One of the most telling questions you can ask a person in the cofc is if personal faith in Christ is in itself a sufficient condition for salvation.

A second question is like it: Are a believer’s good works only the result of and not a personal contribution to their own salvation?

Regardless of either question, I personally have yet to find a single person within the Restoration Movement who say that it is.

Even so, although I believe the Churches of Christ completely misunder-stand the doctrine of justification by faith, may I say I do believe that there are those within the movement who are, nevertheless, trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and not in their own moral or religious abilities in order to be saved.

Former Church of Christ pastor, teacher and Christian author Max Lucado writes about this in his book No Wonder They Call Him The Savior.  

And although I am personally unaware if Mr. Lucado has ever given a systematic presentation of the doctrine of justification by faith, he does nevertheless teach it through examples like the Tale of the Crucified Crook, found in chapter 4.

In this particular story, Mr. Lucado draws our attention to the verbal exchange that took place between the two thieves at the crucifixion.

Here, after receiving the same death sentence as the Lord Jesus, one of them says to Him, “Aren’t you the Christ?! Save yourself- and us!”

And note, this man wasn’t placing faith in Christ; he was demanding the Lord move on his behalf.

But Luke continues this account and tells how the other thief rebukes him by saying, “Don’t you fear God? We are getting what our deeds deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong.” And then he turns to the Lord and says, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Now one reason I appreciate what  Mr. Lucado writes is that he causes us to stop for a moment and consider of just how profound that statement really was.

Because humanly speaking - any thoughts that this was the long-awaited promised Messiah who was to liberate Israel from all her enemies was as far as the world was concerned about to be dashed and shattered forever like pottery.

And yet, even with the Savior nailed and about to die on His cross, this man gives this incredible statement of faith, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

“Remember me when you come into your kingdom” ?

It was only by faith that this man would have known that the Lord Jesus would come into His kingdom. For it is only by faith that a person can see the things that are not, that do not look possible now, yet will still nevertheless soon come about.

And it was at this very point that the Lord Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. Today, you will be with me in paradise.”

Ask this man if he knew anything about a “5 step plan of salvation” and I believe he would tell you that he just knew the Savior.

A case study of the doctrine of justification by faith. And this by a former Church of Christ minister.

 Author’s note: 

“No one else would have given him a prayer.  But in the end that is all he  had. And in the end, that is all it took. No wonder they call him the Savior.”

Max Lucado