit should be included as an essential requirement in all gospel preaching to the unsaved. All concerned believers would do well to learn the unique effect on the new believer regarding the work of God in imputing His absolute righteousness.
The coming of the Holy Spirit opens a beautiful path for understanding His teaching ministry, more fully. Yes, as we have seen, He opens man’s understanding that he may see his eternal need of receiving Christ as the only Savior and reveals in God’s holy word all that is necessary to possess eternal life. The last words of Jesus on the cross were “It is finished.” All that was required to satisfy the justice of God was finalized when Jesus uttered these words that concluded the greatest accomplishment in all history.
How man responds to the one who uttered these words will determine his eternal destiny. The only alternative to eternal life is eternal damnation. This damnation is clearly outlined in the words “Of Judgment.” Please meditate and carefully read about this critical information in the gospel of John. “When He is come, He will reprove the world of Sin, and of righteousness and of Judgment”. There is no reference here to a judgment to come; the glaring reference is to the greatest of all judgments, which is now past. This damning judgment was accomplished by Christ as the only substitute when He died the just for the unjust; when the unrelenting impact of God’s hatred of sin covered the one who had become a sin offering for those for whom he died. This judgment did concern Satan, the prince of this world, but in a much deeper sense than the eternal judgment that will be imposed on this deceptive and doomed being. The judgment here accomplished eternal and infinite results for the unbeliever and from these results the Holy Spirit would cause them to be ENLIGHTENED. Without this enlightenment the doomed soul would be groping in darkness so thick that it is impossible to see the light of truth that shines brightly outside that thick cloud. Our minds can conceive of nothing more hopeless than a lost human being who ignores or does not believe in the deliverance from sin that comes only by believing in the perfect Son of God. Satan waits to claim as his own subjects those who do not believe on the only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The blind soul that is living in unbelief and darkness can only see the dim light of the present and has no idea of the impending judgment that opens its mouth to swallow and hold him in the eternal fire of Hell, forever and ever. The uninformed mind cannot grasp the unending prison of torment that awaits the dead and unbelieving eternal soul. Read this last line again and again!
The tragedy of unbelief in Jesus Christ is that the unbelieving soul will not only enter the unrelenting fire of hell but will find there is not only no immediate relief, but there is never a release from its chains. If the new arrival in hell could speak to the father of all lies (Satan) and plead for his mercy, he would quickly learn the damning truth that has been recorded in the book of Isaiah for thousands of years.
“You shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see him will narrowly look upon Satan, and consider him and say, is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that OPENED NOT THE HOUSE OF HIS PRISONERS?” (Isaiah 14:15-17).
Do you see the eternal reality of this unrelenting hell of darkness and torture? You may have thought, as I did for many years, God will give you a second chance now that you see this eternal reality and will, in time, allow you to be released. Even in desperation, if you cry out to Satan, you will get no relief or release. He is sealed to damnation and that damnation cannot be removed from Satan or from any new arrival of the unwise and forever condemned unbeliever. Satan too is bound and will never be released; neither can he grant a reprieve to any of those that are forever condemned with him. The words of God are sure, the warning has been set before the unbeliever for as long as God’s word has been declared in writing. “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). These words are eternal, and they will resound in the soul of the neglectful unbeliever forever and forever. Here is the dreadful prospect for those who leave this quickly passing life and arrive in Hell in blindness and unbelief.
“Hell from beneath is moved for you to meet you at your coming: it stirs up the dead for you, even the mighty ones of the earth: it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto you, are you also become weak as we? Are you become like us? Your pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of your viols: (sad music) the worm is spread under you and the worms cover you” (Isaiah 14:9-11).
Whether Satan has power to release these captives is an irrelevant question. It is sufficient to know that the captives are helpless in Satan’s power. His is one of them and is just as condemned as every unbeliever who dwells in this awful place. Every unbeliever is helpless and there is no appeal that will rise from this pit of torture. With respect to their helplessness, these condemned souls are not unlike the fallen angels, for whom no sacrifice so far as is revealed in the scriptures, has ever been made. In describing these realities Christ declared He came “to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18).
