Rejoice In God’ssalvation

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?