Rejoice in God’s Salvation
JCC 13.12.09 am
Psalm 9:4
"I will rejoice in thy salvation."
Divine salvation is from God alone
It was his plan
None but he could have planned it
In his infinite wisdom he devised it
That plan was salvation which is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ
1 Pet 1:20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
Rev 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world
Eph 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love
Before Satan destroyed man’s relationship with God, the Lord Himself was setting in motion a way back to Himself
Some say why did God allow the fall to happen if He already knew?
He had to give mankind a choice
Today that principle still stands
We have a free choice to enter into a relationship with our God
We should rejoice in the knowledge of freedom with God
Those who do not know Him, don’t even realise they are slaves
Slaves to sin
Rom 6:17 But God be thanked that [though] you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered
This is shown in addictions, habits, abuse cycles etc
But the joy of knowing the Lord is true freedom
In his presence is fullness of joy Ps 16:11
Jesus came to give us life, more abundantly John 10:10
It is also of God’s providing
You and I have salvation wrapped up in the gift of the person of Jesus Christ
All of it rests in Christ
Because he died, our sin is put away
Because he lives, we shall live also
Christ is the pure gift of God
He shall save his people from their sin Matt1:21
God not only plans and provides, but he also applies salvation
No man can say that he came to Christ of his own free will without being drawn by the Spirit of God
Whatever our doctrinal view, the fact is the same in every case. All believers will confess that they are God’s workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus
"No man can come unto me except the Father which has sent me draw him." John 6:44
There are some who think it is of their own making
"You will not come to me that you might have life." John 5:40
It is the Spirit of God, who applies the salvation which He has planned,
which He has provided and goes on to apply, quickening our spirit by into life
And so it is all the way through
He saved
He saves
He will save
Joy, is knowing it has little to do with you, and more to do with Him
He does it and so gains the credit and the glory
No wonder Paul said:
Rom 5:2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God
Rom 5:11 we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation
Phil 1:18 Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice
Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
We are not clockwork robots in which He wound us up and left us to get on with it
No, every day the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to bring us into the knowledge and image of Christ
Are you happy that He has everything in hand?
He who began a good work in you, will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil 1:6
Our lives are like a picture being painted through eternity; he goes on to complete the picture; and if there is one touch in the picture that is not of God, it is a blot upon it
If there is anything of the flesh, it will have to be wiped out; it is not consistent with the work of God
It is of God in all respects
Now we know that this salvation is of God, not only because we are told that he planned it, and provided it, and applies it, but because it has the marks of God upon it
Marks of divine authorship
What are these marks?
• Mercy: Here is salvation for the blackest of sinners, salvation for all manner of sin
• Forgiveness: for all manner of sin
• Grace: that only God could conceived
Who else offers these things?
Rejoice that your sins are forgiven!
Yet, this salvation is as equally agreeable with justice
Did you know that God never absolutely forgives a sin?
There is always punishment for sin in every case
But, Jesus Christ, the Substitute, comes in and satisfies Justice before a word is spoken to the sinner
"Your transgression is blotted out."
In the salvation which God has provided on the cross by the death of His Son, there is as much justice as there is mercy; and there is an abundance of both
Your sin and my sin is only blotted out because Jesus blots it out
That is His choice
We can rejoice because for ‘the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross’ Heb 12:2
His joy is in rejoicing when one sinner repents
And not only Jesus, the Father and the Spirit rejoice, but the angelic host rejoice has they see one new birth
As they heralded in the coming Messiah, they sang “Joy to the world!”
The shepherds heard the host of heaven saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Luke 2:14
True salvation is of God because it draws us toward God
If you have God’s salvation, you are being drawn towards the heavenly Father, nearer and nearer each day
The ungodly want to forget God
Those awakened to Him, seek Him
The saved rejoice in God
Ask yourself this question; could you live without God?
The ungodly would be happier if there were no God, then they would have no thought of hell and the maybe of facing judgment
They would run riot doing their own will
And where would the believer be?
