eBible Fellowship

I would like to share a little thing that I was looking at, for the last couple of weeks, about how glorious and wonderful God’s salvation programme is. We cannot really understand it until God opens our spiritual eyes to it.

Many people do not like the salvation of God. They are offended at it. Just like how when Christ was speaking to the scribes and the pharisees and He would start to bring the gospel, they would take offence to the gospel and many do the same thing today because they do not understand. God has not given them eyes to see and ears to hear and to understand the gospel.

God is the one who designed the gospel and it is a glorious thing. It is a wonderful salvation that God had given to His elect through Christ. God, as we know in this time that we are celebrating Christmas, God in the person of Christ, so humbled Himself and came and demonstrated what He did for us from the foundation of the world.

It is a wonderful salvation programme and all this is going to bring glory to God. All this is working out to the praise and glory of God and so, when He saves His elect, it is not because that they are worthy of it and it is not because that they are deserving of salvation. He saved them to the praise of His glory, for His great name’s sake.

Do you remember what we may have read in Ezekiel chapter 36? That is a very familiar chapter in the Bible. In Ezekiel chapter 36, we read about how God lays out what salvation is and He gets all the glory for saving His elect. One of the things He tells us in Ezekiel chapter 36 is why He saved His elect. It is for His own glory. Why He elected and saved certain people for Himself was in order to glorify Him. Let us go to Ezekiel chapter 36, verse 20. In Ezekiel 36:20-23:

And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of JEHOVAH, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am JEHOVAH, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

And God goes on to tell us that He is the one who saves His elect. We cannot save ourselves. Let us go to Ezekiel chapter 36, verse 24. In Ezekiel 36:24-30, we read:

For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.

There is nothing that we can do to save ourselves and we may see that when God opens the eyes of an elect person and if that person is saved, he or she may begin to see how wonderful God’s salvation programme is and that person may wonder “why would God save me?”

Can we give any reason why He should save anybody, when all of us are deserving of the same punishment. We are all sinners. We deserve to be destroyed forever and that is the time I wonder, why would God save anybody?

We know that, we begin to see in the Bible that God saves His elect for His own praise and His glory. Let us take a look at Isaiah chapter 40. There are many verses in the Bible you can take a look at, with regards to “why would God save anybody?” Why did God forgive the sins of the elect?

Man is responsible for commiting multitude of sins. There are sins that we cannot even remember, in thought, word and deed. All these are sins, but yet God for His own name’s sake, chose to blot out the sins of His elect. In Isaiah 43:25, we read:

I, even I (this is God), am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, …

We see why God had forgiven the sins of His elect. It was for His own sake. It was not for any good thing in us or anything that we can do or any work that we can do.

It continues:

… and will not remember thy sins.

When God had saved His elect, all their sins were already blotted out from before the foundation of the world. God wiped them out from before the foundation of the world. All the multitude of sins that each elect person commited in his or her lifetime or will ever commit, God blotted them out from before the foundation of the world and He remembers them no more. Let us go to Psalms 103:12. In Psalms 103:12, we read:

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

How wonderful that is and it was for His own sake, that was why He had done it. It was for His own sake that He had forgiven the sins of His elect. See how merciful and gracious God is.

When we read through the beautiful book of Psalms and in particular, when we read Psalms 103, God tells us how merciful He is. He is being merciful for His own sake. That is why God does not need you or I. He is the creator. He is infinite in His wisdom and might and all these things. When God had blotted out and had forgiven the sins of elect, they were gone forevermore. Let us go to Psalms 103:1. In Psalms 103:1-3, we read:

A Psalm of David. Bless JEHOVAH, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless JEHOVAH, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; …

Remember that it was for His own sake. That was why He had done it. It continues:

… who healeth all thy diseases;

We know that they are not pysical. They are spiritual. We have the disease of sin. That is what we need to be healed from. In Psalms 103:4-11, we read:

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. JEHOVAH executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. JEHOVAH is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

Those verses in particular are wonderful. But the whole Bible is wonderful. In Psalms 103:12-13, we read:

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so JEHOVAH pitieth them that fear him.

In Psalms 103:17, we read:

But the mercy of JEHOVAH is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

We see all these that He did and also the showing of great mercy, graciousness and all these things, they were for His own name’s sake. We see how He demonstrated them in Christ, when Christ came and they were for certain people (His elect) that He had done them for. All this was for His praise and His glory and we see the same idea here to in Colossians chapter 2, verse 12 till verse 14. Let us go to Colossians 2:12. In Colossians 2:12-14, we read:

(We were) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation (that word operation could be translated as “working” because He is the one that works in us) of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (the elect were made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

And God goes on. So, He blotted out the sins of His elect for His purposes, for His praise and for His great name’s sake and they do not deserve it at all. Let us go to Isaiah chapter 44. He tells us again, why he had done it and this was all to His praise and His glory. In Isaiah 44:21-23, we read:

Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for JEHOVAH hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for JEHOVAH hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

Do you see why He blotted out the sins of His elect? It was to glorify Himself. It was to bring glory to God and that was why He saved His elect. But they do not deserve it. It was to the praise and glory of God, why He saved certain people for Himself. There is nothing that we can ever do to become saved. God gives another picture too in 2 Samuel.

