Salvation is a free gift. It cannot be received in any other way. It is the favor of God upon sinners, and all sinners are undeserving. Indeed, all sinners deserve hell. God steps into man’s world and provides redemption through the sacrifice of His own Son. Jesus, the Son, paid the entire penalty for man’s sin. Therefore, salvation cannot be earned. It cannot be bought. Salvation is free to the sinner, and it must be received that way. The hymn says, “Jesus paid it all;/All to Him I owe;/Sin had left a crimson stain;/He washed it white as snow.”
The theme of the little Book of Jonah is “Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). Jonah was called by God, “Jonah, arise and go to Nineveh!” But Jonah ran from God. He went down, the way backsliders always do. Down he went to Joppa. Down he went into the ship. Down he went to the bottom of the ship so that he could sleep. Down into the water, he went. And finally, down into the belly of a big fish. God had prepared a special fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah died in the sea (Matthew 12:40). He went down to the place of the departed dead (Jonah 2:2). But God resurrected Jonah, as he said, “Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption” (Jonah 2:6). Then Jonah prayed in the fish’s belly. The prayer was concluded by Jonah saying, “Salvation is of the LORD.” Dr. David Allen, a great expositor of the Word, observed (jokingly) that the fish must have been an Arminian because when he heard Jonah say, “Salvation is of the Lord,” he got sick to his stomach and vomited Jonah out upon dry land. Actually, of course, the fish was just doing what God told him to do. But, what a picture of salvation, and what a confession is this—“Salvation is of the Lord.” It means God did it all. Jonah could not save himself. He was helpless. He was dead. He could not see. He was totally dependent on God’s grace. That is the way it is with all sinners. It is not a matter of God doing some and the sinner doing some, too. It is not a matter of God paying the great price for our salvation, but we must pay a little, too. God does it all. That is GRACE.
The Bible says, “[W]here sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:20-21). Sin “abounds” in our lives! Sin abounded in the first Adam. Sin abounded in David’s life. Sin abounded in the life of Saul of Tarsus. But God’s grace abounds even more. God’s grace super-overflows! It is greater than all our sin! As hymn writer, Julia H. Johnston, wrote,
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Sin and despair, like the sea-waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
Dark is the stain that we cannot hide,
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! there is flowing a crimson tide;
Whiter than snow you may be today.
Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?
Refrain:
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
God’s salvation is all by God’s amazing grace from beginning to end. Grace and man’s works do not mix in the matter of a sinner’s salvation. Romans 11:6—“And if by grace, then is it no more works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Again, the Bible says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).