by Irwin A. Moon (1871-1963)
The following set of questions-and-answers was written by one of the founders of the Fundamental Evangelistic Association, Irwin A. Moon, and published in booklet form back in 1934. Irwin A. Moon was the father-in-law of M. H. Reynolds Sr.
1. Who is Jesus Christ?
The only begotten Son of God (Jn. 3:16)
2. Did He exist prior to becoming a babe in Bethlehem?
Yes, He is God from all eternity, mentioned in the Old Testament 6,855 times as “Jehovah”; the “I AM” (self-existent One). The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus Christ of the New Testament. Matthew 1:23 says He is “God with us” (Jn. 1:1-3, 10, 14 also declares this fact), and Colossians 1:15-19 says He is the Creator of all things and that He was “the beginning”! First John 5:20 says He is “the true God.”
3. If He was God, why did He become man?
He became a man in order to die the death of a man. All men were under the sentence of death because of sin (Ezek. 18:4, 20). The sentence must be executed. There could be no reversal or cancellation of this righteous sentence. For Jesus Christ to die as God would not meet the conditions. It therefore became necessary for God, if He was to take the sentence upon Himself, to become man, that He might die as a man, thus meeting the conditions.
4. If He was a human being, how can His death save more than one person?
Had He been only a human being, even though sinless as He was, His death would only have sufficed to pay the debt of one human being. But He was also GOD, an infinite person. His death therefore sufficed to pay the debt of all. (Note: Should every human being coming into this world suffer eternal punishment, that would be paying the obligation 100 percent. But Jesus Christ, being God, by His death paid more than 100 percent for the whole race. We are finite. And finity multiplied by itself any number of times can never equal infinity. This explains why Jesus Christ as “the Lamb of God” could “[take] away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).
5. If He is God, and died for all, why are not all saved?
Because the death of Jesus Christ does not save anybody. His death only makes it possible to be saved. It simply pays our debt and puts us on saving ground—puts us in a condition in which salvation is now possible for us.
6. Why did God put salvation on the basis of “believe”?
The great tree of sin, with its many branches, limbs, and twigs, which represent so many different kinds and acts of sin, has only one root. And that one root is unbelief (Jn. 16:8-9). The only cure of unbelief is belief. If, therefore, the “one root” of the tree is killed through belief, the tree will wither away and die.
7. Do we have to believe on the same person that was disbelieved when sin entered the human race?
Yes. Jesus Christ, being Jehovah of the Old Testament, was the very identical person who was disbelieved in the Garden of Eden and, in consequence of which, sin entered the whole human family. For 6,000 years He has been revealing Himself and His love for unbelieving man in various ways: finally becoming a man, paid all our debt of sin, revealing infinite love for us, and offers salvation as a gift if we will now believe on Him. (Illustration: If I owe you $100, the debt is not canceled if I pay the $100 to someone else. Or, if I have offended you, the offence is not cleared away if I ask pardon from some other person. If, therefore, I make my apologies to you and get your forgiveness, the matter is then cleared away). This explains the exact reason why we are required to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” in order to be saved: because He is the identical person who was disbelieved in the Garden 4,000 years before He became a babe in Bethlehem. And until our unbelief toward Him is corrected by belief, we are still under condemnation (Jn. 3:18).
8. If salvation has been provided for all, why does it have to be accepted individually before it becomes effectual to the individual?
Because each individual has a separate will all his own and is entirely free to exercise that will as he chooses. [Pertaining to salvation], man’s will is sovereign in God’s universe, and God has voluntarily chosen to make man’s will the barrier beyond which He will not go. God will not coerce man’s will. Salvation, therefore, becomes an individual matter since each individual is required to exercise his own will in accepting or rejecting God’s gift of salvation. Jesus Christ calls attention to this barrier of man’s will when He said, “Ye will not come unto Me that ye might have life.” An individual exercise of the human will is imperative.
9. In Romans 8:19-23, the release of all animal and creature kind from the bondage of sin is indicated. Why did not Jesus Christ have to become an animal in order to bring about their release?
Because sin does not obtain in animals and creature kind. Only human beings are guilty of the great sin of disbelieving God. It is true, nevertheless, that the animals are under the curse placed upon the earth because of man’s sin and therefore suffer. But when the children of God (those who have received salvation through believing on Jesus Christ) have been released from their bondage, the curse will be lifted from the earth, and all animal and creature kind will be liberated at the same time.
10. Why must one be born again?
Because every soul coming into this world has a fallen, sinful nature which he acquired from Adam, and this nature cannot be changed or be made over or be made fit. The natural man has a three-fold incapacity: He cannot understand God (1 Cor. 2:14); he cannot obey God (Rom. 8:7); and he cannot please Him (Rom. 8:8). Such a person is totally unfit for heaven and therefore “must be born again” in order to acquire a nature that is fit.
11. Why does God place salvation at the beginning of the Christian life and not at the close?
Because we must first become a Christian before we can live the life of a Christian. A boy does not live the life of a boy in order to become a boy. He must first become a boy before he can live the life of a boy. Even so, one must become a Christian (through being born again) before he can live as a Christian should live. Our salvation is determined and acquired in this life and not in the next. Also, if salvation were left until the close of our life here, there would be no opportunity to earn rewards, which God offers for good works in addition to our salvation which is a gift. Only such good works as are performed after our salvation are noted and rewarded by God. If salvation came at the close of this life, it would indicate, at least to some extent, that salvation came as a result of good works and righteous living. And this is plainly not the case. “Not of works, lest any man should boast” is the statement of Ephesians 2:9.
