In The Master's Service

THE KINGDOM - Conclusion

Elder T. L. Webb, Sr. (deceased) From the book "Little Things"

While it is true that all who really and truly obey the Lord and do His will, will be saved in heaven, yet there is no Scripture in the Bible that says heaven is hinged on doing those things; and we know the Bible teaches that many will be saved in heaven who have not done those things. If being saved in heaven were hinged on human beings doing the will of the Father, or uniting with the organic church, then none could enter there without doing those things. The Bible abundantly teaches that all who love God have an inheritance beyond this life, which is incorruptible and that cannot be taken away from them (James ii. 5), yet the obtaining of that inheritance, or becoming an heir to it, is not based on human beings loving God. The Bible teaches that all who believe in Christ will be saved in heaven. (St. John v. 24), but that does not necessarily imply that heaven is based on belief, or that none could be saved in heaven without believing. So it is by water baptism and all othother things which God's children are commanded to do, and which are embraced in doing the will of the Father, there is a place for them when applied to the living - they are evidences of life and mean heaven, yet heaven was just as sure to the believer before he was baptized as it was after baptism, according to the Bible. And if so, one must be a child of God and be in the invisible kingdom by birth before he begins to manifest that fact by bearing good fruit.

Let it be understood that it takes live people to "do" things - to do the will of the Father, obey the gospel, etc. We should not jump at the conclusion that heaven is suspended on conditions simply because we find a Scripture that expresses obedience. I noticed in yesterday's daily a report of some things said by a noted evangelist, who is holding a meeting in Little Rock, Ark. His explanation of Heb. 5:9 was that people had to obey the Lord in order for Him to become the author of their eternal salvation. The text reads, "And being made perfect He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." If smart men, who know the meaning of words, will make such a blunder as that, what can we expect of others when Scriptures are so often misapplied? How in the world could something taking place now be the cause of something taking place that took place nearly two thousand years ago? The text does not say He becomes the author of eternal salvation unto them that obey Him, but it says He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obeyed Him, but it says He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him. When did Christ become the author of eternal salvation? It was when He learned obedience by the things which He suffered - when He died on the cross. Our obedience has nothing to do with Him being the author of eternal salvation. It is only an evidence that we were embraced in that work which was done for us, and not only for us who have had the opportunity to be enlightened by the gospel and encouraged to obey it, but for the innumerable host that no man can number out of all parts of the world - even thousands that know nothing about doing the will of the Father. I can see how those who die in infancy, in all lands, can be housed in heaven through the one offering of Christ on the cross, but I cannot see how they could be saved any other way.

So my idea of the text at the head of this article is, it has reference to the organic church, and not to the glory world. Yet it is possible for one to say, Lord, Lord, and even go through with the form of service, and not really enter into the church in sincerity and in the spirit of the matter - that is, in "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

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