Articles
God’s Part & Man’s Part (Pt. 2)
Hebrews 5:9 should forevermore settle the controversy as to whether God and man both
have a part to play in the salvation process. The record says that Jesus became the author of
eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him. The word “author” is the translation of the
Greek word “aitios.” Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Greek New Testament Words notes the
meaning of the word which is found only once in the New Testament. He says that Christ “on
the grounds of his finished work on earth has become the personal mediating cause of eter-
nal salvation.” Thus, the word “author” denotes God’s indispensable role in saving humanity.
Jesus is the divine cause of eternal salvation. Does man also have a part in this process? The
latter portion of verse 9 answers with a resounding yes! Jesus is the cause of eternal salva-
tion only to men and women who obey Him. If obedience is never offered in response to the
grace He proffered, then salvation will never be realized.
Numerous examples of this principle are found in Scriptures. God made gracious provisions
for Noah and his family to be saved from the flood. Did Noah contribute one whit to his sal-
vation from the flood? “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did
he” (Genesis 6:22). By faith he prepared an ark to the saving of his house (Hebrews 11:7).
Noah couldn’t add anything to God’s power to protect him and God wouldn’t build the ark
for Noah. Thus, God had His part and Noah had his. Noah didn’t earn anything. God deserves
all the glory. However, if Noah hadn’t built the ark and followed God’s instructions, all of the
grace that God had promised Noah would have been pointless.
It was the power of God that caused the walls of Jericho to come tumbling down. Yet, man
had a part to play in bringing about the transaction. Men walking around the walls didn’t
contribute any power that God needed to make the walls fall down. But God had made it
clear that He would not do His part until man had done his (Hebrews 11:30). The same is
true of our salvation. Though He has already done His part in the sending of His Son to die on
the cross, He will not do His part in cleansing us from our sins until we have done our part in
humbly submitting to His will. Salvation would never have arisen for Saul if he had not arisen
and been baptized (Acts 22:16).
God has done His part, and without it, no amount of man’s part can justify. God’s part has
been to demonstrate His grace. Our part is to access that grace by a faith that submits and
obeys (Romans 5:1-2; 6:1-4), and to realize that even after we have done our part, we have
not merited our redemption. God has done His part. We must do ours to receive the promise
(Hebrews 10:36).
