Foreword
The Simplicity of Salvation

When it comes to spiritual things, people often struggle to keep a biblical balance. The tendency to become biblically imbalanced generally originates from a partial knowledge of doctrine. These individuals have learned just enough scripture to see one side of the issue. But instead of going further and appreciating the greater truth, they stop and proclaim their knowledge to be already complete. This causes them to complicate things instead of realizing the beautiful simplicity of God’s true teaching.

The subject of personal salvation provides an excellent example of this phenomenon. On the one hand, there are those who see the truth of salvation by faith alone, but they do not ponder long enough to see the depth of the faith necessary for a true conversion. As a result, they create formulas and simple menus for salvation. Pray this prayer; say these words. Did you mean it?—Then, you are saved; now thank God for saving you. Some people who are led in such prayers are indeed saved by God, but their salvation is a result of the fact that they were already spiritually ready to trust in the Lord—not the result of some magic formula or prayer. Unfortunately, there are far too many who are led by such “soul-winning” methods into false conversions, and thus they are provided with a false hope.

Those on the opposite side of this imbalance issue see the error of those espousing the formulaic prayers and overlooking the depth of faith necessary for salvation. They realize that no one is saved by quoting formulas and signing salvation prayers. These individuals understand that people are saved via a true change in the heart. However, these people cannot ...