While praying on the way to work, I thanked God "for my salvation... really, for Your salvation!" Then I went on to praise God at length and with deep feeling for the fact that my salvation was conceived of by God, devised by God, executed by God; that it depends on God — and (the necessary corollary) not on me.
This is expressed or reflected in many Scriptures, such as Jonah 2:9b, "Salvation belongs to the LORD!" It is expressed every time we call God the Father or the Son "Savior" (Luke 2:11; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 1:1; 2:3, etc.) — not "co-Savior" or "Enabler."
I am very old, and every year impresses this truth upon me more deeply. My pastor has said it well and often, and I paraphrase: if the most infinitesimal aspect of salvation depended on me, on something I must bring to the process — my free-will, my faith, my faithfulness — that is the precise point to which I would make a bee-line, and I would instantly fail, and I would be instantly and forever lost.
Praise God that He knows how to save, and does save. Praise God that our salvation in Christ is His salvation.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
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4 comments:
Amen indeed!
There is absolutely nothing to add to this.
DJP -
Long time reader, first time commenting.
This is so timely - I am currently in discussion with my pastor on this issue.
He believes that we have no free-will prior to salvation (faith is a gift from God we cannot merit or earn) yet he is trying to convince me that after we are saved, we cooperate with the Holy Spirit to maintain that faith. Believers can fall away and then come back to faith (even several times).
If that were true, then I fear I "fall away" every day because of my inability to do any good. Thank God that all my sins have been forgiven and I am no longer under the law.
Sounds like a four-pointer who's wavering on the wrong point....
Amen and amen to this post! Praise Him, praise Him, praise Him for His amazing grace.
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