Real Salvation

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 22-24, Psalms 93

Salvation is real. It’s based on real events within human history. It’s an accurate record of God’s miraculous intervention on behalf of His chosen people which is why it retains such a hold on our imaginations. When I was in seminary, I remember debating fellow students and even some of my professors over the nature of salvation. They believed the events of the Bible to be largely mythological. They believed salvation to be a spiritual metaphor describing the basic human longing for freedom or liberation. They couldn’t conceive of a God who would act within history. They rejected the historicity of events like the Exodus or people like David or even the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. They began with the a priori philosophical assumption that miracles were impossible and therefore the Bible must be wrong or using hyperbole when it describes them. Everything must have a naturalistic or humanistic or scientific explanation. The problem with this approach is it doesn’t adequately explain why events like the Exodus remain so influential over the centuries.

In today’s reading, David composes a song of thanksgiving. It’s a song commemorating his victories over all his enemies. David is finally at peace. He has won all his wars. He has secured his line of succession. He has united the nation of Israel under his rule. And he rightfully gives God all the glory. As he writes his poetry, he draws on the image of the Exodus to describe all God has done for him. “The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High made his voice heard. He shot arrows and scattered them; he hurled lightning bolts and routed them. The depths of the sea became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.” (2 Samuel 22:14-16 CSB) He goes on to talk about God lifting him out of the deep waters to bring him to a safe place. He talks about God’s deliverance from all his enemies and how God gave him victory after victory everywhere he went. Clearly, David has in mind specific battles in specific places against specific people. These are not abstract ideas. David isn’t just talking about spiritual metaphors. He is talking about salvation in the literal sense. A real God acting on behalf of His people within real time and space. And David relates his own experiences to the experiences of God’s people throughout their history.

The question I often posed to my fellow students and professors when we would debate is how we could honestly talk about God as “Savior” if He never actually saved anyone? Why would we call Him names like “Deliverer”, “Rescuer”, “Liberator”, etc. if He wasn’t actually engaged in the business of deliverance, rescue, and liberation? It’s baffling to me that people would worship a god who never actually does anything. I am honestly stumped why anyone would seek to follow such a god? Why would we believe or trust anything this supposed god actually said? How is this not just wishful thinking? How is this not just blind hope? No, I worship a God who saves. I worship a God who delivers. I worship a God who parted the Red Sea, saved David from all his enemies, and raised Jesus Christ from the dead. I worship a God who still intervenes miraculously to save His people even today.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 1-3, Psalms 94

Living Proof

Readings for today: 1 Timothy 1-6

My life is living proof that God can save anyone. I was truly walking in darkness before the light of Christ changed my life. I was depressed. I was lonely. I was anxious and fearful. I was broken in all sorts of ways. My future was bleak. The walls of my life were closing in on me. I was locked in a downward spiral and didn’t have the strength or the fortitude or the wisdom to know how to pull myself out. I was lost. It certainly didn’t have to be that way. I had faithful parents who took me to church every Sunday. I was an honor student. An all-state athlete. An Eagle Scout. A leader in our youth group and soloist in the church choir. But I was living a double life. My inner world did not match my outer world. And that’s what led to my collapse in college. My heart was hardened to the gospel. My selfishness and pride and addictions to achievement and success had killed off any possibility of faith. I was on a rapid descent into a deep, dark pit and that’s when the Lord reached down and saved me. He lifted me up. Set my feet on solid ground. Gave me a new song to sing. Changed my heart and my life forever.

The Apostle Paul had a similar experience and I love how he describes it to Timothy. “Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever.” (1 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬-‭16 ‭MSG)‬‬ Paul saw himself as the chief of sinners. He was public enemy number one on Christ’s hit list. He was the greatest enemy of the redeemed. He was seeking them out. Dragging them out of their homes and putting them in jail. He placed them on trial and sought their execution. He believed with all his heart that Christianity represented an existential threat to Judaism so he did all he could to combat the rise of this new faith. Not only that but Paul was a Pharisee. He believed with all his heart that if he remained faithful to the covenant, maintained the traditions of his ancestors, kept Torah and taught others to do the same that he would be declared righteous before God. Meeting the Risen Christ on the road outside Damascus radically changed Paul. Everything he thought he once knew went out the window as the amazing grace of God took hold of him.

From that point forward, Paul understood his life was to be lived in a very public way before the world. He was a living testimony to God’s grace. A living demonstration of God’s power to change even the hardest of hearts and the most rebellious of sinners. Everywhere he went, God “showed him off” as “evidence of His endless patience” to those who were considering placing their faith in Christ. I feel the same way. It’s why I live as transparently as possible. It’s why I share openly about my life as often as I do. Every bit of my life - the good, bad, and ugly - is all evidence of God’s great mercy and grace. I have nothing to call my own. I’ve done nothing on my own. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and I was standing in the front of that line. Now my life is His to command. My steps are His to direct. All of my brokenness He puts on display to demonstrate the power of His grace to save even the worst of sinners. What about you? Is your life a demonstration of the grace of God? Do you understand the depths from which Christ saved you and the heights to which Christ has brought you?

