I want to turn to the book of
Jonah, chapter 2. Jonah, chapter 2, I want to begin
reading in verse 7. When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord. And my prayer came in unto thee
into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities
forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee
with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that I have vowed
salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish
and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. Here we have a prayer from the
belly of a fish. And I will sacrifice unto thee
with the voice of thanksgiving. I'm telling you, that's tough.
That's tough. You don't see it in here. But
if that was me, there would be a paragraph about panicking.
OK? That's what would be there, unless
by his grace he stopped me. But he says these words, one,
two, three, four, five words. And I've used them repeatedly,
and I will continue to use them repeatedly. Salvation is of the
Lord. That's what I want to talk about.
That's my title, Paul. But before that, I want to give
you three true statements. I don't know who wrote them,
because I didn't look them up. And all that Henry Mann wrote
down, it says, long ago someone wrote. It's good stuff, though. Because God is a living God,
he can hear us. Because God is a loving God,
he will hear us. Because God is a covenant God
in Christ, he has bound himself to hear all who call upon him
through Jesus Christ. And that's what we see here in
Jonah. And I'll add this one statement on the end of that.
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. That's
what I want to preach today. What is meant by this gracious
proclamation. Because here he is, I mean seriously,
he's in the belly of a fish at the bottom of the sea, and this
is what he says. Oh my, I'm gonna tell you something. He kills, then he makes a lie. You're gonna know you're a sinner
and full of sin before he ever saves you. Or before you know
of your salvation, put it that way. So here it is. I've got five
different things here, and the first one is this. Salvation
is of the Lord in its beginning. In its beginning. Now, let me
just read this. This is Ephesians 1 verse 3 and
verse 4. 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 hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. That we should
be, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. In love, I like that. Now I'm
gonna start off with a declaration here. Salvation does not begin with
you. Now you might think that, but
God will change your mind. He's got to change a lot of things
about you. Because I'm going to tell you something, you're
not going to know that salvation is of the Lord until you've been
in the belly of the fish. Until you've been down, you're
not going to know what it means to be up. And I've said it before,
I'll say it again. We believers are the only people
who do know the difference between down and up. Because a lot of
people think they're up, but their feet are still stuck in
the miry clay. A lot of people think they're on top and on the
rock, but they're still in the pit. And you're not going to know
that your feet are on the rock until you know you've been in
the pit. God saves sinners. God saves
sinners who know they are sinners. What was it Henry said? An honest
man, an honest man will be saved. Because an honest man's gonna
know he's a sinner. Salvation does not begin with
man at all. We weren't there before the foundation
of the world. except in the mind of God. But we weren't there. The world
wasn't even there. What part of this do people want
to have? They don't want to have God making
the choice. They don't want to have God making the choice without
our input. But no. This was made between
the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. This declaration was
made before the foundation of the world. The beginning of the
salvation of God starts with God. Salvation is of the Lord
from the very beginning. Father, Son, and Spirit. It began
in the mind of God, the thoughts of God, and the purpose of God. Before we were, before Adam and
Eve, God had a people. God chose a people, and He chose
those people in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, I like
that, I do. You understand, when you know
you're a sinner, you know that we'd corrupt anything we touched.
You understand? My dad used to say about me,
there was nothing made that I couldn't break. And there was ample evidence
to that statement. I could touch something and it
turned to dirt. You understand? I could put a wrench on it and
either break the wrench or the bolt, or both. But you understand this, salvation
is of the Lord. From the beginning, from the
very beginning, the father before the world began chose us in him. Christ, the well below son. Oh, I like that. And it says
he chose us in love. In love. Not love for you. In
love for his son. In love for his son. He gave
to his son a people. He gave us to his son. Oh, I like that. And we are blessed. blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Now you wanna know
something really strange that the world would not understand?
Jonah was blessed while he was in that fish. Why did he say something like
that? That was horrible, it was miserable. Yes it was. And I
hate to break your bubble, if you don't know this, God will
make you miserable before he'll make you happy. And being made
miserable by God is a blessing indeed. Because I'm going to
tell you something, being made miserable by God is a promise
that good things are coming. Good news is coming. Oh, I like
that. Because you understand, what
was it Spurgeon used to say? The thing that hurt most people
around was good fortune. blessings, money. No, you understand,
people don't think of God until they're down. We don't, I'll
admit it, you understand, until you're in trouble, you got no
need to call up. He'll put you in trouble. He
put Jonah in trouble. And Jonah called out and he heard. He heard, oh, I like that. God
chose us in love, we are blessed in Christ Jesus. From long before,
even it was said, let us make man in our own image. Ah, I like
that. You know, when he said the earth
was without form and void, we were already in Christ Jesus.
Chosen in Christ Jesus. Isn't that a glorious thought?
But I can tell you, the world won't have it. But the beginning
of salvation is of the Lord. Now the second thing, salvation
of the Lord is in its purchase. Salvation is of the Lord in its
purchase. Isaiah 53 and verse 5 says this,
but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace,
what? Was upon him, upon him. And with his stripes, we are
healed. not with our acceptance of His
stripes, not with our acknowledgement of His stripes, but with stripes,
with His stripes. Verse 10 says this, yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise Him. He hath put Him to grief. When
thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed. He shall prolong his days, and
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. You understand
what I'm saying is the salvation of the Lord, salvation is of
the Lord, had a price. Had a price. It had a price. And I said that in the past tense
purposefully. Because right now, where we're
looking at it from, where Isaiah was looking at it from was the
future. We're looking back to the past because it has happened. Salvation had a price, a price
we human beings could not pay. Justice had to be satisfied,
the justice of God, the justice of God. The soul that sins shall
surely die. That's just as true. as every other piece of scripture.
Understand? That's just as true. What is
it? The guilty cannot go free, and the price had to be paid
for the salvation of man. That salvation is of the Lord. And he did. Jesus Christ did
pay that price. He purchased our salvation with
his own precious blood. The God-man, our kinsman redeemer,
redeemed us. Redeemed us to God by his death
on the tree. These sins, all the sins of all
of his people, were laid on Him. All the sins of all of His people,
what? He bore them in His body on the
tree. He was made a curse for us. He
who knew no sin became sin. For us. For us. He took all of the guilt and
sin and transgressions of his people upon himself and he paid
it all. Every single one. I was told
once at a Baptist church by a Baptist preacher that Jesus Christ took all the
sins of all the people of all the world except unbelief. That's how they try to rationalize
particular redemption. They don't believe it. And you
have to believe to get rid of that sin. And I told him, unbelief
is a sin. If Christ didn't shed his blood
for it, if he didn't pay for it, it's not paid. And to offend in one point is
to be guilty of all. Anyhow, that didn't do a lick
of good, but that's what they say. He paid it all. He redeemed, purchased his people,
the ones the Father gave him from before the foundation of
the world. What does it say in Hebrews?
He obtained eternal redemption. for us. For us. Oh, I like that. He sees his seed. Oh, he sees
his seed. His soul was the offering for
sin for us. And it says it in Hebrews also.
Once. Once. There was only one offering.
There was only one offering to God and it was accepted by the
Father. Oh, I like that. What? He has
justified, and it says this, many, many. Why? Why? He bore their iniquities. The Lord Jesus Christ has paid
the purchase price in full. Has redeemed his people from
their sin. We belong to Jesus Christ. Understand Paul calls himself
a bond slave a slave of love, but you understand Jesus Christ
owns us He paid the price for us Now a lot of people might
have trouble with that, but I don't That's what Paul say when he's
a bond slave. That's my owner. That's my lord. I Like that the
purchase of salvation is of the Lord Thirdly salvation is of
the Lord in its application Galatians 1 and verse 15 these are the
words of the Apostle Paul, but when it pleased God who separated
me from my mother's womb and Called me by his grace To the
call of his grace to Reveal his son in me that I might preach
him among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and
blood. Now let's be very, very clear. When this happened, it happened
when it pleased God. That's part of the application.
You understand? When it pleased God, what? To
reveal his son in me. That's when it happened. Not
when it pleased Saul of Tarsus, not when it pleased anybody else,
didn't matter who was there or who wasn't there, it was the
time. Oh, I like that, because here
it is. You look at when that happened, it's in Acts chapter
nine, I'm not going there, but Saul of Tarsus was not seeking
God. Matter of fact, almost the exact
opposite. Saul of Tarsus was not looking for Jesus Christ. He was looking for people who
use the name of Jesus Christ for the disciples of Jesus Christ.
Why? To arrest them and put them into
prison. Saul of Tarsus was what? Breathing out threatenings to
the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because here's the thing,
Saul of Tarsus thought he knew God. He thought he knew God. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, of
the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee. According to the law, blameless.
He'll tell you that later on. But here's the thing, Saul of
Tarsus thought he knew God, but Saul of Tarsus was wrong. Saul
of Tarsus was wrong. A light came from heaven and
shined round about Saul, and he ended up on the ground. A
voice spoke from heaven to him, saying, Saul, Saul, why persecutest
thou me? And what did Saul of Tarsus,
this Hebrew of Hebrews of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee
who studied with Gamaliel, what did this man say? Lord, who art
thou? Saul of Tarsus didn't know God,
wasn't looking for Jesus Christ. Because I must tell you something,
though, that is a good question. If you don't know, ask. Who art
thou, Lord? The Lord will answer a question
like that. And he said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. Oh. I am Jesus, whom you persecute. You know what that was? That
was God revealing his son in Saul of Tarsus, right there. What? In God's good time. Oh, I like that. When it pleased
God. Oh, he separated me from my mother's
womb. I was born when I was supposed
to. And he called me by his grace. What? To reveal his son in me. Now, I was going out to arrest
his disciples and put them in prison and God saved him. God saved him. Salvation is of
the Lord in its application. What is this? 1 Timothy, Paul
wrote this, how be it for this cause I obtained mercy that in
me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, what? For a pattern. For a pattern
to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. The salvation of the apostle
Paul is for a pattern. for us, for us. This is the pattern
of the salvation of all the brethren of the Lord Jesus Christ who
believe on him to life everlasting. What's it say? In the book of
John, there's gonna come an hour when
the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that
hear shall live, shall live. That's what happened to the Apostle
Paul. Now, what happens now to us may not be as dramatic, but
it's no less miraculous. Because that's what happens.
Christ speaks to His people when it pleases God. And they that
hear shall live. But you're not going to hear
until He gives you ears to hear. Those with circumcised heart
and circumcised ears. Oh, I like that. He speaks at
the dead and trespasses and sins live. They hear the voice of
the son of God. What? When? When they don't know
him. Who art thou Lord? They hear
when they don't know him, and he circumcises the heart and
ears of his people when it pleases God, and he sends them the gospel. And they believe. Oh, I like
that. They believe by grace, through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. Salvation
is of the Lord in its application. You understand, even right now,
to this day, we hear and we believe by the working of His mighty
power. It's in Ephesians 1. Oh, I like
that. The application of the salvation
of God is of the Lord. It's of the Lord. Now, fourthly, salvation of the Lord, salvation
is of the Lord, in its preservation. 1 Peter 1 and 5 put it this way,
who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed at the last time. Understand, no man or woman
keeps themselves saved. Understand, I've said this to
you guys before. I hear it, I used to hear it
all the time, but I no longer work around that individual.
All I know is that you gotta live it, brother. You can't. You can't live it. You can't
live it. We are kept by the power of God
through faith. You understand? If you believe
God today, it's because of the power of God. If you believe
God tomorrow, that's because of the power of God. It's not
because of you. What does it say? The promise
of God. This is Hebrews 13 and verse
5. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with
such things as ye have. For he hath said, I will never
leave thee. nor forsake thee. And I'm going
to put this in here. If you're one of his, no matter
what you do, he's not going to leave you. He's not going to
forsake you because you're his. If you are his, you're his. Oh, I like that too. You can't
go anywhere where the Lord's not there. That's what David
said in the Psalms. If I ascend up into heaven, you're there.
If I go down in the deeps, there you are. If I go out in the woods
and hide, if I go out fishing on the bank, God is there. Oh, you can't go anywhere, the
Lord is not, and he'll never, never forsake you if you are
his. This is one of my favorite verses,
2 Timothy 2 and 13. If we believe not, if something
happens, if we believe not yet, He abideth faithful. He cannot deny Himself. Understand, when the Father gave
us to the Son, before the foundation of the world, we're His. We were chosen in
Him. We are brought to be in Him. He's the head where his body.
