Thursday, June 6, 2013
"I Will"
"Salvation belongs to the Lord."
Psalm 3:8; Jonah 2:9
*******************
There's a passage in the Bible that describes the wonderful process of salvation.
Surprisingly, it's found in the OLD TESTAMENT and not the NEW TESTAMENT.
The Scripture is Ezekiel 36:25-32, and it proves that God is totally sovereign in
a person's salvation, and doesn't need any cooperation from him for salvation to be
achieved.
Synergism (cooperation between two - God and man) is unnecessary in salvation.
In fact, salvation won't happen unless God is in total control of the process
(Monergism - God achieves salvation without the help of the person being saved).
God takes the initiative in our salvation, therefore when He saves, it is a perfect
act that preserves us in Christ, for eternity. If God does 99%, but leaves the final
1% to us, what kind of salvation will we have?
If we are the one who makes the final "decision," then that means salvation depends
on us, and not God's grace and mercy. If we "do" something to be saved, then we can
"do" something to lose our salvation, and that is not what the Bible teaches.
*********************
I was reading a book by a very popular Christian author recently, and he referred to
a verse in the passage above.
He wrote,
"Give your heart to Christ, and He returns the favor."
Then came the verse, Ezekiel 36:26:
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit
within you."
( Jeremiah 17:9 tells us why the sinner needs a new heart.
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?")
"Give your heart to Christ, and He returns the favor," unfortunately,
seems to be putting the cart before the horse.
How can a person who is spiritually dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1) and
under God's wrath because of his transgressions against God (Ephesians 2:3),
"give his heart to Christ?"
The Bible tells us that the natural, sinful man (the one without the Holy Spirit)
"is hostile to God, for it (the mind set on the flesh) does
not submit to God's law; indeed it CANNOT. Those
who are in the flesh (without the Holy Spirit) CANNOT
please God."
Romans 8:7-8
Certainly, repenting and trusting in Christ would be pleasing to God, for
Jesus called everyone to repent (Luke 13:3) and trust in Him (John 14:1).
However, those without the Holy Spirit are unable to do so. They are helpless
to do God's will.
However, even when we were dead in our sins, God made us alive and saved us
by grace through faith in Christ.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of
the great love with which he loved us,
even when we were dead in our trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ -- by
grace you have been saved ... through faith.
And this not your own doing; it is the gift
of God, not a result of works, so that no one
may boast."
Ephesians 2:4,8b-9
***************
CLEANSING
So, how can a helpless sinner be saved?
God must work a miracle, changing his unbelieving heart into a believing one.
Ezekiel 36:25-32 describes this process of salvation.
The message is for the nation of Israel, but also applies to all of God's chosen
people. All who have the faith of Abraham, who believed God was able to fulfill
His promise to bless him greatly, and was credited to him as righteousness, will
be saved.
Verse 25 is a spiritual cleansing that washes away sin.
"I will sprinkle clean water on you,
and you shall be clean from all your
uncleanness, and from all your idols,
I will cleanse you."
For example, Zechariah 13:1 refers to this cleansing on the day of the atoning
death of the Messiah.
"On that day there shall be a fountain opened
for the house of David and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and
uncleanness."
Also it is referred to in Psalm 51:7b.
" ... wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
The "washing" Paul wrote of in Ephesians 5:26 is the same kind of cleansing.
" ... that He (Christ) might sanctify her (the church),
having cleansed her by the washing of water with
the word."
This is the promise Jesus had in mind in John 3:5.
"Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
**********
THE NEW BIRTH
The cleansing in Ezekiel 36:25 is a figurative cleansing that is explained
literally in verses 26-27.
"26 And I will give you a new heart,
and a new spirit I will put within you.
And I will remove the heart of stone
from your flesh and give you a heart
of flesh."
"27 And I will put my Spirit within you,
and cause you to walk in my statutes
and be careful to obey my rules."
John MacArthur writes:
"The gift of the 'new heart' signifies the new birth, which is
regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
The 'heart' stands for the whole nature.
The 'spirit' indicates the governing power of the mind,
which directs thought and conduct."
Our heart of stone is hard and unresponsive to God (DEAD to doing God's will).
God removes the heart of stone, and gives us a heart of flesh, which is soft
and responsive to God. God makes it ALIVE, and willing and able to respond to Him.
He removes our inclination to evil, and replaces it with a new nature.
Verses 25-27 are examples of God's efficacious grace in changing our heart into
a heart that will do His will.
This changing of the heart is the new birth (being born again or from above),
and this scripture (Vs 23-27) shows that this REGENERATION COMES BEFORE FAITH.
This truth is also found in 1 John 5:1,
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ
has been born of God, and everyone who loves
the Father loves whoever has been born of Him."
and also in 1 John 2:29:
"If you know that He is righteous, you may be
sure that everyone who practices righteousness
has been born of Him."
****************
In Ezekiel 36:27 (above), we receive the Holy Spirit and God causes us to follow
His word and obey Him.
Verse 28b:
" ... you shall be my people,
and I will be your God."
I WILL *******
Notice, that God does all this and THEN we come to Him for salvation.
Verse 25 "I WILL sprinkle clean water on you ..."
Verse 26 "I WILL give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will
put within you."
Verse 27 "I WILL put my Spirit within you and CAUSE you to
walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."
Verse 28 "You shall be my people, and I WILL be your God."
Verse 29 "I WILL deliver you from all your uncleanness."
***************
YOU WILL
God's grace causes us to see what vile sinners we are.
"Then YOU WILL remember your evil ways.
and your deeds that were not good, and YOU
WILL loathe yourselves for your iniquities
and your abominations."
Ezekiel 36:31
God gives salvation as a gift of grace and mercy and love, and not because of
anything we do to earn it.
"It is not for your sake that I will act,
declares the Lord GOD; let that be
known to you.
Ezekiel 36:32
***************
Conversion and living a life pleasing to God are proclaimed in this passage:
Forgiveness in verse 25.
Regeneration in verse 26.
Indwelling Holy Spirit and obedience to God in verse 27.
***************
Salvation is an act of God, in which sinful man is enabled to respond to Him
and come to Him in faith, through the miracle of the new birth.
God initiates salvation and doesn't need the cooperation of men to achieve their
salvation.
God will save everyone He has chosen for salvation according to His plan
and purpose and will.
" ... even as He chose us in Him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and blameless before Him.
In love He predestined us for adoption as
sons through Jesus Christ, according to the
PURPOSE of His WILL, to the praise of
His glorious grace.
In Him we have redemption through His
blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of His grace, which
He lavished on us, in all wisdom and insight
making known to us the mystery of His will,
according to His PURPOSE, which He set
forth in Christ as a PLAN for the fullness of
time, to unite all things in Him, things in
heaven and things on earth."
Ephesians 1:4-10
GOD WILL save all kinds of people, His people!!
"For the grace of God has appeared,
bringing salvation for all people ..."
Titus 2:11
People from all over the world were purchased by the blood of Jesus.
" ... you were slain, and by your blood
you ransomed people for God from
every tribe and language and people
and nation."
Revelation 5:9b
They will praise God for their salvation before His throne one day.
" ... and crying out with a loud voice,
'Salvation belongs to our God who
sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
Revelation 7:10
Salvation begins and ends with God, and there is no room in between for
any works of men.
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