Salvation is from the Lord. Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.

                                                                                                                 Jonah 2:9b-10 

“Salvation is from the Lord” is Jonah’s final declaration just before God commanded the great fish to spit him out onto dry land. From this point on, Jonah would be well aware that not even his own running would keep him from fulfilling his calling from God. I wished that I could say that Jonah’s attitude had changed as well but it didn’t (we will see that a little later). But his focus was now on moving toward Nineveh in an effort to speak to those people. What would follow would be nothing short of the amazing power of God to save. 

These events happened in a time in world history in which God had made a covenant with the people of Israel. However, that did not keep God from caring enough about the people of Nineveh to send a messenger. The messenger’s name was Jonah and the message was one of salvation.

Today, we are living between the first and second comings of Christ, meaning that we are living under the new covenant that God has made. Scripture describes this covenant as being “better” than the first (Hebrews 8:6). This is true because the second covenant has been “enacted on better promises.” The first covenant was based on the Law and the formal structure of the Temple, including the intercession of priests on behalf of the people. The second covenant is through Jesus Christ. As He gave Himself up on the cross for our sins, the veil separating the people from the presence of God was literally torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). This literal event signifies that we, as believers, are no longer to live outside of the presence of God rather we are to enjoy His presence within. As Christians, we are living with power that comes from God’s Spirit allowing us to be victorious in this life. And this Christian life is not only for the here and now, it extends into eternity.

In am truly thankful that when the Bible speaks of salvation, it uses exclamations and definitive statements rather than question marks. We are not suppose to wonder if we will be saved, we are to move, and breathe and act as those who know. Consider these three definitive statements regarding salvation:

…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

                                                                                                            Romans 10:9, 13 

Everything necessary for our salvation has already been accomplished by Jesus Christ on the cross and everything needed for us to receive this salvation is contained within (1) what we believe and (2) what we openly confess. Paul remarks that our righteousness (right standing with God) is in believing that God has raised Jesus from the dead and that our salvation comes as we confess Him as Lord. These two irreplaceable facts are what separate believers from non-believers. Christians know that Jesus is a living Lord and Savior and that He is returning again. Non-believers may recognize the historical Jesus but will fall short of declaring Him as Lord and Savior. Paul’s definitive statement is that those who believe in and confess the name of Jesus will be saved. He goes on to quote from the prophet Joel in the Old Testament that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” another definitive. For Paul there was no doubt about the saving power of God. We see this in another encounter with Paul, this time with a man who was seeking the way to be saved. 

They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 

                                                                                                                       Acts 16:31 

This man asked the direct question, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul’s answer was for the man to believe. And his declaration to the man was that upon his believing, that he will be saved. He wasn’t telling the man to be a better person or to keep the Law flawlessly rather he gave him a definitive answer to his question, Believe in Jesus and you will be saved. As believers, it is important for us to be able to answer others as directly and succinctly as he. But there is another definitive statement when it comes to genuine faith in Christ.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God (does) abide(s) in him, and he in God.

                                                                                                                   1 John 4:15 

This too is true; that “whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God” that this is the evidence that God abides in him and that this person abides in God. We see this as a corollary to a previous statement made by John, that we should test the spirits. Here is the criteria for evaluating whether or not the spirit is from God:

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

                                                                                                                     1 John 4:2-3

Do we see the connection? The validity of a spirit depends solely on the confession made about Jesus and the authenticity of a person’s salvation is also dependent on this same confession. When Jesus Christ is declared as the Son of God, we know that this individual has received salvation. It is our faith that brings our righteousness and it is our confession that brings our salvation.

Salvation truly is from the Lord. Do you know the Savior?