We read in Psalm 91:16,“With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” (AFV)
As we come to the last study on Psalm 91, we will meditate on the last part of verse 16 which says, ‘and show him My salvation’. All of us who have come to this day at the end of this year 2020 can most assuredly say that it is only by the grace of God that we are alive and well. This was a year when many people irrespective of their age, were infected with the virus which took the lives of numerous people globally. If we are healthy and are able to listen to the word of God, we must truly be grateful to the Lord for His grace and favor bestowed on us. Our being alive today can be perceived in two ways, we should be glad that we are alive or we should say thank God that we have been saved or protected from the pangs of death.
The word salvation is a word that is of great significance in the bible. By meditating on this word, and understanding it in its fullness, I hope and pray that there will be a sense of peace, joy and security that will fill our hearts and minds.
The reason Jesus came as declared at His birth
Before Jesus was born into this world, these were the words that were conveyed to His mother Mary, by the angel Gabriel.
We read in Matthew 1:21, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (ESV)
The reason Jesus came into the world was to save His people from their sins. Salvation as defined by the bible as the way in which our sins are removed from us, so that we can be free from its clutches. As human beings, oftentimes, we realize that under several circumstances we wrong God and also those around us in many ways. Everyone wants to get rid of these wrongs that seem to be dominant inside of us. In order to do so, some people will try to restrain their bodies by fasting, going on pilgrimages or performing some other rigorous rituals, hoping that these would help them eliminate the sins in their lives. There are those who also realize that it is these sins have landed them in many troublesome situations. Also we may have heard people caution someone that they should not pass on their sin and curses to their children. The reason for such advice is because the consequences of sinful decisions and actions are often passed on from one generation to the other. When such is the case, human beings are trying all kind of sacrifices and good deeds to be delivered from their sins, but there is no way that any human can find a way to achieve this by their own effort or good works.
The master who forgave willingly
In this parable that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 18, He spoke about a king who took account and wanted those servants who owed him money to pay it back to him.
We read in Matthew 18:23-25,“So God's kingdom is like a king who decided to collect the money his servants owed him. The king began to collect his money. One servant owed him several thousand pounds of silver. He was not able to pay the money to his master, the king.” (ERV)
On being called to give account for their loans, there was one servant to whom the king had loaned a very large sum of money. The time had come for the money to be paid back to the king, but the servant was in no position to do so.
If we had to stand before God and give account for all the sins we have done, there is no way we can stand justified before Him in any way, or compensate for all the wrongs we have done. Just like that servant who owed this huge sum of money, all of us because of our sins are indebted to God big time, and there is no way we can repay God with our own effort. There are those who think that if they chose certain days of the year and abstain from certain foods they could appease God and clear themselves of their sins. Sadly, this will go on year after year as these abstinence will not in any way give us deliverance from our sins or clear our conscience.
We also read in Matthew 18:27,The master felt sorry for him. So he told the servant he did not have to pay. He let him go free. (ERV)
The man begged His master for mercy and the master of this servant did three things for him. He felt compassion for him, forgave him of all the debt he owed and freed him to go. To say it simply, the king took the loan on himself and set his servant free.
Since all of the sins that mankind are involved in are primarily against God, it is only God who can forgive the sins of all men.
The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world
Look at the way John the Baptist introduced Jesus before He began His ministry.
It is recorded in John 1:29,The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (NASB)
Jesus was the sinless Lamb of God who came down to the earth to bear our sins and to deliver us from them. If Jesus is the one who came to take away the sins of the world, the question on our mind may be who is this Jesus?
We read in Hebrews 2:14, “And because the children are flesh and blood, he took a body himself and became like them;”(BBE)
The above mentioned verse explains to us in detail that God who is Spirit, became man, took on flesh and blood, so as to save mankind from their sin. To explain this let me tell you an incident. A man was standing and watching a field where hundreds of seeds lay scattered. As the man watched there were flocks of pigeons that came to feed on the seed and the man stood mesmerized by this scene. Intending to give some water to the pigeons, he took a step forward only to find that all the pigeons flew away instantly. This man reasoned within himself, ‘What could I have done to not disturb the Pigeons?’ The answer was simple. He realized he had to become a pigeon himself if wanted to be with them. That’s what God did when He sent Jesus into the world to take on human form. Paul explains this to us in 1 Timothy 3:16, ….God was manifested in the flesh, (AFV)
The testimonies about Jesus
Jesus lived a sinless life while here on earth. Here are some of the testimonies people gave about Him.
We read in Luke 23:14-15, He said to them,"You brought this Man to me as one who was turning away the people; and behold, I have examined Him in your presence and have found nothing blameworthy in this Man concerning the accusation which you bring against Him; Nor even has Herod; for I sent you to him, and observe, nothing worthy of death was done by Him. (AFV)
The above are the words of Pilate, when Jesus was brought to him for trial. This affidavit was by Pilate who was the Governor of Rome and also that of Herod who was the King of the Roman Empire. When Pilate and Herod could do nothing to save Jesus, Pilate handed Him over to be crucified.
