My Salvation is of God – NOT ME!
Psalm 37:39-40 – But the salvation (OT teshuah – salvation, deliverance, help, safety, victory, rescue, safety) of the righteous is of the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them, because they trust in Him.
NT Sozo – to be saved, delivered, healed and made whole; recover, restored to health; it implies also preservation and safety.
My salvation is of the Lord. It is Him I rely on to save and deliver me, heal me and make me completely whole, and restore me to His intentions for my life. He is my strength. He will help me and deliver me. He will deliver me from the wicked and save me, because I trust in Him (not because of my will power or decisions to do better).
The impression given in the modern church is that my salvation may start by faith, but it continues through my own self effort, through my decisions to “get over it” and overcome areas that haven’t yet gotten where they should be. But this scripture clearly says that my salvation is OF THE LORD.
Hebrews 7:25 – Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
It is HE who is able to save me to the uttermost. It isn’t me who saves myself.
Galatians 3:1-3 – You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
This couldn’t be more plain. I received my initial salvation by the hearing of faith not works. I cannot now nor ever be perfected by the flesh. It is not my decision to overcome something or improve myself.
(Phillips NT) – O you dear idiots of Galatia, who saw Jesus Christ the crucified so plainly, who has been casting a spell over you? I will ask you one simple question: did you receive the Spirit of God by trying to keep the Law or by believing the message of the Gospel? Surely you can’t be so idiotic as to think that a man begins his spiritual life in the Spirit and then completes it by reverting to outward observances?
(MSG) – Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?
This is exactly how most of the modern church believes. So many are working their heads off to please God (and mostly falling short). Their continual striving to improve and their continual guilt from not being able to do it prove what they believe.
Why have we gotten this so mixed up? We have been bewitched and deceived and cannot see things clearly. This is a trick of the devil, and I too have been falling for it. But NO MORE! From now on I will look to my God for my salvation and not my self efforts. I will now let Him live in and through me,and the life I now live in the body I will live by faith in Him who loves me and lives in me (Galatians 2:20).
Philippians 2:12-13 (AMP) – Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
(Phillips NT) – For it is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and the power to achieve his purpose.
We do have to work out our own salvation – but not in our own strength. No, we do it with self distrust. For IT IS GOD who is all the while effectually at work within you both to will and to work for His good pleasure. He gives both the will and the power to achieve His purpose in my entire salvation.
The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them, because they trust in Him.
His part is my salvation; my part is faith.
