SALVATION IS ALL OF GOD

Salvation is a deliberate act of God Almighty. The Father God didn’t just send Jesus to make men savable, Jesus came to actually save man from every tribe, tongue and nation. What we’ve been led to believe is that once Jesus died on the cross, he did his part and the rest is solely up to us alone to activate the salvation that’s available through his blood sacrifice. No! If it were left up to us, we would have never gotten saved! God must save us! Jesus atonement was an actual one, not a potential one. The belief is also that we can reject this offer of salvation ultimately or trump God’s plan by our disobedience. For those that have been chosen before the foundation of the world, and at the precise moment and time the Father God decides to draw us to Christ, we will come with Godly repentance, respond in faith to the gospel and be saved. God’s plans are never thwarted and he will be glorified.

What I will prove from scripture is that those whom God chose before time began will be saved and they will never perish or lose their salvation and those who reject the offer of salvation by grace and die in their sins or those who were already condemned and doomed for destruction.

Now, let’s look at three things that God has to bestow on man that brings about his salvation.

Repentance is the first in the trio of blessings God bestows when dealing with salvation. Let’s see how it fits in.

2 Timothy 2:24-25: The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition if perhaps God may grant them repentance. In verse twenty five we read that Godly repentance is a gift that God has to grant to the sinner. We will not repent on our own.

Acts 11:18: When they heard this they quieted down and glorified God saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.

Again we see that God is the one that sovereignly grants freely repentance to those whom he saves. God will not grant repentance to anyone that he will not save.

The next blessing is in this trio of salvation is Faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.

Here we see that not only is salvation the ultimate gift of God, the faith to believe God for your salvation is also a gift. That’s why no man has the right to brag about the salvation he has. We can’t acquire it on our own. The bible says faith come by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It’s the gospel message that produces repentance and faith to the chosen sinner so that he can/will become the child of God through Jesus Christ that the Father predestined him to be.

Jesus said, “Do not be afraid little flock for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the Kingdom”(Luke 12:32).

And yet again we see Jesus declaring that God will give the Kingdom to whom he wishes because he delights in doing so. It’s a gift from above. Whomever God has given the kingdom to will become an eternal member of the kingdom not against their will, but in accordance to God’s sovereign will which always prevails (Proverbs 21:1). Some see this as an assault or violation of their free will but actually it’s a divine loving intervention where God activates your freedom to the degree that you lovingly submit your will to his. God performs heart surgery on those whom he saves; he gives them new heart and places his Spirit in them so that they long to obey him (Ezekiel 36:25-27). This verse was specifically talking about the restoration of national Israel, but it has spiritual application to the Church. I wrote on my flagship article on this blog, man’s will is corrupt and in bondage to sin. Man should thank God every time he interrupts our lives and inserts his sovereign will to do what he pleases because it’s always for our good.

Finally, the third blessing of this trio is Salvation.

Psalm 3:8-Salvation is of the Lord. Your blessing is upon thy people.

Job 13:15-16- Though he slay me yet will I trust him; but will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation, for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

Isaiah 12:2 – Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

Lamentations 3:26 – It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Jonah 2:9 …salvation is of the Lord

Zechariah 9:9 – Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy king cometh unto thee . (Messianic) He is just, and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass.

As you can see, even in the Old Testament six different writers from different backgrounds and walks of life knew the Lord was the sole source of their salvation.

Luke 19:9-10- And Jesus said unto him, This day salvation has come to this house, forasmuch as he also a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.

Acts 4:12 – Neither is there is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

Titus 2:11 – For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men

Titus 3:4-5: But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.

Hebrews 5:8-9: Though he were a Son, yet he learned he obedience by the things he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey.

John 6:37-40- All that the father gives to me shall come to me and he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the Father’s will which has sent me, that of all which he has given me I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which sees the Son and believes on him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

John 10:27-30- My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them unto me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.

Matthew 1:21- And she shall bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins.

John 3:18- He that believes on him is not condemened, but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 6:44- No man come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.

Man is impotent to even approach Jesus on his own. The reason is man is dead in his trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Dead is the inability to respond to any stimulus. We see here the word draw does not mean drag by force but to compel one to come by love.

John 15:16- You did not choose me but I chose you, and appointed you that you go and bear fruit.

Here we see Jesus informing his disciples that they were sovereignly chosen by him to be his followers and bear fruit (Galatians 5; Hebrews 13:15) not the other way around. We’re unable to follow Jesus unless he grants us the ability to choose him only after he selects us first. Many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14).

John 17:12… not one of them perished (Jesus making reference to the Apostles) except the son of perdition…

Ephesians 1:3-8- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he has chosen us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will; to the praise of glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace wherein he has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.

Now, if one can’t see through the powerful testimony of the aforementioned scriptures that salvation is totally of God, you never will. God is the one that grants repentance, faith to believe and gladly grants salvation to all them that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank the Father for sending the Son to redeem lost man from every tribe, tongue and nation.