Sermon Snippet – God Our Savior -Part IV
INTRODUCTION – We have spent the last three weeks in the Messianic book of Isaiah considering God as our Savior. We have seen that we need salvation, cannot save ourselves, but have eternal salvation made readily available to us through God the Son, Jesus Christ. Furthermore, His divine deliverance includes our physical and emotional health, the protection of our minds, and the movement of our lives toward righteousness. Moreover, the character of God is revealed in His saving work: He is righteous, sovereign, omniscient, faithful, relational, loving, present, and spirit. What should be our reasonable response to our Savior God?
1. WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS
Righteousness, in simple terms, is doing the right thing; our Savior God always does what is right and what is best for us. Isaiah 56:1-2 enjoins us to follow willingly and wholeheartedly in His way. If we do, we will be “blessed”. When we “layeth hold on” righteousness, we are also refraining our hands from doing any evil. Through the mighty power of our Savior, we can now live differently: we can actually get things right! Lord, help us to care about righteousness and to do the right thing.
2. WE SHOULD TRUST GOD
Isaiah 59:1 (which we studied last week as a revelation of God’s immediate presence) speaks both of our Savior’s strength (“hand”) and of His deep solicitude (“ear”). Isaiah 30:15 is a well-known verse: “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; ‘In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.’” “Returning” means repentance, turning from our own way of dark destruction to the Savior’s way of eternal light. Our “confidence” (or trust) is then in the only One Who can save, and we receive “rest,” “quietness,” and “strength.” I have often thought that the last four words of this verse are as forlorn as any in the English language: “And ye would not.” May none of us remain at the end of this verse; may we trust in Jesus and move into the promises of the first part.
3. WE SHOULD SING
Isaiah 12:1-3 is the basis for our ongoing on-line Monday devotionals. Because “God is my salvation,” He has become “my strength and my song” (verse 2). Especially in times of sorrow and suffering, we need our Messiah’s music. “Joy” (verse 3) lasts forever. Our lives are not tedious treadmills nor grueling grindstones, for the salvation of Jesus reaches to us (Isaiah 42:10), and His songs of salvation are heavenly (Isaiah 49:13). May the Messiah’s ministry of music make manifold melodies in our minds and mouths!
CONCLUSION – What should be our reasonable response to our Savior, Jesus Christ? Romans 12:1-2 provides a neat New Testament summation of today’s message: “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Repentance (“be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed”), righteousness (“holy, acceptable unto God”), trust (“prove”), singing (“the renewing of your mind”), and more – all of these goodnesses from our Savior are ours! Let us then live changed lives, lives of salvation.