God’s Power to Save Everyone Within the Nations Who Turn to Him
18 For
Jehovah created the heavens and earth and put everything in place, and He made
the world to be lived in, not to be empty chaos. I am Jehovah, He says, and
there is no other! 19 I publicly proclaim bold promises; I do not
whisper obscurities in some dark corner so that no one can know what I mean. And
I didn’t tell Israel to ask Me for what I didn’t plan to give! No, for I,
Jehovah, speak only truth and righteousness.
20 Gather
together and come, you nations that escape from Cyrus’ hand. What fools they
are who carry around the wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save! 21
Consult together, argue your case, and state your proofs that idol
worship pays! Who but God has said that these things concerning Cyrus would
come true? What idol ever told you they would happen? For there is no other God
but me—a just God and a Savior—no, not one! 22 Let all the world
look to Me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. 23 I have
sworn by Myself, and I will never go back on My Word, for it is true—that every
knee in all the world shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall swear allegiance
to My name.
24“In Jehovah is all my righteousness and strength,” the people shall declare. And all who were angry with Him shall come to Him and be ashamed. 25In Jehovah all the generations of Israel shall be justified, triumphant.[1] (Isaiah45:18–25)
God Has the Power to Save All People, No Matter Where They Are From. There is only one requirement: they must turn to the Lord. In discussing His power to save people, the Lord first declares that salvation is sure. He then makes an appeal to the people of all nations. Finally, He issues a strong warning to everyone.
A. God Wants Everyone to Know and be Confident in His Power to Save All People. No matter who they are—Gentile or Jew, idolater, or true worshipper—the Lord can save all those who genuinely trust Him. God gives three assurances to prove He has the power to save even the most stubborn and defiant of the earth:
1) God’s
enormous power to create the universe proves that He has unlimited power.
Any power strong enough to create the universe can save anyone.
2) God
created the earth for a very specific purpose—so that it might be fruitful and
inhabited by the human race. The earth is not supposed to be empty or
desolate. Given that, God will not destroy all the people of earth. He will
save those who turn to the Savior for redemption (v. 15).
3) God’s Word gives the assurance of salvation, for God speaks only the truth. Longing for people to be saved, the Lord does not speak in a whisper or in a dark corner where people can barely hear. He does not encourage people to seek Him in vain; nor does He deceive people and leave them empty because they cannot understand what He is saying. Rather, the Lord speaks the truth and encourages people to seek the truth.
B. God
Longs for People to Be Saved and to Escape the Coming Judgment (Vv. 20–22).
Therefore, He makes a threefold appeal to the people of all nations.
1) God
appeals to people to turn from their idols because they are only material
objects that cannot save them. Worshipping idols only exposes people’s
ignorance. Idols have no life, so of course, they are powerless to help those
who pray to them and cry out for their help.
2) God
appeals to people to acknowledge that He alone is God (v. 21).
He has proven His claim by foretelling the judgment of Babylon and the release
of His people from captivity (v. 21). Predicting these two phenomenal events
and fulfilling them in every detail is unquestionable proof that He alone is
God, the righteous Lord, and Savior of the world. There is no other God.
3) God appealed to the people to look to Him in order to be saved (v. 22). He alone is God, there is no other person or so-called god who can save people from all the ends of the earth people are to look to Him for salvation.
C. In Closing His Discussion of Salvation, God Issues a Strong Warning to the People of All Nations (Vv. 23–25). The warning must be heeded, especially because it is issued under a threefold oath. The Lord swears that three events will take place:
1) Every
knee will bow, and every tongue confess to Him. This means that the entire
world will bow before Christ:
V “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every
tongue shall confess to God. So, then every one of us shall give an account of
himself to God” (Ro. 14:11–12).
V “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him
and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father” (Ph. 2:9–11).
2) Every
individual who opposes the Lord and lives an unrighteous life will face God’s
judgment (v. 24).
3) Every descendant of Israel (all true believers) will be declared righteous by the Lord and will enter glory with Him (v. 25).
Thought 1. God Has the Power to Save
Not Just Everyone but Anyone. No
matter how sinful, wicked, or corrupt a person may be, the Lord can save that
person. Christ did not come to save the righteous, those who already know and
love the Lord but the unrighteous. The person who lives in a cesspool of
immorality can be saved. The person who has worshipped idols and false gods can
be saved. The person who has stolen, lied, deceived, burned with hostility or
hatred, abused or assaulted others, maimed or murdered, or committed any other
sinful behavior can be saved. No matter what wrong we have done, we can be
saved.
But
salvation is conditional. We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and
repent of our sins. To repent means to turn away from sin and follow Christ, to
live obediently and righteously by obeying God’s holy commandments. All who
heed God’s warning—who sincerely turn away from their sins, repent, and follow
Christ—will be saved. Salvation is open to all, regardless of social class,
wealth, ethnicity, or past behavior. Listen to God’s Holy Word:
V “For the Son of man is come to seek and to
save that which was lost” (Lu.
19:10).
V “For God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be saved” (Jn. 3:16–17).
V “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of
the Lord shall be saved” (Ac.
2:21).
V “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to
give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” (Ac. 5:31).
V “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.… For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Ro. 10:9–10, 13).
V “This is
a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Ti. 1:15).
V “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation
hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Tit. 2:11–12).
V “Wherefore He is able also to save them to
the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make
intercession for them” (He. 7:25).
V “The Lord is not slack concerning His
promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pe. 3:9).
V “Come now, and let us reason together, saith
the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Is. 1:18).
V “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine
and milk without money and without price” (Is. 55:1).[2]
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[3] Life Application
Bible Notes. 2007. Tyndale.
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