If God alone is to receive the glory in salvation, then it has to be his work alone, not his work plus our work, that accomplishes it. ~K. Scott Oliphint, God with Us, p.107
My prides hates the truth of this statement. I want to play an integral role in my salvation. I want to receive some credit. I want to be an active participant. It is far too humiliating for me to accept that I can do nothing in order to save myself. It is far too humiliating for me admit that my salvation does not have me as the focus. And this pride leads to much of my stumbling. The more I give credit to myself for my salvation the more I fail. The harder I try to add to it the less I feel its affect. No matter what I do, I cannot escape the loud reality the salvation is the work of God alone for the purpose of His glory.
But this truth is not merely a much-needed point of humiliation. It is also a source of great comfort. I fail daily. The more days I spend on earth the more I realize how unfit I will always be for salvation. And yet my failings have no effect on my salvation. Since it is the work of God (ordained by the Father, accomplished through Christ, and applied by the Spirit) my faithfulness to its calling is not where it rests. My salvation rests with God. Sure, my salvation means my sanctification. I should be growing more and more into the image of Christ. But when I fail, I have not forfeited my salvation. Instead, I am reminded how much I still need it and how thankful I am that it doesn't depend upon me.
For as Jonah cried in the belly of fish, Salvation belongs to the LORD.
My prides hates the truth of this statement. I want to play an integral role in my salvation. I want to receive some credit. I want to be an active participant. It is far too humiliating for me to accept that I can do nothing in order to save myself. It is far too humiliating for me admit that my salvation does not have me as the focus. And this pride leads to much of my stumbling. The more I give credit to myself for my salvation the more I fail. The harder I try to add to it the less I feel its affect. No matter what I do, I cannot escape the loud reality the salvation is the work of God alone for the purpose of His glory.
But this truth is not merely a much-needed point of humiliation. It is also a source of great comfort. I fail daily. The more days I spend on earth the more I realize how unfit I will always be for salvation. And yet my failings have no effect on my salvation. Since it is the work of God (ordained by the Father, accomplished through Christ, and applied by the Spirit) my faithfulness to its calling is not where it rests. My salvation rests with God. Sure, my salvation means my sanctification. I should be growing more and more into the image of Christ. But when I fail, I have not forfeited my salvation. Instead, I am reminded how much I still need it and how thankful I am that it doesn't depend upon me.
For as Jonah cried in the belly of fish, Salvation belongs to the LORD.
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