A Secure Salvation

 

            Casting all your anxiety [merimna – care that brings disruption to the mind] on Him, because He             cares [melei – present active indicative, concerned] for you.                        1 Peter 5:7 

Romans 5:8 says, But God demonstrates His own love [agape] toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The quality of that love can be characterized as unconditional and self-sacrificing on behalf of every human and acknowledged by each one who believes in Jesus. That love is the source of the care and concern that Peter recognizes in the above verse. Jesus left heaven as directed by His Father to come to earth as a man and fulfill the Father’s will and to reveal to each believer the quality of that love. 

I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord; I make supplication with my voice to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path. In the way where I walk; they have hidden a trap for me. Look to the right and see; for there is no one who regards me; there is no escape for me; no one cares for my soul. I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. “Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. “Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may give thanks to Your name; the righteous will surround me, for You will deal bountifully with me.”          Psalm 142:1-7 

This psalm of David is titled “Prayer for Help in Trouble.” It is understood to have been written while David was in a cave being pursued by Saul to kill him, either in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1) or Engedi (1 Samuel 24:3). It was clear to David that the Lord was listening to his plea for help in a time of great trouble. David truly believed that “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” He pleaded for deliverance, understanding that “the righteous will surround me, for You will deal bountifully with me.” His confidence stemmed from the belief that God was always concerned for David's life and welfare, serving as the heartbeat of his relationship with Yahweh and the source of praise for his Lord. Despite his being brought very low, he did not fear but gained strength from his conviction that he was never alone.

Toward the Righteous 

The eyes of the Lord [Yahweh] are toward the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.                    Psalm 34:15-18 

It is vital to understand that the righteous are not those who do not fail, but they live their lives to the best of their ability under God’s standards and get back up without fear when they fail. Proverbs 24:16 says, For a righteous man falls [napal – is overtaken] seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble [fall because of evil] in time of calamity [various shades of evil]. According to the above psalm, Yahweh is always tuned in to the cries of those whose confidence is in Him. The subtitle of this psalm of David gives further insight into its intentions: The Lord, a Provider and a Deliverer. The book of Proverbs highlights the distinct ways that God deals with the righteous versus the wicked. The cries of the righteous are a call to action for the Lord to respond as only He can. He is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. This reality is the believer’s security.

Strengthened City Gates

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For He has strengthened the bars of your [city] gates; He has blessed your sons within you. He makes peace in your borders; He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat. He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts forth His ice as fragments; Who can stand before His cold? He sends forth His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow. He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any nation, and as for His ordinances, they have not known them. Praise the Lord!       Psalm 147:12-20

We are not sure who wrote this psalm, but it appears from the context that it was written upon the Jews' return from exile, during the Nehemiah and Ezra period. It comprises two themes: praise to God for his goodness to his creatures generally, and special praise for His goodness to His people. Both were proper themes at the rebuilding of the temple and the walls of the city, after the return from exile. In the above passage, the writer begins by recognizing the strength He gives to the city gates, a reference to salvation and His protection and security, as well as His peace. When He speaks the Word, there is no delay, as Psalm 33:9 says, For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. His command of nature is complete; He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow. The special relationship that the Lord has with Jacob, His people, is an expression of His loving devotion for them.

Listen Closely

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit [yaal – benefit], who leads you in the way [derek – pathway of life] you should go. “If only you had paid attention [qasab – listened closely, obeyed] to My commandments! Then your well-being [salom – peace, tranquility] would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. “Your descendants would have been like the sand, and your offspring like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.”                            Isaiah 48:17-19 

Not only is the Lord managing the environment for His people, but He also teaches how to benefit from this life in positive ways as He leads the believer each step of the way. Isaiah was warning the people of the consequences of not listening closely to His commandments. When the believer recognizes that the Lord has everything under His control, he will have tranquility of mind like a river and righteousness like the waves of the sea, meaning fruitfulness in abundance. Isaiah also writes in Isaiah 32:17, And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. The Lord promises that this believer will never be cut off from His presence. His devotion to His people is repeatedly revealed throughout the Old Testament prophets, as Isaiah 46:3-4 testifies, “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been borne by Me from birth and have been carried from the womb; Even to your old age I will be the same, and even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you, and I will deliver you.” That kind of devotion provides significant security.