The scriptural truth that Satan held a powerful authority over humankind and that specific authority was obliterated by Jeus Christ in his death and resurrection is identified as follows: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:16-21). It is also declared that it was by and through the cross that Christ triumphed over Satan and his fallen angels. Notice their plight in this trustworthy scripture. “And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment. Of judgment, because the prince of this world IS JUDGED John 16:8,11).
This beautiful passage does not declare that humankind are redeemed by Christ’s triumph over Satan and the fallen angels; it is that humans are redeemed by the same death which served as a judgment of Satan and the fallen angels, and by this death they are released from the power which Satan exercised over them as outlined herein: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us unto the kingdom of his dear Son. In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1: 13,14).
Indicated herein is the truth that the Spirit will enlighten the unsaved with respect to Judgment… both that their sins are judged, and the one is judged who, because of his assumed authority over the unsaved, holds them in his deceptive power. This holding by Satan should be a shocking reminder that the vicious clutches of his doomed hands hold the unbeliever in darkness so that he cannot see the glorious light of the truth of the gospel that comes so graciously from a loving and sovereign God. The truth of the gospel is that Christ, as the only mediator, bore the sins of those who are lost. There is no truth which is more needed than the illumination of the Spirit if this truth is ever to be revealed to a Satan darkened mind. This amazing enlightenment is of the absolute truth of a work of God that is finished. Nothing can be added to this perfect, complete and finished work. Nothing needs to be added to what God has finished, and nothing can be added without injecting the imperfect and non-meritorious works of man. This finished work of God is a redemption for man toward sin, a reconciliation toward the sinner, and a propitiation toward God. Man must be reconciled toward God and because of the finished work of Christ, God is perfectly propitiated. God does not require a propitiation from man. That would be impossible. Man needs to be reconciled to God by believing in the Son of God who finished the work that propitiated a righteous, just, and holy God.
Bury the following scripture in your mind until your final breath. “Then they said unto Him, what must we do, that we might work the works of God? JESUS answered and said unto them, THIS is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent” (John 6:28, 29). This perfect work is not something an unbeliever must persuade God to do but is something perfectly accomplished, to which the unbeliever can sustain no other relation that to believe what God has wrought in his behalf.
There is a beautiful truth of measureless import which is a threefold work of the Spirit on behalf of the unbeliever which is not to be confused with His larger ministry wherein He regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals; nor is this specific ministry of the Spirit in enlightening the unbeliever to be confused with His service to those who are saved when He bears fruit in them, exercises gifts, teaches the Word of God, and intercedes in them. When the Spirit enlightens the Satan blinded mind regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment, the otherwise blinded mind is immediately more than normally enabled to understand the three great foundation truths that sin has been judged, righteousness is available in and through Christ, and the sin of condemnation is the abject failure to believe that God offers a perfect salvation in and by means of the only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. No person in history can be saved apart from this God wrought enlightenment. There is no other power that is capable of breaking through the blindness which Satan has imposed on the minds of those who are lost and bound for an everlasting Hell. The good news is that a clear gospel message that conforms to God’s word will open the door for the amazing work of the Holy Spirit to provide the light of truth which will cause the unbeliever to be moved to believe on Christ alone for God’s full salvation.
Alongside the work of the Spirit is the effectual prayers of the saints that barrage the throne of grace on behalf of those who are not even aware of the blindness that has been imposed on them by Satan.
Man is separated from God by a supernatural inability to turn by and of himself to God in saving faith apart from the supernatural unveiling of the mind which Satan has darkened. It is a relief to learn that this God ordained enlightenment enables the darkened mind to understand the gospel which is far beyond the natural ability of man that must be enlightened by the illuminating power of the Spirit of Truth. Those who are so abundantly blessed to peer into the riches of God’s amazing grace are endowed with a faith which is engendered by God. This amazing faith, as declared in God’s infallible word, is “not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). This beautiful God given faith leads graciously to a personal transaction with the King of Glory, Jesus Christ the perfectly righteous and only Savior. Without this clear understanding no human being can be saved. As the truth of the gospel shines into the Satan darkened mind the natural faculty of seeing and hearing are enlarged to where the blind receive their sight and are enabled to say, “Whereas I was blind, now I see” and the other faculty deafness is opened to the truth. It is Jesus who had already given sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf who saves those who did not see or hear his message of eternal life in and because of Him. God provides sufficient light and truth that enabled Jesus to say, “And this is the Father’s will who has sent me, that of all which he has given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone which sees the Son, and believes on Him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last say…. It is taught in the prophets that every man that has heard and has learned of the Father comes unto me” (John 6:39,40, 45).