He can't deny himself. Why? Because he lives faithful. He abides faithful. Oh, I like
that. And he is faithful to his people.
Faithful to his promises, faithful to his father, faithful to himself. He cannot deny himself. The preservation
of salvation is of the Lord. Amen. And lastly, this is the
fifth thing, salvation is of the Lord in its ultimate completion. Philippians three and verse 20
says this, for our conversation is in heaven, from whence also
we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change
our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious
body. according to the working whereby
he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." He's going
to change our vile body. He's going to change your vile
knees, Ellen. I got tired of kidney stones
years ago. Our vile bodies. I want a new body. I want it to be like unto His
glorious body. I want this mortal to put on
immortality. I want to be like my Lord. That's
what I want. And I think that's what you want.
I want to see Him as He is, Walter. Like face to face. I want to
see face to face. I like this one. I want to know
even as I am known. By golly, that's a promise. Oh
my. I want to be caught up together
to meet the Lord in the air and I want to ever be with the Lord. He's promised. He's promised. And I can tell you this about
His promises. He is going to bring it to pass. I've purposed
it, I'll do it. And that's all a promise is.
It's a purpose of God He's told us about. There are a lot of
purposes of God He hasn't told us about. But these are the ones
that He has told us about. Oh, I like this. He is promised
and He is able, able to perform that which He has promised. Real
quick. And this is the Father's will
which has sent me that of all which He hath given me I should
lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that
sent me that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on him
may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last
day. That's John 6, verse 39 and 40. How many times does Jesus Christ
have to say something for it to be true? Well, once. But he said this twice. That
don't make it double true, it just makes it true. Verily, verily,
I say unto you, I will raise him up at the last day." Folks,
that's a promise. That's a promise. He said, if
I go away, I'm going to prepare a place for you that where I
am, there you're going to be. Oh, I like that. Oh. You know, everyone that believes
the Son, Christ said he's going to raise him up. All that the
Father draws to me, he says, I'll raise him up. Oh, I like
that. All the Father gave me, I will
raise them up. Understand, we're told, there's
going to be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells, lives,
righteousness. Righteousness. And the bride
of Christ, the people of God, those chosen from before the
foundation of the world will be there by His grace and His
power, His mercy and His righteousness. All of His brethren will be there
in the ultimate, the completion of our salvation. Why? Because
that is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. Now, this is the Lord. This is His work. This is what
He has done, this is what He is doing, and this is what He
shall continue to do. Now the question is, do you believe
Him? Do you believe Him? You don't
have to believe me. You have to believe His word. He's given
us this word. He's preserved this word. He's
translated it into English for us. You don't have to believe
me, but I want you to believe him. And this is what he said. Because salvation, in every aspect
of salvation, is from his gracious hand. Salvation is of, from the
Lord. From beginning to end. It's the
work of the Almighty God. Our Lord Jesus Christ. And I
can tell you this, anything else is a lie. You understand? Anybody wants to add anything
to what our Lord Jesus Christ has done, Paul said, let them
be anathema forever. Cursed from God. Let me read
you one little thing here. I just caught this verse the
other day. This is Psalms 145 in verse 5. And it just kind of hit me. Happy
is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in
the Lord his God. And you know what hit me about
that? Well, read it this way. Happy is he that hath the God
of the usurper. Understand? I need God to save
sinners. And if you know the story of
Jacob, if you look at it, I'm not going to go into it, just
a little bit. Understand? Jacob was just like
Saul of Tarsus. He wasn't looking for God. He
was running from his brother. Why? Because he usurped his birthright. And what happened? He wasn't
looking for God. God found him. and gave him a new name. Not
usurper, but what? Israel. Prince with God. Oh, I like that. I like that.
Because I can tell you the truth, folks. I wasn't looking for God
when he found me. I wasn't looking for Jesus Christ
when he found me. But I was looking after that. Salvation is of the Lord. Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful
again for this time and this place. But Lord, thank you for
your so great a salvation. So perfect a salvation. So wonderful
a salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ that we don't know half
of what we have. Paul and Walter as they come
to speak, be with others as they come to preach your word. And
we'll give you all the honor and glory that we can now and
forever because it is yours. Amen.