ALONE WITH GOD     

God Himself Is Our Salvation

   The holy prophet Isaiah seemed to have been filled with surprise and admiration at the revelation of this wonderful truth to his mind. Hence he cries out, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. "—Isa. 12: 2, 3.

  Surely we should draw water in abundance and with great joy from a well so deep, so boundless, and so glorious.

  When the children of Israel stood upon the wilderness side of the Red Sea, and beheld the waters of God's judgment swallowing up their enemies, they sang this song: "The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation."—Exod. 15: 2.

  When David was beset by many and great foes, and his life was chased and hunted like a wild roe, he turned to God with this prayer: " Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation."—Psa. 35:3. But we need not now ask God to speak this word to our soul. He has clearly declared himself, and freely offers himself to be the perfect salvation of all those who put their trust in him.

  "He only is my rock and my salvation."—Psa. 62: 2. " The Lord is my strength and song; and is become my salvation."—Psa. 118:14.

  "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid ? "—Psa. 27: 1.

  What precious and soulcheering truth! With God, the Almighty, for our salvation, and he the strength of our life, well may it be asked, What shall we fear ?

  " Truly in the Lord our God is salvation of Israel. " —Jer. 3: 23.

  Many other scriptures identify our salvation with God. What a wonderful announcement to lost and helpless humanity! Surely no person can read and believe these scriptures and yet think of salvation as something limited, and insufficient to meet the utmost wants of fallen man. If the Almighty is our salvation, then it can do for us all that lies in the power of Cod to do. And there is nothing too hard for him. Is God able to create worlds? to call forth into being that which had no being? Behold, all things were made by him. Then if man was so utterly destroyed by the fall that nothing short of a new creation could save him, thank God the power is at hand to meet the demand. And such is actually the work of our redemption. "Therefore, if any man be in Christ there is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new; and all things are of God. " —2 Cor. 5: 17, 18. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, hut a new creation."—Gal. 6: 15. We quote the rendering of Rotherham, Emphatic Diaglott, and many other translations. A new creation takes place in our restoration from the death and ruin of sin. God only possesses creative power So he is become our salvation. No wonder we read of a " great salvation. " It is as great as God himself. My soul cloth make its boast in the Lord, and stand triumphant over all the powers of sin, of earth and hell; having for its salvation the greatest and most mighty One of the whole universe.

  Therefore, in many respects at least, what may be affirmed of God is also true of our salvation. If God is holy so is our salvation; and it invests us with the same moral quality.

  " God is love. " So is our salvation. Only he whose very life and being is love is in possession of salvation. The two elements are inseparable. Therefore we read that " the gift of prophecy, " " all knowledge, " " all faith," benevolence that gives all our goods to feed the poor; and a zeal that delivers our body to be burned at the stake, will profit us nothing without love. The salvation of all men is gauged by the measure of the pure love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and manifest in our life.—1 Cor. 13: 1-3.

  Is God almighty ? So is our salvation. The energy of omnipotence is the arm of our deliverance.

  " O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation; thou hast covered my head in the day of battle."— Psa. 140:7.

  "The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield' and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my Savior."—2 Sam. 22: 3.

  "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. "—Psa. 18: 2.

  How can Satan and all his hosts stand before us, or prevail over us, having a salvation that has God for its strength ? He is the horn of our salvation. Anciently horns were worn upon the cap to denote office, rank and authority. So our salvation ranks with the power and authority of Jehovah. O praise God for such a salvation !

  God is eternal. So is our salvation. "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. "—Heb. 6: 9.

  God has become our salvation, by his divine incarnation in the person of his Son, in whose body a complete sacrifice was made for our sins. He has become our salvation because his love reaches even to us, in the low depths of our wretchedness. He has become our salvation by clothing our souls in his own beautiful righteousness, wherein we can stand in his presence without fear, with great joy. Again he has become our salvation by infusing his own holy life in us, which enables us to walk in the steps of him who did no sin. Finally' he has become our salvation by giving us the sure covenant of his mercy, in which all his honor and integrity is pledged to save to the uttermost all that come to him through Jesus Christ. O beloved, if you would but properly consider this one fact, all your groveling ideas of our possibilities in divine grace would vanish away. Think of it; the great Jehovah has bound himself in an everlasting covenant, sealed by the blood of his own Son, and has even sworn to by himself, that he would fully save every soul that believes on him. He has thus obligated himself, and all the immutability and veracity of his holy character back up his words of eternal life. Oh what assurance his promises must inspire when we think that they are as firm as God himself! While I stand upon his Word, and obey his precious will, he has made himself responsible for my constant salvation. And "he has magnified his Word above all his name." Bless his holy name forever!