The Wednesday Word [06APR22]

The Bringer of Salvation

by D.G. Miles McKee.

 
See Titus 2:11 regarding the Grace of God that brings Salvation. In Titus 2:11 we see that grace, not Law, brings salvation.  I love the word “brings” in this verse.  God did not merely send salvation, He brought it.  He didn't entrust the bringing of salvation to anyone other than Himself.  He by-passed the angels and archangels refusing to use them as His messengers in this matter.  I think I see Him talking to Gabriel and saying, “Gabriel, you are a trustworthy servant, both faithful and true, but I cannot send salvation with you.  Furthermore, faithful as they are, I must also bypass the seraphim and cherubim and every heavenly being for I must, by Myself, bring salvation to My people.”

 
Consider Him, stepping out of eternity and into time and descending to earth. 
He came down to rescue us.
 
Down, down, down He descends to fertilize the Virgin’s womb.  Down, down He comes to take His place as the tiniest of embryos in the Virgin’s womb.
 
Down He comes from heaven to be born among us. Down He comes into the midst of our rebellion and misery. Down, down He comes to become the Servant.  Down, down He comes till He becomes our Substitute at the cross.  And there at the cross, He was wounded for our transgression and bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5).
 
There at the cross, as a man, He intercepted the wrath of God that was headed straight for us. There at the cross, He who knew no sin was reckoned as sin on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21). The grace of God has indeed brought salvation. Our gracious Saviour didn’t stand in heaven and shout, “Come up to heaven and, if you are able to climb this far, I will save you.” No indeed, He came here to seek and to save that which was lost, and it was only when He had made His descent from the heavenly realms that He said, “Come unto me” (Matthew 11:28).
 
He is Wonderful!  Don’t you think so? Like the good Samaritan of old, (Luke 10), Jesus came to where we were and brought salvation with Him. He came to where we were and found us dead in trespasses and sin. (Ephesians 2:1). He came to where we were to save us, to die for us and to rise again for us.  And, today, He continues to come to where we are, to, by His Spirit, raise us up to new life.
Salvation is all by grace.
 
We would do well to remember, however, that our only qualification for His grace is our sinfulness. Our only plea is that we are ruined.  He will not accept any attempt, on our part, to save ourselves, for it is His grace alone that brings salvation.
 
“But don’t we need faith?”  Yes indeed, faith takes hold of an already accomplished salvation, but we don’t depend on our faith or the fact that we have it.  No indeed, we don’t depend on the fact that we have been converted to Christ or that we are resting on the fact that we have had a change of our heart. No indeed, we depend on the wonderful person of the Lord Jesus, the One who lived and died in our place. He is the Saviour; He is the bringer of Salvation (Isaiah 61:10).  He is the grace of God. He is Wonderful!
 
And that’s the Gospel Truth!