The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-27
SALVATION.

SALvAVIONs
And the Lord saw it. and 1t dis
pleased Him that there was no tudg-
ment And He saw that there was
no man and wondered that there was
40 intercessor: therefore His arm
brought salvation unto him and HIS
righteousness it sustained him
Isaiah lix. 1916.
This text seems to be q prophecy
OF the coming OF our Lord Jesus
Christ. From it we may learn what
Salvation really is. what Christ came
to save men from and how He saves
them The common idea Of salvation
nowadays is that 1t is some plan BY
which people are to escape nell fire
by having Christ's Righteousness i'm
puted to them without their being
righteous themselves.
Certainly that is not the salvation
OF which Isaiah speaks here. For
Isaiah tells US very plainly from what
God was going to save these people
Nothing was said about saving them
from hell fire. but simply to save them
from their sins. It is written. Thou
shalt call HIS name Jesus. for He shall
save His people from their SINS" II
we look at Isaiah's own words the
case is very simple. The men Of his
day had become bad men; they were
not ungodly in their outward observ-
ances. On the contrary. they were
seemingly very religious and devout.
They sought God daily and delighted
to know His ways, like nation that
did righteousness and forsook not the
ordinances of their God: they asked
Of Him the ordinances of justice: they
took delight in approaching unto
God"
But unfortunately for them and for
they had asked God for the ordinances
Of justice they did not do them. and
in spite OF all the seeming religion.
Isaiah says they failed to stand up for
ity. Their feet ran to evil and they
made haste to shed innocent bloOo:
the way Of peace they knew not. and
they had made themselves crooked
paths, speaking oppression and revolt.
so that justice stood afar off: for truth
was fallen In the street, and equity
could not enter.
Then as now fallen human beings
Lord going to save these false. unjust
men? Was He just going to say: Be
lieve certain doctrines about Me, and
you shall escape all punishment for
imputed to you? Nowhere can we
find a word like that But We do read
that the Lords righteousness sustained
the Lord Himself: that through His
Sons coming man would find the we'll
spring of salvation. We may be taIse
and unjust. but God can never be. To
Jesus all power is given in heaven and
on earth, and He will use His power
Alright The Lords arm can bring US
all salvation, but We can only obtain
this forgiveness of sin by coming to
US to Him; some come through misery.
others through happiness. and often
the way made at first sight appears
much more hard than would seem to
knows and will not test Us beyond our
strength. He will thoroughly purge
His ioor and gather the wheat into
His garner; but the chaff He will burn.
His purpose is to save His people from
their sins, to make men honest and
true after His own likeness. And this
is the meaning Of His salvation and is
the only salvation worth having for
this life or the life to come.
Let US pray that whatsoever else He
does for US, He will make honest men
and women of Us II not We shall
surely come TO ruin. Whatsoever de-
nomination or church VIC bei,ng to. II
will be all the same. We may call our
selves children OF Abraham or members
OF the Holy Catholic Church 3r wha,
We viii. but wnen the axe is laid at
the root Of the tree. every tree thai
brings not forth good fruit is hcwn
down aud cast into the Ere.
DO we want TO b. made sharcrs !.
that everlasting righteousness 90 Coo
which .uztains Him and the whole
world II We q, we can Sct all We
want a.d even more. The Lord brings
salvation TO all who are faithful ana
tru. to ask ~ The eternal righteous
ness 90 the Lord viii do justice by
evers iiving soul Of man II only We
viii DO our part
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