The name of the message today
is Salvation is of the Lord. And that is from Jonah, chapter
two, verse nine. Five little words that could
be the most important words that a Christian may ever hear. If
we understand the true meaning of these words, then we have
true peace in knowing that God is in control and Christ is taking
care of all of his chosen children. But the salvation of the righteous
is of the Lord. He is their strength in time
of trouble. Psalms 37, 39. What glorious
and blessed truth is revealed on every page of the Holy Scriptures.
We are needy, guilty sinners that need a mighty and victorious
Savior who is almighty to save us. The Lord Jesus Christ is
the only answer. I'm ready to take away all of
our sins. He is the Savior that saves us
from ourselves. Matthew 1.21 tells us, and she
shall bring forth a son. Thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. He is the Redeemer
that delivers and justifies. In Galatians 1.3-5, Grace be to you and peace from
God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself
for our sins that we might deliver us, that he might deliver us
from this present evil world according to the will of God
and our Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Christ
gave His life on the cross for our sins. We can do nothing to
pay for our own sins, but Christ could, and He paid it all. In
Romans 5, verse 6, for whom we were without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly. Christ died not for His sins,
because He was sinless, but He died for the sins of His chosen
people. what a full and complete revelation
God gives us in His great salvation. It is all of the Lord. I want
to take a closer look at these five little words, salvation
is of the Lord. First word up is salvation. What
does that mean? Dictionary tells us that it is
the Preservation and deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss. In theology, it is the deliverance
from sin and its consequences believed by Christians to be
brought about by faith in Jesus Christ. But salvation is much
more than a definition in the dictionary. 2 Peter 3.15 tells
us, the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation. 2 Timothy
2.10, therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake,
that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ
Jesus with eternal glory. Christ is salvation, and he is
our Savior, or he is our Savior and our salvation. The word salvation
appears 164 times in the King James Bible, so it's a very important
word. Jonah to Non, Salvation is of
the Lord. That's the title of our message.
Moses told the people of Israel as he was leading them out of
Egypt, fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the
Lord. That's in Exodus 14, 13. Salvation is the total and complete
deliverance from all of our sins. There is that one little word
that has such a big meaning, all. all our sins, not just the
little ones or the big ones, but all of our sins. All our
past sins, all the sins we do today, and all of our future
sins. Salvation does not give us a free pass to go out and
do anything that we want, the restraining hand of God is upon
His chosen people. We still sin, there's no doubt
about that, but we are so much more aware of our sins than we
were before God's revelation to us. Salvation frees us from
the penalty, guilt, and power of sin that condemns us. Acts
4, verse 12. Neither is there salvation in
any other. That would be in Christ. For
there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved. That name is Jesus Christ. There
is no other name. If we look to others or to anything
else or anyone else, then we have no salvation. Psalms 85
7, show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. God will have mercy and give
salvation to his chosen people. God does not give his salvation
and love to everybody in the world. Many people in religion
want us to believe that God loves everybody, but that is not the
case. Look at what happened to the
people or to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. When the Lord reigned
upon Sodom and Gomorrah, brimstone and fire lowered out of heaven,
Genesis 19-24. The cities were destroyed and
everyone in them. Another example was the great
flood, Genesis 6-7 says. And the Lord said, I will destroy
men whom I created from the face of the earth. All of mankind
died except for the eight people in Noah's family that were on
the ark. So God does not love everyone, but he does love his
people. Psalm 85, 4, turn us, O God,
our Savior, and cause that anger towards us to cease. Christ and
God are one and the same, and they are our salvation. When
you are one of His, we are seen in Christ. We will not face the
judgment and the anger of God that nonbelievers will face.
Psalm 69, 29, but I am poor and sorrowful. Let thy salvation,
O God, set me up on high. We are nothing but poor and sorrowful
beggars in need of salvation, the salvation that can only come
from our Savior, Jesus Christ. Romans 8.1, there is therefore
now no condemnation to those which are in Christ, Jesus who
walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. Salvation sets
us free from any condemnation that we deserve because of our
sins. We definitely do not deserve anything. Romans 8.32-35, He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall we not with him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or phantom, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nothing or no
one can separate us from the love that Christ has for his
children. Salvation is. Salvation is because
our great God is the God of salvation. God is love. God is good. God is merciful and delights
to show it to his sinners. God is gracious to his people.
God is our salvation. In Isaiah 12 to behold, God is
my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid
for the Lord. Jehovah is my strength and my
song. He also has become my salvation. When God is our salvation, then
we have no reason to be afraid. What else do we need? God has
done it all for His people. God is love. In John 1, First John, rather, chapter four,
verses eight to 10. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. And this was manifest, the love
of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten son
into the world that we might live through him. Herein is love,
not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son
to be a propitiation for our sins. If we do not know what
love is, how can we possibly know or love God, or know God,
or love God? For God is love. God is good. Psalm 73, 1, truly God is good
to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. In Psalm 119,
verse 68, thou art good and doest good, teach me thy statutes.
