DISPENSATIONAL DISTINCTIONS
Here is something from the Writings of Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer which he dealt with the false accusation of him and Scofield of teaching two ways of salvation. I located it online and decided to copy and paste it here.
In the late thirties/early forties, a great discussion was still revolving around doctrinal issues supported by C. I. Scofield and Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer of Dallas Theological Seminary. Chafer felt compelled to address these in his editorial section of Bibliotheca Sacra, the DTS Journal. Here is one of those editorials dealing with the dispensational teaching on salvation. I hope you find it stimulating.
INVENTING HERETICS THROUGH MISUNDERSTANDING by Lewis Sperry Chafer
The present ill-conceived wave of resentment, which is being fostered by Covenant theologians against dispensational distinctions in Biblical interpretation has centered its contention of the assertion that those who recognize dispensational distinctions–especially the late Dr. C. I. Scofield and the Editor of Bibliotheca Sacra–teach that there are two ways by which one may be saved–one by law-observance and one by faith in Christ. It seems not to occur to the men who frame their protests against dispensational teachings that their contentions have no basis whatever upon which to rest, nor do they estimate the injury to other men when they, attempting to state what dispensationalists believe, publish what is utterly untrue; going so far as to secure the vote of an Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in condemnation of that which really does not exist.
Are there two ways by which one may be saved? In reply to this question it may be stated that salvation of whatever specific character is always the work of God in behalf of man and never a work of man in behalf of God. This is to assert that God never saved any one person or group of persons on any other ground than that righteous freedom to do so, which the Cross of Christ secured. There is, therefore, but one way to be saved and that is by the power of God made possible through the sacrifice of Christ.
The far lesser question as to the precise human terms upon which men may be saved is quite a different issue. This feature is of less import for the reason that man never contributes anything to his salvation whether he be one who keeps the Law or one who trusts Christ alone apart from human works. The colossal error, which supplies any point to the contention of those who accuse others of believing that there are two ways by which the lost may be saved, is just this, that neither works nor faith of themselves can ever save anyone. It is God’s undertaking and always on the ground, not of works or faith, but on the blood of Christ.
That God has assigned different human requirements in various ages as the terms upon which He Himself saves on the ground of the death of Christ, is a truth of Scripture revelation and is recognized as true by those who receive their doctrine from the Sacred Text rather than from man-made creeds. Nevertheless, when the various human requirements of the different ages are investigated it is found that they come alike in the end to the basic reality that faith is exercised in God. And that one basic element of trust in God doubtless answers that which in every case God must require.
The Bible indicates three different requirements as the human terms upon which man has been, or now may be, saved.
First, God imputed righteousness to Abraham, which righteousness is the foremost feature of God’s salvation, on the sole ground that Abraham believed or amened God. Abraham believed God respecting a son whom he would himself generate. The passage–Genesis 15:2-6–should be considered with worthy attention. By divine design, Abraham was the pattern of salvation by grace and the great Apostle draws his illustrations regarding grace almost exclusively from the life of this one Old Testament character.
Second, God imputes righteousness to those in this age who believe, which righteousness is the foremost feature of salvation, on the one demand that they believe; but this belief is not centered in a son which each individual might generate, as in the case of Abraham, but in the Son whom God has given to a lost world, who died for the world and whom God has raised from the dead to be a Saviour of those who do believe. In Romans 4:23, 24 it is written, “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” From this it will be seen that, though the specific object of faith–Isaac in the case of Abraham and Jesus Christ in the case of those becoming Christians–varies, both have a promise of God on which to rest and both believe God. It does not follow that men of all ages may be saved by believing any promise of God; it is only such promises as God has Himself made to be the terms upon which He will save. Both Abraham and the Christian come by faith under transforming power and neither one saves himself. He is saved by God alone and only through the righteous freedom which the death of Christ provides whereby a holy God can save sinful man.
Third, the salvation of Israel, which salvation is dated to transpire at the second advent of Christ and according to Jehovah’s irrevocable covenant with that nation, and is unique in every particular. As to the fact of their salvation and the precise time of its achievement it is written, “And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins” ( Romans 11:26,27 ) .
Almost all present confusion respecting dispensational interpretation arises from the persistent failure on the part of men to recognize that Israelites were by physical birth born into covenant relation to God and that the nation, as a nation, was redeemed as to all future generations when God called them out of Egypt. From that time on they are repeatedly addressed by Jehovah as “My redeemed.” This redemption was confirmed, as was all Old Testament redemption, by Christ on the Cross. Far beyond his own understanding the High Priest predicted, “Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not” ( John 11:49, 50 ) . Observe that this is the declaration of the High Priest regarding the one nation and is not of the whole world. Isaiah declared this very thing regarding Israel when he said, “He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken” ( 53:8 ) . And again the same prophet states that it is in the time of Messiah’s second advent that “the year of my redeemed is come” (Isaiah 63:1-6), and in this great prediction Israel’s salvation alone is in view. As to the covenants with Israel, Jehovah’s oath secures
(1) an everlasting nation ( Jeremiah 31:31-37 ) ,
(2) an everlasting possession of their land ( Deuteronomy 30:5 ),
(3) an everlasting throne ( 2 Samuel 7:16 ),
(4) an everlasting King ( Jeremiah 33:14-17, 20, 21 ), and
(5) an everlasting kingdom ( Isaiah 9:6, 7; Luke 1:31-33 ) .
Regarding the nation and her promised salvation, it will be seen that they are to be saved because of the covenant Jehovah made with them to this end. When they are saved it will be because One died for that nation and on that righteous ground alone, which death for them they will then be moved by the Holy Spirit to accept by faith.
Jehovah convenants their salvation as indicated in Romans 11:26, 27; but before they are saved and as an event in connection with Christ’s return, that people must pass through their national judgment ( cf. Ezekiel 20:33-44; Matthew 25:1-10, R.V. ) . Those who pass this judgment–likened as they are to five wise virgins–will then constitute the “all Israel” that shall be saved.
It yet remains to be seen that the salvation of the nation Israel, though the precise character of that salvation has not been fully disclosed, extends to every individual. Jeremiah anticipates this when he writes, “But this shall be the convenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:33, 34 ) .
Thus it is disclosed that the salvation of an Israelite, who lived in the Mosaic age, which age will be completed in the coming Tribulation, was guaranteed by Covenant; yet the individual could, by failing to do God’s revealed will as contained in the Mosaic Law, sacrifice his place in the coming Kingdom and be cut off from his people ( cf. Luke 10:25-28; 18:18-21; Matthew 8:11,12; 24:50,51; 25:29,30 ). Jehovah’s salvation of Israel will be on the ground of Christ’s death. The human terms, because of the covenant promise regarding their salvation, are not the same as that required of Abraham or of any individual in this age, whether Jew or Gentile.
Once again and finally, let it be asserted that salvation of any character or of any people or upon any varied human terms is the work of God in behalf of man and is righteously executed by God on the sole basis of the death of Christ. It is puerile to intimate that there could be a salvation achieved alone by the power of either law-works or faith. It is only God’s power set free through Christ’s death that can save and it is always and only through Christ’s death, whatever the human responsibility may be.
