Luke 17:7-10

THE HERESY OF SUPEREROGATION

Luke 17:7-10. “And which one of you having a servant, plowing or herding stock, who will say to him, having returned from the field, having come in immediately, Sit down to eat? But will he not say to him, Prepare what I may sup, and girding thyself, wait on me until t may eat and drink, and alter these things, you eat and drink? Does he thank the servant because he did those things which were commanded? So you, when you may do all things which have been commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do.” False religions, in all ages, have taught salvation by legal obedience. Judaism was deep in this heresy in the days of Christ. Pagans, Moslems, and Romanists are wrapped in that fond delusion this day, blinded by the devil, depending on their own good works. priestly intercession and absolution, to save them a dismal nightmare from the bottomless pit, manipulated by demons, and stealing on religious people before they are aware, lulling them into deeper slumber, as the years by, till they are awakened by the awful thunder-peals of their own damnation. This seductive heresy is fast stealing in on the Protestant Churches, substituting Church loyalty for holiness of heart and life, and so beguiling the preachers that thousands of them are giving the people a clear record and an easy conscience if they will pay all their dues, attend all the meetings, and thus prove their loyalty to the Church week in and week out; meanwhile they can take recreations in the devil's fandangoes, neglect family prayer, and thus turn over the home to the devil, and get up as many Church frolics as they want for jollification and pastime, thus practically receiving a ticket through the Church down to hell, and really degrading the house of God into a mere tollgate, at which the people must pay their way to the bottomless pit. We are saved, not by our own work, or that of the preacher, but by the work of Christ, which we receive by faith. (Ephesians 2:8) Our Savior clearly exposes this seductive heresy by a simple illustration of the man an, his servant. When the latter has done all of his work the former does not thank him, because he simply did, his duty. Hence the utter impossibility to bring God under the slightest obligation to us, from the fact that all of our time, members, faculties, resources, and facilities belong to God, and our very best service is due His every moment. This is an exceedingly important truth which our Savior enforces so clearly that no one can be mistaken, sweeping away forever the idea of salvation by works in any sense whatever, and the bare possibility of bringing God under any obligation to us. Hence everything we receive from Him, spiritual and temporary is the free and unmerited gift of God for Christ's sake alone, which we receive by faith alone, radical repentance putting the sinner on believing ground, where he can b justified by faith, and utter and eternal abandonment of all things, temporal and spiritual, to God in entire consecration, putting the Christian on believing ground, to be sanctified wholly by faith alone, in every case a: obedient life following as the normal fruit of your faith and whose absence is demonstrative proof of spurious profession or subsequent apostasy.