In looking up the Hebrew words in this short verse, I found some interesting things. First, the Hebrew word for “saves” here occurs only once in the Old Testament…its meaning – deliverance. Next, the Hebrew word for “Lord” is the covenant name of God. Finally, the Hebrew word for “death” here means deadly sickness or plague. We need to be reminded today that our God is a covenant-keeping God who delivers us out of all our calamities and distresses. (I Samuel 10:19) And as the Psalmist wrote, “You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before You in the light of life.” (Psalm 56:13) And as both Jeremiah and Ezekiel proclaimed… it’s only from the Lord that comes escape.
Tag: God of Salvation
Romans 1:6 ” And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”
You belong to Jesus. “To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1) “And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:6-7) The Holy Spirit extends an invitation…a summons to salvation through the message of the Gospel. We then have to make the decision to either accept or reject that invitation. But if you do reject Jesus, that still doesn’t change His mind about you. He will keep extending His hand of forgiven and love until you draw your last breath…for you belong to Him.
I Timothy 4:9-10 ” This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, Who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.”
Hope…there’s a big difference between what the Believer and non-Believer thinks about this word. For the non-Believer, it’s about wishing for something which may or may not occur. In contrast, to the Believer, hope is based on their faith of a living God with assurance to what He has promised in His Word. In addition, this eternal hope is found in their trust and confidence in God’s Son, Jesus Christ…their Lord and Savior.
Psalm 68:20 ” Our God is a God Who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.”
For some of us, we’ve had the experience of being spared from death. Maybe it was in a serious car accident, or a critical illness, or some other dire situation that happened. But what we do know is we should of died, but God instead showed us mercy. And when we look back with gratitude and thankfulness for what God did…we can start to appreciate the awesome power and sovereignty of our Lord. And as the writer of Psalm 56:13 declared, “For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”
Galatians 1: 13-17 ” For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God , who set me apart from birth and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.”
We all have a past…those B.C. years (Before Christ) when we were far away from God. But for some, their “But when God” conversion is a radical encounter. Saul had a similar divine appointment on the road to Damascus when his idea of God was turned upside down. His radical conversion was a 180 degree turn from his past…showing that with God anything is possible, and that no one is beyond the reach of our Heavenly Father.
Hebrews 7:25 ” Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”
What does the Gospel mean to you? I’ve been thinking about this all week in preparation for a meeting this Sunday. To me, it boils down to Religion vs Relationship. It’s the difference between ceremony and connection, liturgy and linkage, ritual and relationship. For Religion is mostly man-made, piling on the things we can’t do…while a Relationship with Jesus Christ is about freedom. It’s about freedom from sin and death and freedom from the Law we can never keep. But the biggest difference between Religion and Relationship is this…Religion can’t save you. Only Jesus Christ who lived a perfectly sinless life has the ability to bring you into His glorious Kingdom and eternal life…it’s only through Jesus that you can make your way back to God.
Hebrews 10: 11-12 ” Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.”
Jesus Christ is the Great High Priest who became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him…(Hebrews 5:9) No longer did we have to keep offering the same sacrifices to remove our sins…for the truth is we can’t on our own abolish our sins…only the blood of Jesus can once, for all, do that.
II Peter 3:15 ” Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…”
God has the power to punish mankind…yet He refrains from doing so. Romans 2:4 tells us it’s the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience that stops Him from giving us what we deserve…quite simply, Hell and eternal separation from Him. His mercy and long-suffering are blessings we need to consider and seriously think about then, for God’s patience can last only so long…and sooner or later His judgement will come.
He is Risen!
You are not reading this by chance. God has brought you to this page for a reason. And that reason is the Resurrection. For all of us will made a decision concerning it…all of us will respond either that we believe Christ was raised from the dead, or not. So where do you stand today? Do you have the hope of eternal life through Christ Jesus…or are you still living in worldly denial? This Easter, realize it was only because of God’s great mercy that He offers to you the undeserved kindness of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. Fix your hope on Jesus today…ask Him into your heart and be born again.
Isaiah 49:6 ” I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Discipleship is so much more than just spitting out information to a unsaved friend. It involves becoming a mentor for the long-haul and modeling your values and beliefs in order to help shape the character of this person. For the Great Commission is more about relationships than rhetoric. It’s more about building a bond of mutual enjoyment between teacher and student…that the student may see the love of Jesus and desire Him in their life also.
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