--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For when you say that, to be saved, a man…" description: "\"“For when you say that, to be saved, a man must hold this or that, then are you leaving the living God and his will, and putting trust in some notion a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/george-macdonald-295_bible_for-when-you-say-that-to-be-saved-a-man_788423.png" --- # For when you say that, to be saved, a man must hold this… ![“For when you say that, to be saved, a man must hold this or that, then are you leaving the living God and his will, and putting trust in some notion about him or his will. To make my meaning clearer,—some of you say we must trust in the finished work of Christ; or again, our faith must be in the…” quote by George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/george-macdonald-295_bible_for-when-you-say-that-to-be-saved-a-man_788423.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/george-macdonald-295_bible_for-when-you-say-that-to-be-saved-a-man_788423.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/george-macdonald-295_bible_for-when-you-say-that-to-be-saved-a-man_788423.png) > ““For when you say that, to be saved, a man must hold this or that, then are you leaving the living God and his will, and putting trust in some notion about him or his will. To make my meaning clearer,—some of you say we must trust in the finished work of Christ; or again, our faith must be in the merits of Christ—in the atonement he has made—in the blood he has shed: all these statements are a simple repudiation of the living Lord, in whom we are told to believe, who, by his presence with and in us, and our obedience to him, lifts us out of darkness into light, leads us from the kingdom of Satan into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. No manner or amount of belief about him is the faith of the New Testament.”” [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True faith is trusting in the living presence of God, not merely in doctrines or Christ’s past work. **In simple terms:** Faith means trusting God’s active presence, not just past events. Key Takeaway Rely on God’s present work, not just historical claims. Themes faith spirituality trust Mood reflective contemplative Type theological devotional. When to use this quote - personal prayer - church teaching - spiritual counseling - daily decision making Key Concepts theology Christology personal relationship Questions to Reflect On - How do you experience God’s presence today? - Can doctrine and personal faith coexist? A Different Perspective Belief in doctrines can still be sincere; the challenge is balancing doctrine with experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Christ Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ-faith-834036/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Finished work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished-work/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-god/) [Living Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-lord-1538188/) [Lord Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord-told-629185/) [New testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-testament/) [Say Saved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-saved-1849525/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) ## Related quotes > [It's not an exaggeration to say that they saved my life. Ray Quinn, then Cam and Ethan and Phil. They turned their world around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/it-s-not-an-exaggeration-to-say-that-they-saved-my-life-ray-quinn/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [I'm always having people come up to me and say I saved their life - but I don't remember it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-russell/i-m-always-having-people-come-up-to-me-and-say-i-saved-their-life-but/) [Leon Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-russell/) > [Just because I say I can't be saved. Doesn't mean you can't be saved. You can be saved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-laura/just-because-i-say-i-can-t-be-saved-doesn-t-mean-you-can-t-be-saved/) [Jasmine Laura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-laura/) > [Many conflicts in a marriage result from living to please self instead of living to please the Lord. These conflicts can be resolved and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-broger/many-conflicts-in-a-marriage-result-from-living-to-please-self/) [John C. Broger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-broger/) > [There is not a single thing that Jesus cannot change, control, and conquer because he is the living Lord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/there-is-not-a-single-thing-that-jesus-cannot-change-control-and/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) > [“church must bear witness to Jesus Christ as living lord, and it must do so in a world that has turned away from Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/church-must-bear-witness-to-jesus-christ-as-living-lord-and-it-must/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“Even death is a joke on the old devil, if we are living for the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-b-brewer/even-death-is-a-joke-on-the-old-devil-if-we-are-living-for-the-lord/) [Nancy B. Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-b-brewer/) > [We pray Thee, O Christ, to keep us under the spell of immortality. My we never again think and act as if Thou were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/we-pray-thee-o-christ-to-keep-us-under-the-spell-of-immortality-my-we/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [Man what's the point of living if I'm living for myself Lord empty out my life before I put you on the shelf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/man-what-s-the-point-of-living-if-i-m-living-for-myself-lord-empty/) [LeCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [“People come to church seeking a living word from the living Lord, not a commentary on life from another Garrison Keillor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-schnasa-jacobsen/people-come-to-church-seeking-a-living-word-from-the-living-lord-not/) [David Schnasa Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-schnasa-jacobsen/) > [The living Lord leads His living church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/the-living-lord-leads-his-living-church/) [Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/) > [If you have no share in the living Lord may God have mercy upon you! If you have no share in Christ's rising from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/if-you-have-no-share-in-the-living-lord-may-god-have-mercy-upon-you/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“If Joseph initially thought only Mormons had access to truth or goodness, he was abruptly corrected of his misperception a year into the Church's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terryl-l-givens/if-joseph-initially-thought-only-mormons-had-access-to-truth-or/) [Terryl L. Givens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terryl-l-givens/) > [Twant me, 'twas the Lord. I always told him, 'I trust to you. I don't know where to go or what to do, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-tubman/twant-me-twas-the-lord-i-always-told-him-i-trust-to-you-i-don-t-know/) [Harriet Tubman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-tubman/) > [“Chorazin?  