THE JOY OF THY/ MY SALVATION ... MY FIRST LOVE
At no other time have I seen such confirmation about a Word in season. The
Lord has been dealing with me about this topic for weeks. After accumulating a
lot of notes pertaining to it, I was just about set to start writing this past
Sunday. Sure enough, my Pastor (Jack Martin) preached on it. With some of the
same Scripture, yet through his character, he has added unto my understanding,
as I hope to do with you, and you will do with others.
The bottom line is that "the Joy of THY Salvation" is knowing you
are loved! It is more than an emotion; you can't recapture the newness of it,
but you need to go back to the security of it. From this foundation, life as it
is meant to be lived, abundant life, begins. Without this Salvation there
is a void in every heart, a restlessness that seeks to satisfy itself through
many destructive remedies. My "salvations" prior to Christ were fleeting
highs that always needed increases in the dosage or varieties. His (or
THY) Salvation pertains to the wholeness, completeness, restoration, and
healing that is necessary because of the separation from God that is caused by
sin.
Without God we are like sheep gone astray, lost, confused, fearful, and
hopeless. Peggy Lee once sang a song, "Is That All There Is?" The gist of the
song was the futility of life, even after seeking excitement through things of
this world. Her frustrated conclusion was, "then let's keep dancing." Only when
I came to Christ did I see the fulfillment or purpose of my life. I knew I
had come home. Scripturally (at the time I knew nothing of it) I had "now
returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." (1 Pet. 2:25) Peter is
quoting, and I believe clarifying, a passage from Isaiah about the waywardness
of people, likened to sheep who have gone astray. It is revealing a helplessness
or inability of those sheep-persons to restore themselves to a secure place. (Isa.
53:4-6; 1 Pet. 2:24-25) When the Shepherd comes to rescue, it is through much
effort and danger, yet He perseveres. Why? Because He loves those that are lost,
as much as He loves those who are not! His Joy is in the restoration, as is the
Joy of those that are restored.
"Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God." (1 John 3:1) What is our reaction
to this? How should we respond? In view of God's mercy, what manner of persons
ought we to be? Certainly not like the indignant revenge-minded "Sons of
Thunder" (John and James) who wanted "to command fire to come down from
heaven and consume them [the Samaritan village who did not receive Jesus
because His face was set to go to Jerusalem] ... But He [Jesus]
turned, and rebuked them [His disciples], and said, You know not what
manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's
lives, but to save them." (Luke 9:54-56) I may not be able to call down
fire, but my flesh often exhibits those same bad attitudes that seek revenge
upon the heads of those people and things I don't like. When I disguise those
feelings with righteous indignation and biblical quotations I do harm both to
myself and those around me. "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory,
but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not
every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let
this mind [disposition] be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus...."
(Ph. 2:3-5) While the bad attitudes are dressed up in spiritual clothing and
may appear spiritual, true sacrificial serving requires the Spirit of God!
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son as a
sacrifice/atonement for their sins, so that He could cleanse them of all
unrighteousness/filthiness of sin. Now, that didn't look like it was
accomplishing anything, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even
the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which
none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory.... But God has revealed them unto us by His
Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God." (1
Cor. 2:7-8, 10) If this sacrificial giving is God's attitude toward
sinful man, what should our attitude be toward those who mistreat us? If Jesus
died so that I might live with God, why can't I suffer myself to be defrauded? A
few verses prior to Peter telling us about the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls,
he says this, "For what glory is it, if, when you be buffeted [struck]
for your faults, you shall take it patiently? but if, when you do well, and
suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even
hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an
example, that you should follow His steps." (1 Pet. 2:20-21) Peter follows
these words with the quotation from Isaiah 53, that is so often used in a
militant way to combat anything that does not go our way! "By His stripes we
are healed" (Isa. 53:5) means a lot more than sparing me some discomfort in this
life.
In God's sacrifice we see the eternal value of His wisdom. This earthly
life is covered in darkness and sin. It is only revealed when God, "Who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power
may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not
distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted,
but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." (2 Cor. 4: 6-9) This
sounds pretty discomforting, something I would rather forego, be delivered from,
rebuke, etc. These things do not appeal to me; yet He says in the same passage,
"For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might
through the thanksgiving of many redound [abound] to the glory of God.