You would be an orphan
Your light would be blotted out
Your hopes would be dead and buried
Judge whether you are saved
If you are saved, you are drawn to God, you seek to be like God, you desire to honour God
You rejoice in the God of your Salvation
All those on earth who are saved, and all those in heaven who are saved, will credit their salvation entirely to the everlasting God
They join with Jonah, who in the very depths of the sea made this, his confession of faith, "Salvation is of the Lord." Jonah 2:9
Those who respond to God say, "I have heard of Your salvation; I will rejoice in it! I will rejoice in it!
Yet some despise it
They hear it, and they turn a deaf ear
They would rather have the temporal joy which doesn’t last
They go out partying and jesting thinking this is joy
Those who have been there and done that know that it is be for a brief moment
Many this Christmas will be proclaiming Merry or happy Christmas, yet deep within their soul is a sadness that nothing but god Himself can fill
There are more suicides and people with dark depression this time of year than at any other time
The Samaritans deal with more calls in December than any other month
We are a distinguished character, different, not of this world
We who know this salvation throw off our filthy rags
We enjoy being wrapped in his robes of righteousness, and nothing else gives us greater joy
And all without a single merit of our own
Even in sickness, poverty and discomfort, we can still rejoice in our God
It is sad when those who say they love him, lose their joy
It is no testimony to the world when we become as joyless as they
In fact they mock us and the God we serve
Where is your God now? Like job’s comforters, who are of no comfort at all
It is an unfortunate thing when Christianity gets associated with misery
There is a saying,’ she or he is as miserable as sin’
Yes sin may be miserable, but in Salvation is fullness of joy!
It is a good thing for the miserable to become a Christian
It is an unfortunate thing when the Christian becomes miserable
If there is any person in the world that has a right to have a bright, clear face and glowing eyes, it is the one whose sins are forgiven
Those who are saved with God’s salvation
In order for anyone however, to rejoice in God’s salvation, they must, first of all, know it
There must be an intelligent understanding of what it is
Next, they must grasp it by an act of faith
Then, having grasped it, they must study it to know the price at which it was bought, and all the qualities, the divine qualities that follow on from it
Then they must hold it fast, and seek to get out the sweetness and the goodness from it
Like eating the choicest fruit or the greatest meal
What is there in God’s salvation that should make us rejoice?
I do not know what to select, for it is all joy and too much for me to choose any one thing
But it is enough to make our heart ring with joy to think that there should be any salvation at all for such sinners as we are
We should hang out all the streamers in our spirit, and litter the streets of our soul with decorations, if King Jesus has come to dwell within
Christian ring every bell and give him a glorious welcome
Let your soul be glad when Jesus enters and brings salvation with him, for the salvation of Christ is so fitting, that we should all rejoice in it
It is this gospel that brings power to the weak
Life to the dead
Everything to those that have nothing
It is a gospel for a penniless, the bankrupt, the sick and the sinner
We rejoice in the suitability of the gospel
We rejoice in the freeness of it
We have nothing to pay
We have no price to pay, but that of handing over our hearts
Salvation was freely given to us in Christ Jesus
Let us rejoice in it, then
Rejoice in the richness of that salvation
When the Lord pardoned our sins, he did not pardon half of them, and leave some of them in the book
With one stroke of the pen he gave a full receipt for all our debts
When we went down to the fountain filled with blood, and washed, we did not come up half-clean, but there is no spot, nor wrinkle upon us
We are white as driven snow
Glory to God for such a rich salvation as this
He did not set us on a rock, and say, "Keep yourself there, you must depend upon yourself", but this was the covenant he made with us
"A new heart also will I give you, and a right spirit will I put within you." Ps 51:10
It was a complete salvation, which will not permit failure
This salvation, which is given to the soul that believes, is like this:
"I give to my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." John 10:28
Rejoice in the knowledge of knowing that there is enough salvation for everyone, though not all will receive it
Find again the joy of your youth; the day you were found by him
Childlike joy knowing your sins forgiven
We get too complicated and lose the merry heart
We become too serious and judgmental thinking we know it all
There is no quicker way to lose you rejoicing than this
It is in this state, that we depend upon ourselves and forget his great love
So are you rejoicing in his salvation?
The whole of the gospel is wrapped up in Christ’s message
This Christmas rejoice not because of all the gifts you receive, but because you have the greatest gift
Have joy not through much drink, but because His Holy Spirit fills your heart
1 Peter 1:8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory
