In our previous article entitled what is Salvation about? part 1, we have seen and understood the danger mankind faces, his guilt before the holy law of God, and the condemnation under his holy wrath. When a person is known to be saved, we can be certain that he or she is being saved from a loving, good, just and Holy Triune God, who does not leave the guilty unpunished or pass over sin. In the same manner a good judge cannot simply clear the guilty or a honest police officer who can’t let the criminal go free.
Now the great mystery of the gospel is that, we are not only saved from God, but we are as well saved by God and for God.
While God the Father as divine creator has all the right and would be still Just and loving to condemn every man to hell – which is eternal damnation, He, God the son (Jesus Christ), in perfect harmony, consent, and love within the trinity, before the foundation of the world chose to die as a substitution in due time for those whom he loves. (Rom 8: 29-30; Rom 5: 7-8; Eph 2: 4-5).
How did Christ save us?
God did not let us, the guilty ones go unpunished by simply declaring us righteous when we believe in his son Jesus. But Christ the incarnate savior, became the substitution for us by living a perfect life of obedience before God the father, kept His holy law, loved God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength, humble himself before the will of the father to the point of death, even death on the cross (Phil 2:8). The debt we could never pay, the things we could never do, he accomplished fully and perfectly by dying as the pass over sacrifice, bearing all of our sins as if He was the guilty sinner.
There He appeased God’s wrath and satisfied His justice on behalf of the guilty ones. For He (Christ) is the sinless and holy one of God who fully pleases Him: He reconciled us to the father! Justice it done!
Paul wrote: “For He (God) made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become righteous before God in Him,” to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (2 cor 5: 21, Rom 3:26)
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:6-8). It is by grace He has saved us all through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. (Eph 2:8 – emphasis added).
Praise and gratitude
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.(1 john 4:10)
John the Baptist joyfully exclaimed:“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” “That is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come” ((John 1:29; 1 Thes 1:10).
This, dear friends, is the good news of the christian faith! we who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy (1 peter 2:10). For his mercy endures forever. King David says in the psalm: ” Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
and give thanks at the remembrance of His Holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life.”
Dear beloved, What manner of love is this? that the Holy, sinless, perfect, eternal, son of God became a man to bear and die for our own sins which we committed; suffered our chastisement to give us peace with God, and resurrected on the third day to defeat death itself!
This is amazing grace! infinite mercy! This is why we love and obey him. This is why we become martyrs. And this is why we rejoice, we evangelize and sing:
“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples… Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations: The Lord reigns!” (psalm 96: 1-3, 9-10).
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”(Rev 7:10).
Glories ever more to the perfect redeemer, the only wise, gracious Savior, He who dwells in an unapproachable light, the eternal King: the beloved Son of God, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen!
