The Wednesday Word

An Important Two Letter Word

D.G. Miles McKee
 

I want to talk about a very weighty little word, though, if taken by itself, it has scarcely any significance. It’s the word ‘No’.

Let us look briefly at a few of the times this little word is used in Scripture.

First, let me draw your attention to the book of Psalms where we read, “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 53:1). The words “there is” are in italics. That means they are not in the text but have been provided by the translators. The verse simply then reads, “The fool, has said in his heart, no God."

NO God! That’s the language of the fool!

But the God whom the fool says does not exist knows the fool’s heart. Nothing is hidden from Him. To say “No God” is something akin to madness yet there are many clever, well educated people who are, by this standard, fools.

It’s foolish that people should want to get rid of the God who seeks and saves us for His own glory.

To say, “No God,” is to shut Him out.
To say, “No God,” is to love death.

But perhaps you are not so foolish as to say, “No God.” Perhaps you acknowledge Him. You attend church meetings, you are upright and respected. However, your own righteousness cannot be the ground of your hope for the future.

To explain this, let me introduce you to another “no.” “There is none righteous, no not one.” God's righteousness is revealed in the gospel (Romans 1:18), and He will have none of ours.  We must submit to His. But where will we find this righteousness? The answer is, in Christ alone.

The only truly righteous people before God are those who have trusted Christ. He says, "I, even I, am the LORD: and beside me there is no saviour " (Isaiah 43:11) … there’s that word again …’NO’. It’s frightening to think of how many people are trusting in something other than Christ! How many are adding a little to Christ? However, what could be plainer?  There is “no” saviour but Christ. Think of it; God says, “Beside Me there is no saviour.” That means works cannot save. That means our contributions to salvation are non-existent.

Why is there no saviour but Jesus? It’s because, to put away our sins, the Saviour had to die (see 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:18-22).

That is why He gave Himself a ransom (1 Timothy 2:6).

 That’s why He laid down His life (1 John 3:16).

That’s why His precious blood was shed (1 Peter 1:18-19).

He was the only one qualified to die as our substitute. And now He lives again, the risen and exalted Christ on the throne of God. This is He who is declared to be a Prince and a Saviour (Acts 5:31). There is no Saviour beside Him, and no remission of sins but through His precious blood.

But it is not enough to know that He is the Saviour, or that His blood was shed, we must believe on Him. We must rely, trust cling to and rest on Him. Whosoever believes (trusts, clings) on Him is saved (Acts 10:43; Romans 4:25).

The entire judgment of God fell upon Christ … and what is the result? The result is that there is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)! Christ Himself has taken our place on the cross and borne our judgment once and for all.

What an important word is this little word ‘NO.’

“There's not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:
No, not one! no, not one!
None else could heal all our souls' diseases:
No, not one! no, not one!

Jesus knows all about our struggles;
He will guide 'til the day is done:
There's not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:
No, not one! no, not one!”

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

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