NO PRE-REQUISITES FOR SAVING
FAITH
Self-righteousness is like
the pesty mole: drive it out of one hole, and it will
quickly find another in which to make its den. We have fairly well beaten it
out of the den of good works as a ground of hope before God. But it has found
another hiding place. The dark den where self-righteousness hides with little
possibility of detection is called by many names: "Fitness for
Faith", "Conditions of Conversion", "Suitability for
Salvation", and "Qualifications for Grace". No matter what name
you hang over the hole, it is a den of iniquity. It teaches sinners that in
order to have true faith in Christ there are certain conditions that must be
met. The doctrine goes like this: "Salvation is by grace alone. It is not
what you do, but what Christ has done that saves you. But before you can truly
trust Christ and be saved, you must be terrified with conviction, you must weep
and mourn over your sin, you must desire holiness, you must repent, you must
long for Christ, you must come to see yourself as a lost sinner, and then
earnestly seek the Lord.
This doctrine may sound good on the surface, but it is only a round-about way of preaching salvation by works. There are no pre-requisites, no conditions, no qualifications to be met by sinners before they trust Christ. The gospel of Christ is addressed to sinners as sinners, not awakened sinners, not sensible sinners, not convicted sinners, not lost sinners, not repentant sinners, just sinners! God does not command sinners to feel a certain way, experience something, or come to realize something about themselves. God commands sinners to "believe on his Son, Jesus Christ". The moment a preacher places any condition or qualification of any kind upon the sinner before he can trust Christ and be saved, he ceases to preach a gospel of pure grace. Repentance, conviction of sin, lamentation and sorrow over sin are not prerequisites for coming to Christ and trusting him. These things do not precede faith. They are the results of faith (Zech. 12:l0; John 16:7-14).