Text: “The word of this salvation is sent.” — Acts 13:26

There is no subject more urgent, more glorious, or more personal than the salvation of God. Men may discuss religion, morality, philosophy, and tradition, but the great question of the soul is this: Am I saved? The Bible declares that all have sinned, that judgment is certain, and that man cannot redeem himself. Yet the same Bible announces good news: God has provided salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This salvation is not invented by man, earned by works (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-10), purchased by religion (Acts 8:20), or secured by human goodness (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Jonah confessed, “Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). From Genesis to Revelation, the message remains the same: God saves sinners by grace, through faith, based on the finished work of Christ (John 17:4,19:30).

1. The Author of Salvation Is Christ

Hebrews 5:9 declares, “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all of them that obey him.” Salvation begins with Christ because Christ is the Author of it. He is not merely a teacher pointing toward salvation; He is salvation’s source, foundation, and giver.

When the angel announced His birth, the message was clear: “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). His very name reveals His mission. He came not to improve sinners, but to save them; not to admire the righteous, but to redeem the lost.

Peter preached, “Neither is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12). Christ alone is the Author because Christ alone is qualified. He is God manifest in the flesh, the sinless Lamb, the faithful High Priest, and the risen Lord. Adam brought sin; Christ brings salvation. Moses gave the law; Christ gives grace and truth. Priests offered sacrifices repeatedly; Christ offered Himself once for all.

2. The Cross Is the Cause of Salvation

Hebrews 2:10 says that God “in bringing many sons unto glory” made “the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” The cross was not an accident, a tragedy, or a failure. It was the divine cause and necessary price of salvation.

At Calvary, the sinless Son of God suffered for sinful men. Isaiah had foretold it: “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). John the Baptist identified Him as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Paul wrote, “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).

The cross shows both the horror of sin and the love of God. Sin is so serious that nothing less than the blood of Christ could atone for it. Yet God’s love is so great that He gave His only begotten Son. “But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

There is no salvation apart from the cross. The empty tomb proves the sacrifice was accepted, but the blood of Christ is the price by which sinners are redeemed. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

3. The Gospel Is Salvation’s Proclamation

Ephesians 1:12 speaks of those “who first trusted in Christ.” The following verse says they trusted “after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” Salvation must be proclaimed because sinners must hear the good news of what God has done in Christ.

The gospel is not good advice; it is good news. It is not a list of religious duties but the announcement that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Paul summarized it plainly in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.

When Peter preached at Pentecost, he proclaimed Christ crucified and risen, and the people were pricked in their heart (Acts 2:37). When Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch, “he preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). When Paul preached in Antioch, he declared, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13:38). Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

The church must never replace the gospel with entertainment, politics, moralism, or ceremony. The gospel is the proclamation of salvation, and Christ is the heart of that proclamation.

4. The Reception of Salvation Is by Faith

Ephesians 2:8 declares, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Salvation is provided by grace and received by faith. It is not of us. It is not earned, deserved, or achieved. It is received. The jailer at Philippi cried out, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The answer was not, “Reform your life,” “Join a religious system,” or “Do the best you can.” The answer was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

Abraham “believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). The publican in the temple smote upon his breast and prayed, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” and Jesus said that man went down to his house justified (Luke 18:13-14). The thief on the cross had no works to offer, no baptism to perform, and no time to amend his past, yet he turned to Christ in faith and heard, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Faith is not mere awareness of facts; it is personal trust in Christ. It is the empty hand receiving God’s gift. It is the sinner ceasing from self-righteousness and resting wholly upon the finished work of Jesus Christ.

5. The Word of God Is the Assurance of Salvation

Acts 13:26 says, “Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fears God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.” God does not leave the believer to rest upon feelings, memories, or human opinion. The assurance of salvation rests upon the Word of God.

Feelings change, circumstances shift, and the heart can be troubled; but God’s Word stands forever. John wrote, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). The believer’s assurance is not presumption; it is confidence in what God has written.

Jesus said, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life” (John 5:24). He also promised, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). The assurance of salvation is anchored in the promise of Christ, the faithfulness of God, and the testimony of Scripture.

The same Word that reveals our sin also reveals the Saviour. The same Word that warns of judgment also promises mercy. The same Word that says, “The wages of sin is death,” also says, “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Conclusion: There Is No Other Way

The salvation of God is found in one Person: Jesus Christ. He is the Author of salvation. His cross is the cause of salvation. His gospel is the proclamation of salvation. Faith is the reception of salvation. The Word of God is the assurance of salvation.

Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” There is no other way. Not church membership. Not good works. Not religious heritage. Not sincerity. Not personal effort. Christ alone saves. Therefore, do not neglect so great salvation. Do not postpone the matter of your soul. Do not trust in yourself when God has provided His Son. Come to Christ now. Confess your sin before God. Believe that Jesus died for you, rose again, and can save you completely. Call upon Him in faith, for “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

If you are lost, the word of this salvation is sent to you. If you are burdened with sin, Christ invites you to come. If you are uncertain, God’s Word offers assurance. Receive the salvation of God today. Turn from sin and trust the Saviour. There is no other way, and there is no better time than now.