Some of us may be familiar that king David is a picture of Christ Himself and some of us may be knowing that Jonathan had a son. king David and Jonathan are pictures of Christ and His people. Both their souls were “knit” together and David loved Jonathan.

Jonathan is a picture of all the true believers and king David is a picture of Christ. Jonathan had a son who was lame on his feet and as we read through, we notice that David would go on to showing kindness to Mephibosheth.

Mephibosheth is a picture of the true believers before they are saved. Man by nature, is spiritually lame on his/ her feet. We may notice that David sent for Mephibosheth and he was seated at the table with David. He was eating bread and so are the elect, after they become saved. They are seated with Christ and as they are seated with Him, they spiritually eat of Him. Let us go to 2 Samuel chapter 9. In 2 Samuel 9:1-3, we read:

And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? …

Is not that what God gives to His elect after they become saved? It is the kindness of God that He gives to His elect. Here David is being a very clear picture of Christ.

It continues:

… And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.

It is interesting that he was lame on his feet. Please hold your hand in 2 Samuel and let us go to Isaiah chapter 35. We have to look at this spiritually and this is what we are before we are saved. We are lame on our feet, spiritually, before we are saved.

Do you remember when Christ would heal the sick (for example: the crippled and so forth)? Remember that we have to look at it spiritually. In Isaiah chapter 31, verse 1, it is a beautiful picture of what salvation is. In Isaiah 35:1, we read:

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

How can a desert rejoice and blossom as a rose?

Do you remember when the caravan was being driven from California and when it came to the Arizona desert? Some of us may have noticed a vast wasteland. There were no trees and no greenery. But we may have noticed tumbleweed going across the highway. In Isaiah chapter 35, verse 1, God talks about a desert that shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. In Isaiah 35:2-3, we read:

It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of JEHOVAH, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

Remember that Mephibosheth was lame on his feet. It Isaiah 35:4-6, we read:

Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap …

Spiritually one becomes saved. It continues:

… as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, …

Spiritually, this world is a wilderness, at one point. It continues:

… and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and …

And God just goes on. There God was speaking about how the gospel would go out in all the world and spiritually many people would become saved and here God gave us an example of what was going to happen when Christ came and that the gospel went out and how the gospel would go out in a mighty way and many would become saved. In 2 Samuel chapter 9, we see there that, Mephibosheth was a picture of the true believers before they are saved. He was lame on his feet. In 2 Samuel 9:4-8, we read:

And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, …

And this is how the elect, during the church age, when God was saving people, they fall on their faces spiritually before God, begging Him for mercy. It continues:

… and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: …

Let us go to Luke chapter 2, verse 9. In Luke 2:9-11, we read:

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

and in 2 Samuel chapter 9, verse 7, spiritually, Christ is saying, “Fear not”. It continues:

… for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

When the elect become saved spiritually, that is what they do. They eat bread with Christ because Christ is the Bread of Life and they are seated with Him in heavenly places in Christ. In 2 Samuel 9:8, we read:

And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, …

The true believers, who are truly saved may say the same thing. “Why should God save me?” There is no reason why God should save me. There is no reason why God should save anyone.

It continues:

… that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

Notice how humble he was. He was not even a “living dog”. He was a “dead dog” and that is how the elect come before God, with no pretences. Even though, “dog” in the Bible is an unclean animal and that is what we are before we are saved. Let us go to 2 Samuel chapter 9, verse 10. In 2 Samuel 9:10, we read:

Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

And at the end part of 2 Samuel 9:11, we read:

… As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.

That is what the elect are, after they become saved. They become sons and daughters of God Himself. Let us go to 2 Samuel chapter 9, verse 13. In 2 Samuel 9:13, we read:

So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.

And there is a lot more in there, but this was just a glance over it. But, notice that this is what the elect are before they are saved and God did it for His own glory, for His own purposes and the true believers will be seated with Christ, throughout eternity in the new heaven and the new earth and also notice that he got the land back which spiritually is the new heaven and the new earth.

Let us stop here and let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you LORD for this time together. A time of Hymn sing and Bible reading. O LORD we pray that thy name was glorified in all this. Father, as we continue to wait for thee, we ask that you would strengthen our hearts O LORD and have us to wait because all thy people want is for thy perfect will to be done. Not, what we want but what thou want, O LORD and we thank you for each one of us who are here and those who are listening over the internet. We thank you O LORD that you have brought us to the end of another year. O LORD, we look forward that You will guide us and continue to guide us and open our eyes to truth. We ask these things in Jesus name, Amen.