Salvation from Ignorance
In our previous essays we have considered how God has saved us from the
condemnation of sin, from the bondage of sin, and from the corruption of
sin. These make up our eternal salvation which according to the
scriptures are by the grace of God and not by the works of the
creature. In this essay we will begin to look at our timely salvation.
That there are two types of salvation taught in the scriptures is
plainly set forth in II Tim. 2:10, “Therefore I endure all things for
the elect’s sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in
Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” Thus “the elect” already have
“eternal glory” and Paul desired they would have another salvation, for
which he endured “all things” for their sake.
One aspect of timely salvation is deliverance from ignorance and
working to “get right” with God. Paul prayed for a people in Romans
chapter 10 who were ignorant of God’s righteousness and going about
trying to establish their own righteousness. In other words, they were
trying thru their efforts to “get right” with God. That such effort is
futile is evidenced by the fact that salvation from sin is by the grace
of God. They, however, according to their ignorance thought they could
do something that would put them in judicial favor with a just and holy
God.
Please note that no one tries to get right with God who hasn’t first
felt the conviction of sin in his heart. A person who wants to get
right with God does so, because he has been convicted in his heart of
sin. Next, no one has felt conviction of sin in his heart until God has
first written his laws in his heart. Without law there can be no
conviction of sin. God writes his laws in our heart when we are born
again (born spiritually). Jesus died and redeemed all, who are born
again, from the condemnation of sin. The born-again person being
convicted by the laws of God written in his heart will try to alleviate
his heartfelt conviction of sin by trying to get right with God. At
this point in time he is ignorant of the “righteousness of God,” i.e.,
that Christ thru his sufferings and death on the cross redeemed him and
made him right with God. He in his ignorance goes about trying to do
something to get right with God.<BR>
In Matt. 11:28 the Lord said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are
heave laden, and I will give you rest.” The born again but convicted
child of God labors trying to establish his own righteousness all the
while he is heavy laden with a burden of sin guiltiness. What can save
this individual from the predicament he is in? Well the answer is
“coming to Jesus” to see that he is “the end (fulfillment) of the law
for righteousness.” When we see that Jesus has made us righteous before
God then we will stop all our efforts in trying to get right with God.
The true gospel brings this knowledge to the laboring sin burdened
child
of God. II Tim. 1:10 declares the gospel purpose as follows: “But is
now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath
abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel.” The gospel brings life and immortality to light! It declares
what Jesus has done for us and how we are made righteous thru his
sacrificial atonement. The gospel does not give life, but it brings
that life that God has already given us (of which we were before
ignorant) to light or knowledge. Therefore, when the born-again child of
God who is burdened with sin guiltiness and trying to get right with God
hears and believes that Jesus died to deliver him from his sins and that
he is thus made right with God; he is then saved from his ignorance and
from his fruitless attempts to get right with God. Many of God’s born-again
people are today still in their ignorance trying to get right with
God. Let us have the same concern and prayer for them that Paul
expressed in Rom. 10:1, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God
for Israel is, that they might be saved.” Isaiah 40:1,2 illustrates the
purpose of the gospel in saving God’s people from ignorance and effort
in trying to get right with God: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her,
that her warfare is accomplished; that her iniquity is pardoned: for she
hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” Many of
God’s people today are fighting a warfare in trying to get right with
God when the war is already won for them by the Lord, they just don’t
know it. The gospel, however, brings this knowledge to them.
It is indeed a great comfort and load removed from our heart when we
come to believe that Jesus has redeemed us from our sins by his
sacrificial atonement and by the grace of God. It removes the load of
sin‑guiltiness from our heart and delivers us from a fruitless effort of
trying to get right with God.
In our next essay we will consider how we may save ourselves to the
service of God and from a condemning heart.