4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—“ (Ephesians 2:4–5 (ESV)
“We must have the full message. . . ‘deliver the whole counsel of God’. . . . It starts with the Law. The Law of God … the demands of a righteous God, the wrath of God. That is the way to bring men and women to conviction; not by modifying the Truth…. We must confront them with the fact that they are men and that they are fallible men, that they are dying men, that they are sinful men, and that they will all have to stand before God at the Bar of Eternal Judgement….And then we must present to them the full-orbed doctrine of the Grace of God in Salvation in Jesus Christ. We must show that no man is saved ‘by the deeds of the Law’, by his own goodness or righteousness, or church membership or anything else, but solely, utterly, entirely by the free gift of God in Jesus Christ His Son.” D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
When believers in Christ speak of salvation, the unconverted may commonly respond by saying, “Saved from what?” The concise answer is “Saved from the wrath of God” (Rom 1:18; Eph. 2:1-3).
Salvation is God’s way of providing people deliverance from sin and death. Scripture reveals God but it also reveals His plan to save sinners. In that sense, salvation is a major theme in the Scriptures.
“In classical Greek the verb sozo (“to save”) and noun soteria (“salvation”) are used for the concept of “rescue,” “deliverance” or “salvation,” and even “well-being” or “health.” The Septuagint most frequently uses Sozo to render the Hebrew Yasha’ (“to save”), and the NT primarily employs Sozo and its derivatives for the idea of salvation,” explains the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.
A subsequent question often is, “Saved by whom?” For many individuals, they trust in their own good works or religious observances to endear themselves to the holy God of the Bible. Unfortunately, our righteous works are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). No one is declared righteous before God on the basis of their own abilities or good intentions (Romans 3:9-20).
What then is the hope for sinful mankind? How can God deliver them from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin and not compromise His holiness? Today’s text provides the answer.
Salvation from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin is from God. He is the Lord. In contrast to the previously mentioned spiritual condition of sinners (Eph. 1-3), He is the One, True, Holy God (Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Isaiah 45:5-7). He is the creator and sustainer of the universe (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-2; Hebrews 1:1-3).
God is also rich in mercy. Being rich (εἰμί πλούσιος; eimi plousios) means to be abundantly wealthy. God presently, actively exists in the state of being wealthy. Wealthy in what form? In mercy. Mercy (ἐν ἔλεος; ev eleos) is to be in union with pity and compassion. Mercy is God not giving to sinners the punishment they deserve.
Additionally, God is love (I John 4:7-11). “Because of the great love with which he loved us.” God’s mercy is accompanied by His great love (Πολύς ἀγάπη; polus agape). This is the Lord’s great self-sacrificial love of the will towards sinners who hated Him and were His enemies (Rom. 5:10), transgressors and filled with iniquity (Isaiah 53:5-6), and spiritual debtors in need of redemption (Matt. 6:12; Rom. 3:21-26).
He saves sinners even when they exist in spiritual death (Eph. 2:1). How was, and is, this salvation accomplished. It is through solely one Savior; Jesus Christ. This fourth element of the Gospel will be studied next time.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 