The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe
"What? Who!"
What is salvation? While the subject can and should be addressed in numerous ways Biblically, the question must be restated in order to find the primary and most important answer. We rather ask, Who is our salvation?
"Say unto my soul, 'I am thy salvation" (Psalm 35:3).
God Himself serves as the heart of our redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord made us for Himself, that is, to dwell with and within us as the very Life of our lives. Sin resulted in our being "alienated from the life of God" (Ephesians 4:18). Salvation in Christ redeems us from God's absence unto His indwelling and abiding presence in our hearts. "Ye are the temple of the Holy Spirit" (I Corinthians 3:16). To be saved provides not only escape from the wrath of God, but even more, rescue unto the reason for which we exist, namely, to serve as His dwelling place. "I will dwell in them and walk in them" (II Corinthians 6:16).
Salvation in Christ means that the born again believer faces nothing without our Lord. We may feel alone, and often do as or present walk of faith requires, by definition, sensory deprivation - "We walk by faith, not by sight" (II Corinthians 5:7). Certainly, we cannot see, hear, or touch our Lord in our earthly existence. He abides nevertheless, nearer than our next breath, and far more active within us than we can imagine. Our experience of such grace requires faith, namely, the affirmation, "Lord, You are present and vibrantly active in my heart, circumstances, situations, and conditions." Sometimes, this seems like all we have of a faith often unaccompanied by emotion, sensation, and appearance. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Faith as "substance?" It is, particularly since God Himself serves as the object of our trust, and the One who thereby reveals Himself even if we appear to possess no other evidence of His presence. "I am with you always… I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Matthew 28:20 Hebrews 13:5).
Presently, God's presence often coincides with the appearance of His absence. The Psalms that affirm the Lord as "a very present help in trouble" also contain David's mournful query, "Why standest thou afar off, o Lord? Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 46:1; Psalm 10:1). David knew in his heart that God was near, but he succumbed to the temptation to question his Lord's promised presence. We have all been there and done that, of course. Thankfully, and far more importantly, our Lord has always "been there and done that" of abiding with us, as promised, and never leaving nor forsaking us.
The Lord Jesus is our salvation. By Him, God redeems us from His absence in our spirits to the wonder of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Our Heavenly Father made us for this, saved us for this, and bears witness in His Word that salvation is the Savior given for us, to us, and and within us to forever dwell as the Life of our lives. May the Lord indeed say unto our souls, "I am thy salvation."
"The Lord is my light and my salvation."
(Psalm 27:1)
Weekly Memory Verse
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things."
(John 14:26).
7352
No comments:
Post a Comment