Believers, Be Encouraged


“…and there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside Me.” -ISAIAH 45:21 [KJV]

The rareness of anything makes it valuable. This is apparent in gold, precious stones or automobiles. How rare is this statement found in Isaiah? It’s supported elsewhere but only here found in all the sixty-six books of the Bible. Let us be encouraged by such a matchless declaration.

We find two singular truths. First, God is a “just God”. It’s an attribute; He can be no other way than just. He must dispense justice. God’s moral righteousness is articulated in His Laws and revealed in His judicial acts. Being an offense to His holy character, God must punish sin. 
 
Consider: GOD IS A JUST GOD
 
Justice illustrated: Noah’s world was eradicated with the world-wide flood (GENESIS ch. 6-8). Lot’s world was leveled with fire and brimstone (GENESIS ch. 18-19).
 
Justice declared: The Lord would “…by no means clear the guilty” (EXODUS 34:7). The psalmist vowed “To shew that the LORD is upright: He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him” (PSALM 92:15).
 
Justice prophesied: Isaiah foretold of Christ, “Of the increase of His government…to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever” (ISAIAH 9:7). 
 
Justice demonstrated: Peter preached to his generation, “But ye denied the Holy One and the Just; and desired a murderer to be granted unto you” (ACTS 3:14).
 
By His requirement-fulfilling life and His penalty-bearing death, Jesus Christ satisfied justice. Only man could suffer for man’s sins. Only God could be without sin. Since the standard is perfect righteousness and unspoiled holiness, the sinless God-Man had to substitute for man, the creature’s sin. In Him justice was fully satisfied.
 
Consider: GOD IS SAVIOR 
 
Here’s a parallel statement: “To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (ROMANS 3:26).
 
Christ is the definite Savior: “…call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins” (MATTHEW 1:21). By “His people” is intended the ones God elected before time and gave to Christ (JOHN 17:2). They are called “God’s elect” (COLOSSIANS 3:12). 
 
Christ is the inclusive Savior: He came for Jews and Gentiles, men and women, rich and poor. That is the intention of the phrase, “him which believeth in Jesus.” It’s not all without the exception of any but all without the exclusion of any due to external considerations. 
 
Christ is the actual Savior: *modern/apostate*-Christendom tells of a potential savior. They say, he will save you if you let him. Contrary to that false notion, Paul declared, “God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (EPHESIANS 4:32). 
 
The brilliant and inspired prophet Isaiah wrote: “He (God the Father) shall see of the travail of His soul (God the Son), and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge (the Father) shall My righteous servant (the Son) justify many (God’s elect); for He shall bear their iniquities (the Cross)” (ISAIAH 53:11). 
 
Here’s the truth. The Father filled the role of Judge. Christ filled the role of advocate. By fulfilling the Law and satisfying justice, God was satisfied with Christ and all for whom He died.
 
“But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour” -HEBREWS 2:9 [KJV]



-Gospel report by preacher David Simpson
*emphasis added


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