Yes, there was a girl in Chorazin.”  My heart pounded.  “She was my last victim.   I told her that I would introduce her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-muller/chorazin-yes-there-was-a-girl-in-chorazin-my-heart-pounded-she-was-my/) [Richard A. Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-muller/) ## More by George MacDonald > [“No revelation can be other than partial. If for true revelation a man must be told all the truth, then farewell to revelation; yea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/no-revelation-can-be-other-than-partial-if-for-true-revelation-a-man/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [In low theologies, hell is invariably the deepest truth, and the love of God is not so deep as hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/in-low-theologies-hell-is-invariably-the-deepest-truth-and-the-love/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Life and religion are one, or neither is any thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/life-and-religion-are-one-or-neither-is-any-thing/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [The region belonging to the pure intellect is straitened: the imagination labours to extend its territories, to give it room. She sweeps across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-region-belonging-to-the-pure-intellect-is-straitened-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. A friend that frowns is better than a smiling enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/come-then-affliction-if-my-father-wills-and-be-my-frowning-friend-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Ah, what is it we send up thither, where our thoughts are either a dissonance or a sweetness and a grace?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/ah-what-is-it-we-send-up-thither-where-our-thoughts-are-either-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [You must learn to be strong in the dark as well as in the day, else you will always be only half brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/you-must-learn-to-be-strong-in-the-dark-as-well-as-in-the-day-else/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Few delights can equal the mere presence of one whom we trust utterly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/few-delights-can-equal-the-mere-presence-of-one-whom-we-trust-utterly/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“You have tasted of death now,” said the old man. “Is it good?” “It is good,” said Mossy. “It is better than life.” “No,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/you-have-tasted-of-death-now-said-the-old-man-is-it-good-it-is-good/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [ “I wish I had \[made that song\]. No, I don't That would be to take it from somebody else. But it's mine for all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-wish-i-had-made-that-song-no-i-don-t-that-would-be-to-take-it-from/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Past tears are present strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/past-tears-are-present-strength/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Age is not all decay; it is the ripening, the swelling, of the fresh life within, that withers and bursts the husk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/age-is-not-all-decay-it-is-the-ripening-the-swelling-of-the-fresh/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [I want to help you grow as beautiful as God meant you to be when he thought of you first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-want-to-help-you-grow-as-beautiful-as-god-meant-you-to-be-when-he/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Immeasurably imperfect it was, but false the impression could not be, for she saw with the eyes made for seeing, and saw indeed what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/immeasurably-imperfect-it-was-but-false-the-impression-could-not-be/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Those that hope little cannot grow much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/those-that-hope-little-cannot-grow-much/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) [Explore all 720 George MacDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) [Michael Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arnold/) > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) [Robert A. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-peterson/) > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) [Stephen Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-taylor/) > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) [Walsham How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walsham-how/) > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For when you say that, to be saved, a man must hold this or that, then are you leaving the living God and his will, and putting trust in some notion about him or his will. To make my meaning clearer,—some of you say we must trust in the finished work of Christ; or again, our faith must be in the merits of Christ—in the atonement he has made—in the blood he has shed: all these statements are a simple repudiation of the living Lord, in whom we are told to believe, who, by his presence with and in us, and our obedience to him, lifts us out of darkness into light, leads us from the kingdom of Satan into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. No manner or amount of belief about him is the faith of the New Testament.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George MacDonald" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/for-when-you-say-that-to-be-saved-a-man-must-hold-this-or-that-then/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/for-when-you-say-that-to-be-saved-a-man-must-hold-this-or-that-then/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/george-macdonald-295_bible_for-when-you-say-that-to-be-saved-a-man_788423.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/george-macdonald-295_bible_for-when-you-say-that-to-be-saved-a-man_788423.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/george-macdonald-295_bible_for-when-you-say-that-to-be-saved-a-man_788423.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For when you say that, to be saved, a man must hold this or that, then are you leaving the living God and…” — George MacDonald", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George MacDonald", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“For when you say that, to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/for-when-you-say-that-to-be-saved-a-man-must-hold-this-or-that-then/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/for-when-you-say-that-to-be-saved-a-man-must-hold-this-or-that-then/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```