In Luke 23:41, we read, “We got what was coming to us, but he didn't do anything wrong.” (CEV)
Strangely, the above words are the declaration of one of those thieves, who hung on one side of Jesus. He understood that while they were paying for their wrong doing, Jesus was paying a price unjustly, for no fault of His.
We read in Luke 23:47, When the Roman officer saw what had happened, he praised God and said, "Jesus must really have been a good man!" (CEV)
The above was the statement made by the Roman Centurion who stood at the foot of the cross of Jesus and witnessed the entire crucifixion. Here was a man who must have witnessed the death of several men by crucifixion. Having witnessed the way Jesus died and all that transpired that day, the Roman Centurion declared openly that ‘Jesus was indeed a righteous man.’
It is recorded in Matthew 27:4, and said, "I have sinned by betraying a man who has never done anything wrong." (CEV)
These are the words of Judas Iscariot, the disciple of Jesus, who chose to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. After Jesus was condemned to death, Judas was so filled with regret and guilt that he returned the money back to the chief priests and confessed that he had sinned by betraying Jesus, who was an innocent man.
These were the people who made the declaration that Jesus was indeed sinless, the Roman rulers, the condemned criminal, the Roman centurion and the disciple who betrayed his master. They were all different people from varied background, but all of them attested to the fact that Jesus was indeed without sin.
Why did the sinless Jesus die on a cross that was a symbol of shame?
We read in 1 Peter 2:24,“Christ carried the burden of our sins. He was nailed to the cross, so that we would stop sinning and start living right. By his cuts and bruises you are healed.” (CEV)
Jesus Christ bore our sins on that cross, and gave His life on our behalf. It was His death for us that makes us righteous before God, and it is his wounds and stripes that brings healing to our bodies.
We are trying to understand what salvation truly means to each one of us. The consequence of sin is that all of mankind has to experience punishment, pain, misery and untold troubles both in this life and in the life to come. However, God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to come down to the earth as a man, to live a sinless life, though He was tempted in all points like all of us, yet was without sin. Finally He took our sins on Himself by His death on the shameful cross. Jesus has done all that is needed for our sins to be dealt with once and for all. There is now a solution that is available for all of humanity to be freed from their sins.
Let me explain this from a present day scenario. In 2020 we were struck with a pandemic that brought sickness and death to many. Only in recent times there are some vaccines have been discovered and administered to people. If the vaccine was available for all to take and it assured us of a definite cure that would be considered a major relief. However, if there were some people who refused to take it saying that they don’t believe in it, and ultimately died from being infected by the virus, whose fault would it be?
So also, Jesus has given His life as a sinless atonement for the whole of humanity. Jesus died, was buried, but having been sinless, He also rose from the dead on the third day. If we call on Him today He will answer us and deliver us. God has finished His work for us by the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross of Calvary. The question is what is left for us to do?
What should we do to receive this salvation?
We read in Act 16:30-31,After he had led them out of the jail, he asked, "What must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true for everyone who lives in your home." (CEV)
When there was a miraculous intervention of God, wherein Paul and Silas along with all other prisoners were set free in prison, the jailor in awe and trembling asked them this question, ‘What must I do to be saved?’ A question that is probably lingering in the minds and hearts of many people today. The answer was simple and straight. All they had to do was believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and on all that He had done for them on the cross. By doing so, he would receive salvation and deliverance from all his sins. Not only would he be saved, but also his entire household.
Jesus came down to earth, took on human form for the sole reason to take upon Himself all of our sins. All the punishment that was duly ours, Jesus took on Himself when He subjected Himself to the cruel death on the cross, died and was buried on our behalf. He rose again from the dead on the third day and everyone who puts their faith in Him, we receive the gift of salvation that Jesus offers to us and our sins are forgiven. It is a simple act on our part, but it was a great price that Jesus had to pay for each one of us. Today many adorn themselves with the cross as an ornament, but in the days of Jesus it was a symbol of curse and shame. It was the finished work of Jesus on this cross that is now offering salvation for the whole of mankind.
This invitation to receive this salvation is open to all, and is not restricted to any one group of people. We have to believe and confess that Jesus came into this world, took our place on the cross, died for our sins and is risen again. The moment we do so, our sins are removed and God clothes us with His own righteousness. There’s nothing more we can do, but simply believe and accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of our lives. The word of God reminds us that to as many as receive Him, God gives us the right to become the sons and daughters of the living God.
The history of the world is divided as BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, or the year of the Lord) based on the years before and after the birth of Jesus. So also, when we accept this salvation that Jesus offers, there will be a remarkable transformation in our lives. Let us therefore joyfully accept this precious gift of Salvation and enjoy the life of holiness, peace and joy that God desires for us to have both now and for eternity.
Pastor F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by Sis. Esther Collins
