Out of the Wilderness and into the Promises of God
I Am Who God Says I Am: The Promise of Salvation
Isaiah 43:1-7
Living in the midst of the mess of a broken and fallen world, it can become easy to lose a sense of our identity, who we are, what we have, and why we should be filled with overflowing joy and hope—transfixed on loss and getting lost in the wilderness of fear of man and nature. (Last week—the wilderness of insecure abandonment)
Within the promise of the grace of His salvation are three glorious identity markers intended to chase away all fear of man and nature and eternal lostness...
1. I am intentionally created to be in God’s family—purposely belong (43:1a,7)
The fact of God’s power to create is the basis for His power to save.
The focus of God’s creative power is directed at our salvation. (2 Cor. 4:6; 5:17)
2. I am personally added to God’s family at a costly price—highly valued (43:1b-4; 41:10-13)
Your God—Your Saviour
By grace alone we have been bought to respond in faith and obedience. Redemptive grace always precedes obedience (Rom. 5:8).
Ransom paid—price of the exchange was nations sacrificed (Ex. 13:14-16; Prov. 21:18), why Christ became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 1:18-21).
3. I am included because God loves me—made for intimacy (43:4-6; 56:5-6; 62:2; Jas. 2:7)
“Precious in His sight”—exchanged from among the masses of man because you are loved!
God offers us more than a religion that is all too many know; He offers us daily intimacy (2 Pet. 1:4). The grand purpose is a personal relationship with your Creator for the glory of God—Emmanuel.
On the way “home”, you will encounter dangers and God will look after you, no calamity can take you away from Him and His love for you (43:2; Rom. 8:35-39), and He will prevent your children from being absorbed by the wicked culture (43:5-6).
...so that I would display the glory of God’s gracious salvation work. Our salvation vindicates God’s glory (43:7). He takes us from looted plunder to precious and honoured in His sight (Is. 42:22,24; 43:4).
The promise is Salvation from the deserved wrath of God. By entering into it, I don’t have to fear man or nature or God’s wrath, and in so doing, God is glorified (his salvation of me is vindicated in the universe) in this world.
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