Saved! In Acts 4:12, Peter declares, “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Notice, we must be saved. Do you think that God would demand that we be saved and then forever leave us in doubt as to whether we could be? What kind of a God would He be Who hung over us the threat of hell without any assurance to us that we could be saved from it? No, my friend, that is not like God. He does save. He saves now. He saves unto the uttermost. Have you ever observed how often this word “saved” is used in the Bible? Scores of times in the Old Testament and more than fifty times in the New Testament you find it repeated. Evidently God attaches profound importance to it. Let’s just take a look at some of the better known verses in which the word is found. Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else (Isaiah 45:22) The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved (Jeremiah 8:20) Then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved (Luke 8:12) For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17) And the Lord added to the church daily such as (were being) saved, and thy house (Acts 16:31) Naturally, many more verses could be added but these are sufficient to show that one must be and can be saved. The pastor, whom this distraught and perplexed woman called, had also told her, “If you study carefully, Mrs. _____, you will see that none of the great Bible characters really knew or claimed that they were saved.” Preposterous! When I heard this I was filled with indignation that a man like this had the audacity to represent himself as being a “minister of righteousness.” Is it any marvel that people walk in darkness when such darkness issues from the pulpit? Bible characters did know beyond question that they were saved. Noah knew it. “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet. Moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, and became heir to the righteousness which is by faith” (Hebrews 11:7). Abraham knew it. “For what saith the scripture, Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3). The patriarch Job cried, “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:25, 26). And David wrote, “He brought me up, out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.” Take a look at Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perisheth foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” Did Paul doubt his salvation? Certainly not. Note in this regard the testimony of the Apostle John. In 1 John 5:13, he says, “These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” Anyone who says we cannot “know” certainly has to contradict the clear testimony of John. The parade of Bible witnesses ends with none other than our Lord Himself. In John 10:14, Jesus made a most remarkable statement. He said, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” This is the same as saying, “I know those who are saved and those who are saved know me.” Furthermore, He said that the sheep hear His voice and follow Him. Now if a person did not know the shepherd, he would not know the shepherd’s voice is he heard it and certainly could not be depended upon to follow the shepherd. But people who are saved know it because they know the Lord and the Lord knows them to be His very own. The Bible does not leave you in doubt as to the basis upon which you can be saved and the method through which you are saved. The basis is God’s grace as revealed in the finished work of Christ on the sinner’s behalf. In grace, God sent Christ into the world, laid upon Him all our sins and slew Him. Christ thus because the only sacrifice a guilty sinner can plead. Through Him God has provided salvation for all. It is free and unmerited. It is up to you to believe it, receive it and confess it. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth Him that sent me hatheverlasting life" (John 5:24). “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12). “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt BELIEVE in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). Clear, simple, and beautiful testimony to assure our hearts forever that we can be saved and know it. Assurance is built upon two undeniable, eternal and impregnable facts—the finished work of Christ and the finality of the Scriptures. Jesus did it, God said it, I believe it and that’s all there is to it.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Jun 2013 10:03:22 +0000
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