Biblical definition of Salvation:
Isaiah 45:22 “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
Character study
Isaiah – Isaiah1:1; 2 Kings 19:2 – 20:19; 2 Chronicles 26:22; 32:20; Matthew 3:3;8:17; 12:17-21; John 12:3841; Romans 10:16, 20, 21
His name means YHWH (the LORD) is salvation. He is also known as the “Prince of Prophets” because of the account length and coverage of various subject matters, and the values it holds. Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
In Isaiah 1:1 we see that he was the son of Amoz. He received visions from God during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. They were the kings of Judah. He was married to a prophetess (8:3) and had two sons; Shear-Jashub – meaning “a remnant shall return” (7:3) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz – meaning “quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil” (8:1-4). These names also symbolize Isaiah’s message to Judah and Jerusalem. Very little is known about Isaiah’s life, but his inspired writings and prophecies are just as relevant today as it was in his lifetime.
Isaiah is known for his:
Call and Commission
In Isaiah 6:1-4 he saw God’s greatness, mystery and power. In v5 he recognizes his sinfulness before God.
In vv6-7 one of the seraphs/seraphim touched his lips with live coal and said that his guilt has been taken away and his sins have been atoned for. It wasn’t the coal that cleansed him, but God that forgave his sins.
In v8 God asks “Whom shall I send”? Isaiah responds with “Here I am. Send me!”
He had to tell the people of Israel, who believed that they were blessed by God that God was going to destroy them, because of their disobedience!
Isaiah’s message of divine judgment.
In Isaiah 1:1 – 39:9 he brings a message of judgment for both Judah and Israel because they were a sinful nation; loaded with guilt; evildoers; corrupted and have turned their backs on the Holy One.
Judah would be taken into captivity by the Babylonians.
Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah.
In Isaiah 9:1-7 he prophecies that a child will be born, who will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. This “Child” who we know as the Messiah will reign on David’s throne; He will rule with fairness and justice for all eternity.
God uses Isaiah to bring comfort to Israel long after his death.
In Isaiah 40 – 66 he prophecies that God would comfort His people when they found themselves in Babylonian captivity.
Even though Isaiah did not live during the Babylonian captivity, as a prophet he was able to speak words of comfort to those who would experience difficult times in captivity.
What the Bible teaches about salvation.
Old Testament:
In 2 Samuel 22:1-51 – David’s Song of Praise – he says in v3 that God is “the horn (symbolizing strength) of his salvation.”
In 2 Chronicles 6:12-42, we read “Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication” It is interesting to note that he stood on a platform and then knelt before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. He asked God to hear his prayer for a variety of situations of which one was “sin” vv36-39. In vv40-42 he asks that God’s eyes are open and His ears are attentive to the prayers he has offered in the Temple.
Psalms 13:5;27:1; 37:39; 62:1, 2, 6 and 7; 85:4-9 91:16
We find in the Psalms the psalmists writing that the LORD is their salvation. The word “Salvation” appears twenty-three times in the Psalms. In Psalm 119 the word can be found in six verses i.e. 41, 81, 123, 155, 166, 174.
Jonah 1:1 – 2:10 God had given Jonah instructions to go and preach to Nineveh, but instead of going there, he ran away to Tarshish, boarding a ship bound for that port. Nineveh was towards the east, so he decided to go towards the west. Because of his disobedience, the LORD sent a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. When confronted by the sailors, Jonah tells them to throw him into the sea as it was his fault. In 2:9 Jonah declares: “Salvation comes from the LORD.”
New Testament:
In Luke 3:1-19 we read that: “John the Baptist Prepares the Way” In vv4-6 he quotes Isaiah 40:3-5 saying that they must “Prepare the way for the Lord.” Isaiah was prophesying that John would be the messenger telling the people to make their lives ready for the Messiah to come to them. The Gospel of Luke was written for a non-Jewish audience emphasizing that salvation is for all people – Jews and Gentiles alike.
Acts 16:25-34 While in jail we see that Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God (v25). In v26 there was a massive earthquake and all the doors flew open. When the jailer woke up and saw what had happened, he wanted to kill himself, but Paul called out for him not to kill himself. In v30 he asks what must he do to be saved.
v31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved – you and your household.”
Romans 10:5-13 Salvation is for everyone. We read in the Old Testament that the Law of Moses says for a person to be right with God requires obedience to all of its commands! Romans 10:9 says that when we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord we are saved.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 says that when we belong to Christ, because of our faith in Him, we become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun. Because we have received this gift from God through Christ we should make it our task to reconcile people to Him.
Ephesians 2:8-10 states that we are saved by God’s grace when we believed; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Our salvation is something only God can do; we are His masterpiece and therefore, we must not take it for granted
Application:
Ephesians 2:8 We need to remember that our salvation and even our faith are gifts from God.
Our response should be one of gratitude, praise and joy. Because of these gifts, we need to help and serve others with kindness, love and gentleness.
God intends that our salvation will result in acts of service in our church, community, workplace and even our home.
Colossians 2:6-8 When we have received Christ Jesus as Lord we have freedom from human regulations through our life with Christ.
You can live for Christ by:
Romans 12:1, 2 Committing your life and submitting your will to Him.
Colossians 3:16 Seeking to learn from Him, His life, and His teachings.
Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:22 Recognizing the Holy Spirit’s power in you.
Conclusion:
Acts 4:11 Jesus is “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. (Psalm 118:22)
v12 Salvation is found in no else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Responding in Prayer:
Read Isaiah 12:1-6 – Songs of Praise for Salvation
We must come to God with a grateful heart – thank and praise Him – for saving us. Our gratitude should overflow so that we can share the Good News with others, asking the Lord to not only give us wisdom but also the courage to tell others what He has done for us!
(All Scriptures are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise stipulated)
Journal – Scripture/Prayer/Thoughts: