July 28
2
Timothy 1: 9: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,…
The Holy Spirit moved the apostle Paul to describe to Timothy these
three works accomplished by God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and God the
Father. These three works are accomplished
by God for every believer.
First, God the Son, Christ Jesus, “Hath
saved us.” Christ Jesus, the Son of God,
saved his people from our sins. His name
was called “Jesus” for that very reason. (Mt 1: 21) He accomplished this work by presenting
himself as the spotless GodMan so that God laid on him the iniquity of all his
people. By bearing the judgment which his
people deserved Christ Jesus satisfied divine justice and made us the
righteousness of God in him.
Secondly, God the Holy Spirit “called
us with an holy calling.” The calling of
the Spirit is holy because it is by God the Holy Spirit. It is a holy calling because it is irresistible
and effectual—whosoever the Holy Spirit calls shall be regenerated to life and brought
to faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit
calls each one Christ redeemed for they must be given faith because they have
been justified. They cannot pass from
this world in unbelief and come under the justice of God because God is just and
his justice will not allow him to condemn the guilty twice. Therefore, God will not allow one for whom
Christ died to perish in unbelief because justice has been satisfied for
them.
Thirdly, God the Father chose his people
so that these works were done “not according to our works but according to his
own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began.” The purpose of God in choosing his people in Christ before the foundation
of the world is so that salvation is not of the sinner’s works but of God that
calls and it is so that Christ might be the Firstborn among many brethren,
having redeemed us by dying and rising again. (Rom 9: 11; 8: 29)
In other words, God chose his people in Christ so that salvation might
be of the LORD—by God the Father’s choosing, God the Son’s saving and God the
Holy Spirit’s calling—not by our works. When men say that salvation is of the
Lord they mean many different things but almost always mean that man has to do
his part. But when God says salvation is
of the LORD this is what God means: God the Son, Christ Jesus “hath saved us”,
God the Holy Spirit “hath called us with a holy calling” and both are because
God the Father chose his people “according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” This is the meaning of “Salvation is of the
LORD.”