Abiding 

He who dwells in [yasab – inhabits] the shelter of the Most High will abide [lun – lodge] in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge [mahseh – a place of security and protection] and my fortress [mesudah – places for hiding and defense], my God, in whom I trust!” For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions [ebrah – feathers or wings], and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield [sinnah – shield used in battle] and bulwark [soherah – defensive weapon].                              Psalm 91:1-4 

The above passage, like many Hebrew verses, communicates multiple ways of saying the same thing. The believer who establishes his residence in the Almighty's home lives in a place of significant security and protection, under the shadow of the Almighty. It is a place characterized as a refuge, a fortress, a shield, and a bulwark. In this place, he is hidden from his enemies and is covered as a baby eagle hides itself under the wings of its mother. It is a place where the Lord’s faithfulness is experienced.

These verses convey sentiments similar to those Jesus shared with His disciples in John 15:1-8, regarding the relationship between the vine and the branches. In John 15:4-5, Abide [meno – remain united in heart, mind, and will] in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. His fruitfulness can measure the strength of one's salvation. 

“I am With You Always” 

“Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo [idou – lo and behold], I am with you always, even to the end of the age."                         Matthew 28:20 

As Jesus prepares to ascend to heaven, leaving the disciples behind, He told them that He would be with them always, although it would not be a physical presence. In fact, it would be the Spirit of Christ, On the night before His crucifixion, He told the disciples: "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you (John 14:16-18). Until He returns in a physical way a second time, the Holy Spirit will dwell within each believer; he will not be left as an orphan. There is no greater statement of a secure salvation than to know that "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU" (Hebrews 13:5).

Finally

The new covenant has been given to the Jew and the Gentile to make it possible for believers in Jesus as Messiah to have an intimate relationship with God apart from the Law of Moses. Once the believer grabs hold of the amazing security found in true salvation, he is propelled through that security to live his life without fear of death, fear of enemies, and even fear of failure and a life without purpose. A secure salvation gives the believer divine purpose that motivates him to honor the Lord in every aspect of his life. Consider the following:

A story is told about a rabbi fighting for religious freedom in communist Russia. One morning, as the rabbi prayed in the synagogue, three men rushed in and arrested the rabbi for his actions. Facing a council of determined men, the rabbi reaffirmed that he would not give up his religious activities. One of the agents pointed a gun at his head and said, “This little toy has made many a man to change his mind!” The rabbi replied, “That little toy can only intimidate men with many gods and one world. But I have only one God and two worlds, so I am not impressed by your little toy.”

People recognize many gods in this life, not appreciating that salvation in Christ is all the gods they need to be completely secure. These people are beholden to many things—people, jobs, money, passions, and so forth. In addition, for many people, this is the only world that matters. Some deny the existence of life after death; some acknowledge it but are far too focused on the comforts of this world to value the reality of the next one. With a secure salvation, the believer is beholden to no one and nothing other than God. His faith is unshakable since he believes with all his heart that he will live beyond death and be judged by his Creator. 

A Tribute 

Yesterday, Charlie Kirk, age 31, was assassinated at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. I believe that Charlie found his security in salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ at an early age and began a public career as an advocate of conservative and Christian values, particularly to young people. As an eighteen-year-old, he left college after one year, believing that his life would be better served as a political activist and organizer. Charliekirk.com writes the following about him:    

In his thirty-one years, Charlie lived more than any of us will in one hundred. He had an overwhelming passion for life and a deep belief in his power as an individual to make a difference. With the spirit of a pioneer, Charlie launched Turning Point out of his parents’ garage as an eighteen-year-old with no money, no name recognition, only a dream. His energy and drive were awe-inspiring, without equal and deeply infectious. Charlie refused to squander a single day of his life. He was a natural builder and problem solver, who loved a challenge and saw every setback a chance to learn, grow, pray, and try again…Charlie lived with an overflowing love of the Christ he knew he would one day get to see. When asked, Charlie said that above all, he wished to be remembered for his faith. Far more than any political victory, Charlie wanted to see a spiritual revival among America’s youth.

Well done, Charlie!