2 Pillars of Salvation

As we come to the sixth stanza of Psalm 119, let’s start with verse 41, “Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise.” Now, salvation here most likely has to do with the persecution that has come to him because of his faithfulness of God’s Word, but I want to focus on ultimate salvation…the salvation of our souls for eternity.

Salvation has what Matthew Henry called twin pillars. First, salvation is the result of the grace of God. His steadfast love is not something we’ve earned, it is not something we deserve, but it is a matter of God’s grace. “It is by grace we have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God…”.

“Let your steadfast love come to me.” “Steadfast love” is mentioned 203 times in the ESV. Your salvation is based on the steadfast love and grace of God…

He planned your redemption before the world began in eternity past,

He accomplished your redemption in the midst of human history,

and He is saving us, keeping us saved, and will one day ultimately save us forever in eternity future. It’s all by His grace.

The second pillar is that salvation is the result of the promises of God…, “Your salvation according to your promise.” God keeps His covenants, His promises, because He is God and cannot lie. He will do what He has promised to do. We can trust Him with the here and now because we can trust Him with our souls.

Why would we trust God for our eternity and not in the midst of time? Consider the promises of God. I’ve quoted this often, but CS Lewis’ quote never gets old to me, “Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward, and the staggering nature of the rewards promised us in the Gospels, it would seem that our LORD finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Last week we saw that we need for God to teach usthrough His Holy Spirit…it happens over and over again…, “open my eyes” vs 18, “teach me” vs 26, 33, 68, 124, 135, “Make me understand” vs 27, “graciously teach me” vs 29, “Give me understanding” vs 34, 73, 125, 144, 169…we desperately need God to help us with His Word…consider going to His Word, asking Him to open your eyes that you might behold the wonderous things in it, and looking at the promises of God and basing your life upon His promises. It will change you!