in Luke 8, 18, verse 19. And Jesus said unto him, Why
callest thou good? None is good save one, that is
God. No one, not even one person on
earth is good except Jesus Christ himself. He was without sin,
the only man ever to be without sin in his entire life. God is
merciful and delights to show it to sinners. In 1 Timothy 1.15,
this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acclaim. and worthy
of all acceptations, that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners, of whom I am chief. God showed His mercy by sending
His only begotten Son into the world to die on the cross so
that we could be accepted by God. We were washed in the blood
of Christ That blood washed away all of our sins, not just part
of them, but all of them, and made us acceptable to be in the
presence of God through Christ and him alone. There is no other
way to be accepted. In Micah 7, 19, who is a God
like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression
of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever
because he delighteth in mercy. God is merciful and is delighted
to give that mercy to his chosen people. He does not give it to
everyone, but he does give it to his chosen people that were
chosen before the foundation of the world. Salvation is of,
salvation is of, not of works, not of merit, not of the law,
but rather all of grace alone. First off, not of works, for
by grace are ye saved through faith. And not of yourselves
is it a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should
boast. It's Ephesians chapter two, verses
eight and nine. Salvation is not a work of man.
There is nothing that a man can do to secure his salvation except
have faith in Jesus Christ. Man cannot do enough good deeds in the eyes of man to wash away
their sins so they can gain salvation. There's nothing that we have
the ability to gain our salvation. In Romans 11.6, and if by grace
there it is no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, then it is no more grace. Otherwise,
it is no more works. If we try to add works to our
salvation, then we no longer have grace. Grace is given to
us. It's something that's freely
given by God, and it's nothing that we can gain on our own.
Not of merit. The dictionary tells us that
merit is the quality of being particularly good or worthy,
especially so as to deserve praise or reward. God's grace, not man's
merit, is the foundation of salvation. Man has no merit that is acceptable
to God. We are only accepted by God when
we are in Christ and what Christ's done for us on the cross. Ephesians 2.8, for by grace are
ye saved through faith and not of yourselves. It is a gift of
God. If we're not given that gift, then we have no salvation.
Man has nothing to offer that could be acceptable to our sovereign
God. It's not of the law. Galatians
2.16 tells us, knowing that man is not justified by the works
of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even when we
have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by
the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law, but
by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. The law
has never justified any man. A law cannot save you, no matter
how hard we try to keep it. We cannot keep it, no matter
what we do. It's all of grace alone, Acts
15, 11. But we believe that through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they. It is by the grace of the Lord
that we believe in Christ and shall be saved. 2 Timothy 1-9
tells us, who shall save us? Who hath saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began? It has been the mission of Christ
since before the world began to be the Savior for His chosen
people. He will not lose a single person that belongs to Him. Salvation
is of Thee. Our Lord plainly said that He
is the way, the truth, the life, the door, the light, the bread
of life, the good shepherd, and the resurrection. The way, the
truth, and the life. John 14, six. Jesus saith unto
him, I am the way, the truth, and the light. No man cometh
unto the Father but by me. There is no other way to the
Father but by Christ alone. He is the only way. Christ is the door. John 10,
7, when Christ said unto them, again, verily, verily, I say
unto you, I am the door of the sheep. And in John 10, 9, I am
the door. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. There
is only one door, and that is Jesus Christ and him alone. There's
no back door, no side doors. Christ is the only door. Christ
is the light, John 8, 12. Then spake Jesus again unto them,
saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall
not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of the world.
Jesus is the only light for believers. He is the only light that we
will ever need. Christ is the bread of life. John 6, 35. And
Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh
to me shall never hunger. He that believeth on me shall
never thirst. And John 6, 33. For the bread
of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto
the world. Jesus is our bread of life. He
is the source of our spiritual nourishment and eternal life. Christ is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus tells us in John 10, 11, I am the Good Shepherd. The Good
Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. In John 10, 14, I
am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and I am known
of mine. John 10, 27 tells us, My sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. When you're
a child of his or a sheep of his, we will follow him. The
good shepherd gives everything for the sheep. Christ gave his
life on the cross for his sheep. He knows every one of his sheep,
and he will not lose a single one. The resurrection. Christ is the resurrection. John. 1125, Jesus said unto her, I
am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live. Christ is talking about his life
in John 10, 18. No man taketh from me, but I lay it down of
myself. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have
I received of my father. The resurrection of Christ shows
his victory over death and sin. It is proof of his deity as God.
Salvation is of the Lord. Who is the Lord? There is only
one answer, and that is Jesus Christ. He is called Lord in
so many passages in the Bible. How can we not believe it? Philippians
2.11, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord to the glory of God the Father. Romans 10.9, What if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead? Thou
shalt be saved. Romans 1.3, concerning his son
Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David
according to the flesh. Romans 1.7, to all that be in
Rome, Beloved of God, called to be
saints, grace to you and peace from our Father and Lord Jesus
Christ. Christ is the Lord of lords.
The Lord conveys a sense of supreme authority and dignity. Christ
is that supreme authority and dignity. Jesus Christ is Lord,
the ultimate power and authority. In conclusion, salvation is of
the Lord. Christ is the Lord of our Savior.
His purpose was to shed his blood to wash away the sins of the
people that were given to him by his Holy Father before the
foundation of the world. We are thankful that salvation
is of the Lord, and that salvation is the only salvation we need.
And that's all I have, so amen and amen.