The Captain of our Salvation ~ MIGHTY TO SAVE!

"O, death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory?" -I Corinthians 15:55 [KJV]

Says a celebrated poet, “All men think all men mortal but themselves.” True, there is a natural philosophy in us so to think; but new-born souls, not only know they are mortal, dying creatures, but, in the exercise of grace, they can indulge the thoughts of death with pleasing reflections. For death is not only a conquered enemy by the Captain of our salvation; but he is also enumerated in the catalogue of our blessings.—“Death is yours.” Yours, to deliver you from all your evils of sin, sorrow, and temptations; yours, to introduce you into the presence of your God and Saviour, and into the enjoyment of all the glory and blessedness of His kingdom. 

 

But death has a sting, and the grave a victory: this sting is sin. And what gives strength to sin, and victory over the sinner, is, the law. The darts that sting into us, and so fixes it in us, that, for any thing that we can do, we must feel its poisoned sting to all eternity. But, “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this, Who is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength?” He answers, “I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save” (Isaiah 63:1.) 

 

It is that glorious Warrior! our almighty Conqueror, Jesus! Who has disarmed death of his sting, and obtained a complete victory over the grave. Do you ask, What is this to us? Why, truly, we can draw no comfort from it, unless we believe in Him, and look upon His victories as obtained for us. Thus, viewing our triumphant, risen, ascended Saviour, we shall be enabled, in the confidence of faith, to say, “O, death! where is thy sting?” thou hast lost it in the flesh of Christ; by His death, He has deprived thee of it. “Through death, He hath destroyed him who had the power of death—that is, the devil: and delivers them who, through fear of death, were all their life time subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14, 15.) 

 

Art thou in bondage, through fear? Who holds thee under it? thy worst enemy, the devil. By what means? unbelief: because thou dost not believe thy best Friend, thy dear Redeemer. Dost thou say, I would believe, but cannot? What! canst thou not believe thy Lord? He says to all thy questioning doubts, “I speak in righteousness.”—I have wrought out and brought in an everlasting righteousness, to clothe your naked soul, and to make you stand before the throne of God perfect and entire, lacking nothing. 

 

Believe this, and triumph over sin and death. “Mighty to save!” Can the power of sin, death, and hell withstand My might? look unto Me, and be saved from thy bondage and fear. Receive His word; rejoice in the comfort of it. Christ hath fulfilled it, “O death, I will be thy plague! O grave, I will be thy destruction” (Hosea 13:14.)

 

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)