To be with God

Apparently Joe A. Serge of Ontario is of the idea that Christians can do away with "remorse for sin and good works in their efforts to obtain heaven, holding that just "trusting in the redeeming power of Christ's precious blood" is all that is required for salvation (Armour of God, November 10).

But that would hardly be Christ's doctrine. Evangelist Luke quotes Christ's saying: "Except you do penance, you shall all likewise perish". (Luke 13:5).

Matthew says that Christ once told his listeners: "Not everyone that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Obviously, those addressing Christ "Lord, Lord" had faith in him! Even to some who tell him that "we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name", again believers in Christ and in the "redeeming power of Christ's precious blood", Christ will one day say: "I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity". (Matthew 7:22, 23).

Faith in Christ is by no means enough to enter the kingdom of heaven. St James teaches: "What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?... Faith also, if it hath not works, is dead in itself" (James 2:14-17).

Those words quoted by Mr Serge from the Epistle to the Ephesians - "with the breastplate of righteousness in place", by others translated "having on the breastplate of justice" - do not exclude the necessity of "works". In fact "justice" includes "works". It does not mean "merely faith".

In his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, St Paul has these words: "I am glad... because you were made sorrowful unto penance... For the sorrow that is according to God worketh penance, steadfast unto salvation" (2 Corinthians 7:9, 10).

In his Second Epistle, St Peter does not mince words: "The Lord delayeth not his promise, as some imagine, but dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance" (2 Peter 3:9).

Of course "remorse for sin and good works" do "pave the way to heaven". Obviously, and here I quote Mr Serge's excellent words, "trusting in the redeeming power of Christ's precious blood"! You cannot exclude "the redeeming power of Christ's precious blood". Christ and his blood are the "rock" on which we stand.

Paul even refers to the "Rock" when he speaks of the strength given to the Israelites of the time of Moses. Then, too, Christ was the "rock". Paul says of Moses and his people: "And they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ". (1 Corinthians 10:4). And yet Christ had not been born on earth!

Nevertheless, the Father did everything through the Son co-eternal with Him!

To my friend, Mr Serge, I say Omnia in Christo et nihil sine Christo!