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward
man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction [our lifetime], which
is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory." (2 Cor. 4:15-17) These negative-appearing things that come against
us, work in us a good thing: they conform us to the image of Christ. Why would I
want to lose this, by giving these things such a high place of importance in my
life? When Paul sought the Lord three times to get loose from the buffeting
thorn in his flesh, the Lord said unto him, "My grace is sufficient for you:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather
glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I
take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in
distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Cor.
12: 8-10)
How is he strong? I think he goes back to the Joy of his Salvation, that
is, he looks upon God's mercy in his life. He gazes upon Jesus, Who was
crucified for him. He lifts Christ up higher than his problems, because his
problems don't compare to the "far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory" that God has revealed to him (and us) by His Spirit. He receives this
grace to endure such contradiction of sinners against himself, because Jesus
died for him while he was dead in his sins. Jesus' suffering was far greater
than Paul's or mine, yet when we behold Jesus, the things of this life grow
strangely dim. For the love of Christ constraineth [compels] us."
(2 Cor. 5:14) This great proclamation reveals the purpose of life (to receive
and give God's love) and restores us to the Joy of our Salvation, when we lose
sight of it. When Paul received the love of God on the road to Damascus he was
physically blinded, but God gave him the eyes of understanding of the mysteries
of God. He was constrained, captivated, captured, and compelled by God, Who has
"in these last days spoken unto us by His son ... Who [is] the
brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person." (Heb. 1:2-3)
This experience is shared by all who receive the Spirit of God, and like Paul,
are able to recognize that nothing is to be compared to the Joy of our Salvation
provided by God in the Face of Christ! We are also able to say, like Paul,
"what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless,
and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count
them but dung [worthless], that I may win Christ." (Ph. 3: 7-8)
Now, not many people experience the early church's transformation from a
self-centered existence to communal living, yet it still happens occasionally
today. My wife and I went through such a thing in the 70's, and though I don't
recommend it, God used it, as He used Joseph's experiences of betrayal, to
prepare us for what was ahead. In the early church, believers came together in
the unity of the Spirit, with the power of God, that was stronger than their
conditioned selfishness. Today, many Pentecostal Christians boast of being "2X4"
Christians (Acts 2:4) to prove or give evidence of the Spirit in their lives.
Well, try being a "2X44" Christian (Acts 2:44) and that life will testify of the
Spirit in your life, more than any babbling (please, I'm not against tongues)!
After the preaching of the Word and Baptism, "fear came upon every soul....
And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their
possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need."
(Acts 2:43-45) Later, Paul, (quoted above) went through the same transformation
that counted all things as dung compared to the excellency of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus! This was the disposition of believers in those days.
The writer of Hebrews, after explaining to Hebrew converts the greater
advantages of the new covenant, goes on to exhort them about their conversion:
"But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after you were
illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions.... and took joyfully the
spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better
and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has
great recompence of reward." (Heb. 10: 32, 34-35) Wow! Who has bewitched us
in this day and age that seeks God for all the temporal comforts of the world?
We have been taught to take Joy in things, and have forfeited the true Joy of
Thy Salvation. Didn't Esau despise his birthright and sell it for a bowl of stew
and some bread? Paul writes in Galatians, "I marvel that you are so soon
removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Which is not another, but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the
gospel of Christ." (Gal. 1: 6-7) Though specifically speaking about going
back to the Law, this applies to being misguided by false representations. The
word "removed" here means to be "perverted by disguise," and the word written
about those who would "pervert" the gospel of Christ, means to "corrupt." The
"bewitching" that Paul refers to in Gal. 3:1, pertains to the deceptions that
cause us to be fascinated by false representations. I heard it once described as
"who has caused you to follow after glitter."
The amazing love of God manifested by His Grace toward us, causes us to
repent. Turning from our wicked ways is like the Prodigal son heading back home
with no pride in himself, only to be embraced by the generosity of his father's
love. "Restore me to the Joy of Thy/My Salvation" is the cry of the church to
go home. "Purge me... wash me.... Make me to hear joy and gladness.... Hide
Your face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean
heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your
presence; and take not your Holy Spirit from me. RESTORE UNTO ME THE JOY OF THY
SALVATION; and uphold me with Your free Spirit." (Psalm 51: 7-12)
Please, make this your prayer, and in whatever area the Spirit of God
convicts you, repent, and come home; He understands and He's waiting.
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