Readings for tomorrow: None

Saved

Readings for today: Jeremiah 25-28

What does it mean to be saved? Salvation is multi-faceted to be sure but at a baseline level, it means we are saved from something. So what are we saved from? What doom awaited us apart from Christ? What judgment had we earned? What punishment did we deserve? What fate did we escape through Christ’s atoning sacrifice? The reality is I don’t ponder these questions near enough. My sinful baseline understanding of myself is that I’m a pretty good guy who makes poor decisions every now and again. The reality is far worse. Apart from Christ, I am a slave to sin. I love myself more than I do those around me. I prefer myself to anyone else. I will seek to satisfy myself before I stretch out a hand to help others. My entire life is oriented around my own wants, needs, and desires.

This is the human condition and it’s why we find ourselves in the mess we’re in. It’s why some people starve in our world while others feast. It’s why some people barely survive each day while others store up great wealth for the future. It’s why some people live under monstrous oppression while others are free. It’s why power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It’s why vast inequalities exist and we can’t muster up the political and social will to make a change. It’s why violent people take what they want by force. Force of will. Force of arms. Force of strength. Force of emotional manipulation. This was as true in Jeremiah’s day as it is for us and listen again to the righteous response of God.

“God roars like a lion from high heaven; thunder rolls out from his holy dwelling— Ear-splitting bellows against his people, shouting hurrahs like workers in harvest. The noise reverberates all over the earth; everyone everywhere hears it. God makes his case against the godless nations. He’s about to put the human race on trial. For the wicked the verdict is clear-cut: death by the sword.’” God’s Decree. “Prepare for the worst! Doomsday! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation. A huge storm is about to rage all across planet Earth. Laid end to end, those killed in God’s judgment that day will stretch from one end of the earth to the other. No tears will be shed and no burials conducted. The bodies will be left where they fall, like so much horse dung fertilizing the fields. Wail, shepherds! Cry out for help! Grovel in the dirt, you masters of flocks! Time’s up—you’re slated for the slaughterhouse, like a choice ram with its throat cut. There’s no way out for the rulers, no escape for those shepherds. Hear that? Rulers crying for help, shepherds of the flock wailing! God is about to ravage their fine pastures. The peaceful sheepfolds will be silent with death, silenced by God’s deadly anger. God will come out into the open like a lion leaping from its cover, And the country will be torn to pieces, ripped and ravaged by his anger.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭25‬:‭30‬-‭38‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

There is only one way to escape this fate. Place your faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus suffered the doom we deserved. Jesus atoned for the sins of the world. Jesus took the judgment of God on Himself. He poured out His life. Suffered in our place. Died so that we may live. Let your soul rest in the shadow of the cross. Let your heart rest knowing your Savior stands over you still. Let your mind rest in the sure and certain knowledge that Jesus’ death was sufficient to cover all your sin. Past. Present. Future. Rest and rejoice in all Christ has done for you and won for you today.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 29-32

Salvation

Readings for today: Numbers 21-24

Today’s passage became a lot more real to me last summer when I was in Jordan. On the final day of our tour, I found myself standing on the summit of Mt. Nebo where Moses looked out over the Jordan River valley before he died. In addition to the beautiful church, a magnificent statue has been erected that combines the cross with the bronze serpent from today’s story and the passage from John 3:14 that refers to Jesus being “lifted up” just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Why is this reference important? John 3:15 states it plainly, “so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”

Our God is a God of salvation. Whatever else you may say about God, you must say this. From the beginning of Scripture until the end, God reveals Himself to be a God who saves. A God who delivers. A God who rescues His people. When the people of Israel complained to God - once again - about their conditions, He sent a plague of fiery serpents. The plague raged throughout the camp, killing many Israelites and they cried out for relief. So God directed Moses to craft a bronze serpent and “lift it up” on a pole tall enough for all to see. Those who had been bitten could look to the serpent and find healing, those who did not would find death. Interestingly enough, this same bronze serpent would later become an idol in the national life of Israel and it was destroyed under the reign of King Hezekiah as an act of faithfulness to Yahweh.

So much of the Old Testament foreshadows the eventual fulfillment of salvation history. It’s why the New Testament writers filled their gospels and letters with allusion after allusion to the Old Testament stories. In this way, Jesus refers to Himself as the “bronze snake” who saves. He will be lifted up at the end of His life and that those who look upon Him in faith will live. How is Jesus lifted up? He is clearly speaking of His manner of death. He will be lifted up on a cross and put on display for all to see. Those who look to Him and trust in His atoning death will be healed of their sin for all eternity while those who look away will only find judgment and death.

Friends, the message of the gospel is very simple…Jesus came to earth to die and be raised and all who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life. I love St. Augustine of Hippo’s commentary on today’s passage, “Just as they who looked on that serpent perished not by the serpent’s bites, so they who look in faith on Christ’s death are healed from the bites of sins.”

Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 25-28