“Salvation Is Of The Lord!”
Ephesians 1:3-14
“Salvation is of the Lord!”
That was Bro.
Jonah’s confession of faith after just three days in the belly of a whale. He
learned more sound doctrine in three days at Whalebelly Seminary than most preachers learn in a lifetime. Salvation is, in its entirety, from start to
finish, the work of the triune God (Eph. 1:3-14). God the Father chose his
elect, the objects of his grace, in eternal election. God the Son redeemed us
with precious blood at
Christ alone is our Savior.
All
the grace of God flows to believing sinners through the merits of Christ’s shed
blood and righteousness. In the matter of salvation, Christ is all. If you have
not yet learned that, you have not learned the gospel (1 Cor.
Salvation is wrought in us by God the Holy Spirit.
God’s saving
grace, that redemption and salvation which was purchased and obtained for God’s
elect by the blood of Christ at
God saves sinners by the use of means.
We are taught in
the Word of God that salvation is wrought in the hearts of chosen sinners
through the instrumentality of gospel preaching. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”. By his
wise and holy design, “It pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” The gospel we
preach is “the power of God unto
salvation.” It is written, “The
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which
are saved, it is the power of God.”
Salvation is an experience of grace.
God’s salvation
is something a person experiences in his heart and soul. We do not build our
hopes upon feelings and experiences; but I would not give you a plugged nickel
for a salvation that is not felt and experienced in the depth of a man’s soul.
Life, pardon, forgiveness, and freedom are things we feel and experience. We do
not all experience God’s grace the same way; but all who are saved do
experience God’s salvation. Paul’s experience of grace was not the same as
Don Fortner