12. Can one be saved after this life?
No. If one departs this life before accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior and Substitute, the Bible indicates very clearly and plainly that his status at death remains fixed throughout eternity—that there is a “great gulf fixed”; that as the tree falleth, so it shall lie.
13. Can one be saved if he does not believe on Jesus Christ?
No. God’s statement is very plain as to this question. John 3:36 is very positive and very plain. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
14. How much sin will God overlook on the part of those who try to do right?
None whatsoever. God, in His infinite righteousness and holiness, cannot overlook the slightest thing in thought, word, or deed that is “off color.” This explains why we must have a Savior if we are to be saved, for we are all far worse than just “off color.”
15. How much righteousness does God require from His children?
One hundred percent. God demands absolute perfection and will not be satisfied with anything less. This is, again, why we must have a Savior. Upon our belief in Him, God imputes to us (places to our credit) the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ (Rom. 4:4, 21-24). This alone can make us acceptable to God.
16. Does God save anyone who does not deserve to be saved?
Yes. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). Again, He came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19:10). Again, “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6).
17. Does God save anyone who deserves to be saved?
No. God has provided no way to save anyone who deserves to be saved. The reason? There are not any such folks. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
18. What do you understand by this statement in Ephesians 2:8—“For by grace are ye saved”?
The word “grace” as used in this verse and elsewhere in the Word means “favor to the undeserving,” the “unmerited favor of God,” “the kindness and love of God” shown to those who do not deserve to have God’s “kindness and love” shown to them. And that is the only kind of folks there are in the world. If there could be found anywhere in the world one person who had any inherent merit or who in any way deserved to be saved, God has provided no way to save that person. God has provided salvation only for the unmeritorious. Therefore, salvation must be by grace.
19. Why is “salvation by grace” offensive to most unsaved persons?
Because most unsaved persons think they are meritorious in some way and think that God is under obligation to them, in some degree at least, and should show them some consideration.
20. Is this one reason why God says an unsaved person must repent?
Yes. As long as an unsaved person thinks he deserves consideration from God, he will not seek to be saved. God’s declaration that he must repent is not in the nature of a command but a statement of fact. God’s command is “believe” in order to be saved.
21. What do you understand by the word “repent”?
As used in the New Testament, it means “to change the mind”—to change the mind in respect of sin, of God, and of self. Just so long as an unsaved person has the idea that sin is “not very bad,” that he is not a very great sinner, and that “God is too good to punish,” he will not be concerned about his salvation. So God says, “Repent!” “Change your mind!” Sin is bad. You are a bad sinner. “And the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
22. Is it our business to insist upon repentance in dealing with the unsaved?
It is our business to so present the gospel (good news) to him as to reveal to him the love of God. For it is “the love of God that leadeth to repentance.” Our business is to present from the Word the necessity for, and the way to, salvation. The Holy Spirit brings about repentance.
23. How many things can you think of that we receive through believing?
Here are some of them. Many others are indicated in the Bible. (1) Remission of sins (bringing release from the penalty of death). (2) Forgiveness of sins (in reality, it is give-for-ness of sins. Christ gave Himself for our sins). (3) Redemption (the buying back of that which we lost through sin). (4) Salvation—past, present, and future. (5) A new life (eternal life, Jn. 10:28). (6) A new nature (desires that which is right, delights in God). (7) A new relationship (children of God). (8) Holy Spirit (dwells within us to enable us to live the Christian life). (9) A new righteousness (the perfect righteousness of Christ, first imputed and then imparted). (10) Peace with God (the war between the guilty sinner and a righteous God is ended). (11) Peace of God (the war within the human breast is displaced with quiet, trustful confidence). (12) Advocate (we have an attorney in the court of heaven, Jesus Christ the Righteous, there to plead our case, 1 Jn. 2:1). (13) Joint heirship (made joint heirs with Christ, who has fallen heir to all things). (14) Stewardship of the gospel (the command is “Go” and tell it to every creature).
24. Does the Christian’s good works strengthen his salvation?
No. Salvation is a gift and therefore cannot in any sense be merited, or added to, through works.
25. Of what avail, then, is the Christian’s good works?
Through good works we earn rewards. Salvation is a gift, received when we believe. Rewards are earned by good works after we are saved (1 Cor. 3:11-15, giving special attention to verse 14).
26. Does the Christian’s poor work weaken his salvation?
No. Salvation is a gift through believing. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. Our poor works cause us to suffer loss of rewards but not of salvation. Salvation is not a reward. It cannot be earned. “It is the gift of God” (see 1 Cor. 3:11-15, giving special attention to verse 15).
27. Does the good work and right living of an unsaved person help toward his salvation?
No. For an unsaved person (an unbeliever) to offer his good works and what he might call right living to God before he has received God’s gift of His Son (and with Him a new life) is simply offering added insult to God. An unsaved person cannot please God in anything he may do until he has first believed on Jesus Christ and received the gift God has provided and offers to him. Until he has done that, he has nothing that God will receive from him. After he has received God’s gift, then God will accept from him anything he may offer in the name of Christ. God has only one word for the unbeliever, and that one word is believe.
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