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There are two ways for a nation to receive the blessings of God:

1. Through faith
2. By blessing the nation of Israel

Number one is obvious.  Number two should be obvious were it not for a lot of false doctrine floating around for the last fifteen hundred years.

If we exegete Genesis 12:2-3 properly, this is the conclusion of the matter of receiving God’s blessings by blessing Israel:

^“And I will make of you [Abraham and his descendants] a great nation [Israel], and I will bless you [Abraham] and make your name great [through your descendants], so that you will be a blessing [to all generations]. I will bless those [Gentiles] who bless you [Israel], and him who dishonors you [Israel] I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth [Jews and Gentiles] shall be blessed [through Christ who will come from you].”

Senator Ted Cruz made this point when he was asked about his support for Israel. He stated:

“As a Christian growing up in Sunday school, I was taught, from the Bible, those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed. And from my perspective, I want to be on the blessing side of things.”

Senator Cruz was savaged by such ‘Christian’ luminaries as Tucker Carlson, who was unfamiliar with this passage (or at least how to interpret it). I hear that Tucker once claimed that he   wrestled with a demon one night.

He obviously lost that bout.

Many of those who reject this passage as having anything to do with the modern-day nation of Israel claim God was only talking to Abraham and not his progeny.

The problem with this ridiculous argument is that this promise was repeated by Isaac when he blessed Jacob (Israel) instead of Esau (Genesis 27:29).

“May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.”

For those who are unfamiliar with Biblical history, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) were Abraham’s progeny.

When Balak attempted to get Balaam to curse Israel, he instead blessed them by saying the following:

“May those who bless you [the nation of Israel] be blessed and may those who curse you be cursed” (Numbers 24:9).

Sounds an awful lot like the same promise to Abraham.

In their Biblical ignorance, the ‘Israel is the church’ folks want to claim that modern-day Israel is not the same as the Israel in Genesis.  They further compound their error by making the ridiculous argument that God has rejected the nation of Israel forever.

The Biblically ignorant then proceed with their ‘mental gymnastics’ when they are confronted with Romans Chapter Eleven.

“I ask then, Did God reject his people [Israel]?  By no means!” (Romans 11:1).

And again:

“Again I ask, Did they [Israel] stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?  Not at all” (Romans 11: 11).

Despite Israel’s lack of faith, God has not rejected his people forever.  Clearly, the ‘Israel is the Church’ group are making things up.

They would like to accuse those of us who bless the modern-day nation of Israel of being political. That is projection. This false allegation testifies against them.

(By the way, there are good political reasons to bless the modern-day nation of Israel without Scripture. Preserving Western Civilization against the pagan Muslims being chief among those reasons).

In the spirit of indicting our detractors, I would like to level a few of my own accusations against the “Israel is the Church” crowd:

• You are taking the Lord’s Name in Vain by twisting what God and his Prophets have said (Exodus 20:7). You need to repent.
• You are being disobedient to the Lord (when you allegorize Scripture that was meant to be taken literally) by adding and subtracting from God’s Word (Deuteronomy 4:2).
• You will be proven to be liars (Proverbs 30:5-6).
• You are arrogant (Romans 11:17-24). When you read these verses, pay particular attention to the “you also will be cut off” statement.
• You will likely miss the rapture (which you mock anyway) and experience the joys of the Great Tribulation (22:18-19).

If you think the final point is too harsh, please consider that much of the Book of Revelation has to do with the modern-day nation of Israel and Satan’s attempt to eradicate it. The Church is nowhere to be found after Chapter Three.

A ‘Christian’ must add or subtract from what the Apostle John recorded when he claims, “Israel is the Church.”

Monkeying around with God’s Word is a big ‘no-no’ according to Revelation 22:18-19.

The “Israel is the Church” crowd are the ones who are being political. They are rejecting Scripture because they just don’t seem to like the Jews.

This is strange because Paul said,

“For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings (in you all families of the earth shall be blessed — Genesis 12:2-3), they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.” (Romans 15:26-27).

Most Christians understand that the nation of Israel is in complete rebellion against God.

But guess what, so is the rest of the world (including many of his ‘churches’).

Especially those churches that like to twist Scripture and create doctrines out of their own imaginations.

Satan wants to destroy the modern-day nation of Israel. The fact that the world hates the modern-day nation of Israel, and we all know the world belongs to Satan, testifies against all who are anti-Israel (or anti-Zionist).

The modern-day State of Israel belongs to God.

Satan is certainly thankful for the false doctrine of ‘replacement theology.’ Those who get in bed with Satan, by falsely castigating Israel, are putting their eternal souls at risk.

God is going to deal with the nation of Israel. He is going to fulfill all his promises to his tiny nation to bring a remnant of them to repentance.

And it’s going to be ugly.

Anyone who gets in His way, especially those who are just parroting Hamas talking points, is making a big mistake.

Possibly an eternal one.

www.gospelist.net