The Son of God… loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
What difference would it make if you came to see, like Jonah, that salvation comes from the Lord? Here are three ways this conviction will change your life:
1. It deepens our worship
God set His love on us before we were born. David says, “In your book were written… the days that were formed for me” (Ps. 139:16). While Paul says, “The Son of God… loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Jesus came to save people with names and faces, and one of them was you. God sent His Spirit to work in your heart and draw you to Christ.
2. It strengthens our assurance
If your salvation boils down to a decision to follow Jesus, how do you know that you can keep it up? All you could do is give it your best shot and hope you make it. But salvation comes from the Lord. The Lord who died to save you lives to keep you, and He will never let you go.
3. It motivates us in prayer and evangelism
You may know people who need Jesus. But the problem is that they are not interested in Him. If salvation is simply a matter of human choice, there’s no hope for them, because they aren’t going to make that choice. But, if God is free to swoop in, uninvited, and lay hold of them and bring them to faith, then that would give you hope. This motivates us to both prayer and evangelism. If God swoops into people’s lives through the gospel, then we can pray for them, and we can look for opportunities to share the gospel with them.
When Jonah said, “Salvation belongs to the Lord,” he was saying more than “God makes salvation possible.” He was saying, “God saves!”
Who do you know who needs Jesus? Pray that God will save them and watch for opportunities to share the gospel with them.