These powerful words of truth convey the majestic sovereignty of God, and no Scripture is clearer regarding God’s pronouncements than verse 44 in this same contest; “No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Herein, is the effectual call of His election to his most blessed ones. It is not determined on the basis of conjecture by man that there is a select company for whom Christ has died; nor is it that men are saved because of anything good, actual, or foreseen in them. In sovereign grace God alone has predestined. Those who He predestined, he called and those whom He called, He justified and whom He justified, He glorified. Please notice the absence of human efforts from man such as “if they remain faithful to the end” of if they “hear the call of God.” These statements are a clear rejection of God’s truths by the addition of superfluous acts from imperfect man. By the aforementioned actions of God, his elective choice is revealed. Not one of these eternal decisions of God will fail. It is the work of God on behalf of man and certainly not the works of man to satisfy God. The methods and machinations of man do not expedite nor facilitate what God has planned and will do for his eternal family members.
It must be clear that the unbelieving individual must believe for himself. The reception of Christ as Savior must be by a choice which arises in the recesses of his own being and must be a reflection of his own intelligent preference. Much confusion has been wrought in the minds of unbelievers as manmade methods have been instituted which require outward actions that may indicate no true believing experience. Those outward actions may be motivated by an earnest and heart felt appeal of loved ones or overzealous evangelists who demand an overt decision or action to receive Christ as Savior.
The influence and pressure of these outside influences has been, in many instances, the primary effort of the evangelist to measure his success by counting those who walk down the aisle to declare a public confession of the Christ they should have already received. In many instances it is expected that the successful evangelist must have a dominating or overpowering personality along with a great power of persuasion. This kind of effort along with other psychological influences which are methodically employed amount to what is almost an irresistible effect on the unbeliever. All of this influence is focused upon the unsaved individual to compel him to do something which is by no means from a clear understanding and a sincere choice to believe in Jesus Christ. These human persuasions do not provide the light of God’s truth in leading a lost soul to understand that the one and only issue in salvation is to believe on the one who alone saves, the Lord Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, much confusion and a muddled message is received by those who have not learned truth from error or what is a true and clear gospel and what is not. When the persuasions of man are depended upon versus the compelling and drawing power of the Holy Spirit these man-made machinations serve to confuse rather than to facilitate the communication of a clear gospel message. A lost soul can be saved when they hear and believe the gospel message that penetrates the heart under divine illumination. They must first hear, understand, and believe. “So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). It is certain that God provides clarity of understanding during the presentation of the gospel, that is while the messenger is proclaiming the word of God. This is the order rather than after the messenger has concluded the unbeliever is compelled to do something he thinks they must do that they may be saved.
A clear declaration of the believer’s testimony cannot be well contained or put under a bushel. The zeal of the new believer bubbles up and he soon realizes that it is the love of Christ that compels him. He is now much more than an unbeliever groping in the darkness; he is a child of the King of Glory, and this realization is so compelling that it cannot be contained. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” It is from the glorious throne of God that the new believer receives his marching orders, and those orders are clear. He does not say stay or sit or hesitate, He says GO! Notice a few excerpts from His marching orders for the new believer. “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15) “And the Lord said unto the servant, go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23). “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord: and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).
The highest privilege for an obedient servant is to go and tell the old, old gospel story. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
According to Acts 1:1, His message was about all that Jesus both began to do and teach. With a new believer it is to teach, that is to be taught, then learn, and then do. The process is to be taught, to learn and then to do. It is to grow in grace and in knowledge of the Son of God. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Go to now … which is an idiomatic expression that means, do it now… not tomorrow but today while it is day.
Need I remind you “The daylight is fading, and the shadows of evening grow long” (Jeremiah 6:4).
“Behold now is the accepted time: behold now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
