"Salvation Is Of The Lord!"
JONAH 2:9
"Salvation"
is a big word. It includes much more
than a believer's initial experience of grace in regeneration and conversion.
It includes everything required to bring fallen men from the pit of the damned
into the eternal presence of God's glory in heaven. And, from first to last, it
is the work of God's free grace alone.
Man does nothing. Man contributes nothing. Nothing is determined by or
dependent upon the will of man or the works of man. "Salvation is of the
Lord!"
This is the essence of
all true doctrine. Today, sinners are called upon to walk an aisle, say a
prayer, or otherwise do something to obtain salvation. The prophet of God
declares, "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" (Ex. 14:13). "Salvation is of the Lord" in
its planning (Eph. 1:3-6; II Tim. 1:9; Rom. 8:28-30), in its purchase (Rom.
3:24-26; Gal. 3:l3; Heb. 9:12; I Pet. 1:18-20), in its execution (John 3:8;
Eph. 2:1-9) in its preservation (John 10:27-30; Jer. 32:38-40), and in its
completion (Phil. 1:6; Eph. 5:25-27; Jude 24-25).
In old eternity, the
Lord Jesus Christ assumed the responsibility of saving all God's elect as the
Surety of the everlasting covenant. When Christ agreed to save us, he became
responsible to save us (John 10:16-18). In his life of obedience unto God as
a man, our Savior worked out a perfect righteousness for us, which is imputed
to all who believe, making us worthy of God's acceptance (Rom. 5:l9; Col.
1:12). When he died upon the cross, the Son of God fully satisfied the claims
of Divine justice against us; and he made that satisfaction for a particular
people (I John 4:9-10; Isa. 53:8; John 10:15, 26). Christ purchased for his redeemed
people all the rights and privileges of salvation and eternal life. Then,
having purchased eternal salvation for his elect, the Lord Jesus Christ was
exalted to the throne of universal dominion, to sovereignly govern the universe
for the purpose of giving eternal life to his elect, redeemed people (John
17:2). And, in the last day, the good Shepherd will present all the sheep
entrusted to his care, the covenant Surety will present all the elect people
given into his hand before the world began holy, unblameable, unreprovable and
glorious before the throne of the triune God (Heb. 2:13; Col. 1:21-22). Not one
of God's elect shall ever perish, because "Salvation is of the Lord!"
Don Fortner