Introduction
In Jonah 2:9, we read where Jonah, crying out from within the belly of the whale says, “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay [that] that I have vowed. Salvation [is] of the LORD.” Have you ever thought what “Salvation is of the LORD” actually means?
This study explores the implications of Jonah’s words for humanity—past, present, and future—drawing from various posts on the Bereansearching website. The goal is to be like Ezra and the Levites in Nehemiah 8:8, where we read of their effectiveness in conveying truth from the scriptures, “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading.” This compendium focuses on God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan, centered on the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. May it be a helpful overview for every reader seeking The Truth, Who is Jesus.
1) God is the Creator of the Universe
No human being can “physically” see God and live, just as God told Moses in Exodus 33:20, “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” As a result, there is a tendency of much of mankind to dismiss the fact that there is indeed an invisible God Who is nonetheless in total control of all of creation. However, God tells us Romans 1:20, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.“
We also know that Jesus Christ, as God, The Creator, is made evident here in these exemplar verses:
- Hebrews 1:1-4, “¶God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.“
- John 1:1-3,: ҦIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
- John 1:14, ¶And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
For more, please see The Holy Trinity and The Earth as Described by God.
2) God Is Totally Sovereign
God is omniscient (ALL knowing) and omnipotent (ALL powerful). Psalm 135:6&7, “Whatsoever the LORD pleased, [that] did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.“
Nothing escapes His Knowledge, His Will, or His Grasp. We are told in Matthew 10:29&30 (also in Luke 12:6&7) that God knows every hair on every person’s head, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.“
Luke 8:17, “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither [any thing] hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.“
For a deeper exploration, God’s Total Sovereignty: The Real Inconvenient Truth!
3) God’s Sovereignty Subsumes Salvation
Humanity often assumes control over their destiny, but salvation is entirely God’s prerogative. God’s Will overrules man’s will. God Sovereignly determines who is to receive salvation: we are all simply the work of God’s Hands.
This is perhaps the hardest thing for anyone to accept. Everyone likes to imagine oneself as the captain of his or her own fate. Human beings generally all get to choose what clothes to wear, and what to eat, as well as how to respond or initiate all other everyday issues that come our way. The one thing that we cannot choose, and over which we have NO control, is to choose to become one of God’s children.
Isaiah 64:8 makes clear the relationship of man versus God, “But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand.” God is in charge, not man, and that includes whether a person will ever be saved or not. The “Doctrine of Election” is Salvation by God’s Sovereign Grace, Alone. Please see this post: God Is The Potter, We are the Clay (and His Workmanship).
Key verses (in addition to Romans chapter 9) underscore God’s sovereign election:
- Matthew 22:14, “¶For many are called, but few are chosen.” (passive voice) (also Matthew 20:16)
- John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.“
- John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.“
- Ephesians 1:4&5, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,“
Salvation is by God’s grace alone, not the result of any human effort. Please see: Biblical Ironies and God’s Poetic Justice and Only One Way to Salvation.
4) Jesus’ Parables and the Doctrine of Election
Jesus’ parables—earthly stories with heavenly meanings—highlight spiritual truths supporting the doctrine of election. Parables serve as a linguistic vehicle that point to the necessity of Spiritual awakening and underscore that Salvation is by Election, which is only obtainable as a gift from God.
It is more than noteworthy that Jesus’ disciples asked him pointedly in Matthew 13:10, “¶And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?” We read of Jesus’ response in the next verse, in Matthew 13:11, “¶He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” The first “them” are the disciples, while the second “them” are the “multitudes”, among whom are all those who are not counted as being the children of God.
Jesus elaborated on the purpose of parables, and of His reasoning for employing them as a teaching tool, which has been expounded in depth in this post: Why Did Jesus Employ Parables in His Teachings?. Jesus explained to His disciples WHY He always spoke in parables to the multitudes as we read in Mark 4:11&12, “And he (Jesus Christ speaking to His disciples) said unto them, Unto you (the elect) it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without (the non-elect),all [these] things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.“
Jesus was making clear that His teachings were never intended for “everyone”, but rather only to those to whom God had given “Spiritual Ears to Hear and Spiritual Eyes to See“. And while each parable may or may not be fully understood by a believer, that does not diminish the point that a parable cannot be “truly” understood by anyone other than a believer (beyond the intellectual “understanding” as heard by someone’s “physical” ears), even when a parable is fully and openly explained. Matthew 11:25&26, “¶At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.” Parables underscore a fundamental principle, the Doctrine of Election.
Perhaps the most significant of Jesus’ parables is “The Parable of the Sower“, because it helps to explain how God crafts His parables to help the believer with understanding of “All” parables. (Mark 4:13, “And he (Jesus) said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?). But Jesus went on to provide His disciples (and us) with the means to understand parables through His exegesis of the Parable of the Sower, teaching by example of 1 Corinthians 2:13, “not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (scripture with scripture). The Parable of the Sower addresses the various obstacles that inhibit the effectiveness of the Gospel of Salvation message, but, nonetheless God’s Word will take root in the prepared heart and bear fruit by leading others to Jesus Christ.
Other parables provide additional supporting insights on the doctrine of election, such as in the one with the separation of five wise virgins from the five foolish virgins, or in the separation of the faithful servants from the unfaithful servant, or in the separation of the sheep from the goats, or involving the separation of the people bidden to the Marriage Feast, who either have a wedding garment or do not, or the separation of the wheat from the tares.
- The Parable of the Ten Virgins: Which teaches us that only those who have been anointed by God’s Holy Spirit will enter into Heaven to be with the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ
- The Parable of the Talents: Which teaches us to multiply the Gospel message of Salvation
- The Parable of the Good Samaritan: Which teaches us to have compassion for our fellow man, but also that The Lord Jesus Christ is exemplified by the Good Samaritan in saving and caring for spiritually dead souls.
- The Parable of Prodigal Son: Which teaches us that Jesus came to save sinners, repentant sinners, and not the “righteous”.
- The Great Separation: Which teaches us that there will be Great Division and Separation coming on Judgment Day (exemplified by the parables of the wheat and the tares, the sheep and the goats, the good fish and the bad fish in the net).
God uses Parables to help us understand what really matters from an eternal perspective, and that Salvation is only a gift of unmerited favor from God. Speaking in parables is a metaphor for how God effectuates His Magnificent Salvation Plan.
In each of these parables, a clear distinction is made between that which is to be saved, versus that which is to be cast out into outer darkness, destroyed, and burned for eternity. These Parables repeatedly make the point that the end result for all of mankind since creation, come Judgment Day, is a Great Eternal Separation…either entering into Heaven with Jesus or being cast into Hell under the wrath of God for sin.
The key takeaway is that Jesus did NOT die to save “everyone” from their sins! Jesus only came to save those whom God has chosen to save, who God counts to be among the elect of God and who are otherwise referred to as “the sheep” of the Flock of The Good Shepherd, Jesus. We must carefully consider what we find in Romans chapter 9, and in particular, Romans 9:13, “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.“
This is spelled out clearly as well in 1 Corinthians 2:10-14, “But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¶Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.“
5) The Lord Jesus Christ Will Be The Judge on Judgment Day!
Jesus will return as the Ultimate Judge on Judgment Day, accompanied by the saints (Please see “The Believers (The ‘Saints’) Will Be With Jesus in Bringing Judgment on Judgment Day!“). Scriptures like Matthew 10:28, warn of eternal consequences: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Jonah 2:2, where Jonah cries “out of the belly of hell,” typifies Christ’s atonement, enduring hell’s equivalent to save His elect. “And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.“
There are many references to Jesus’ Second Coming on Judgment Day. The following posts address the key facts:
- Judgment Day is Coming Soon
- Lightning, Swords, and Arrows
- The Heavens Rolled Back as a Scroll
- Coming Like a Snare
- The Great Sacrifice of Judgment Day
- Isaiah Chapters 1-3
Moreover, in the run-up to Judgment Day, The Final Tribulation Will Be When the Devil is Loosed by God. But for anyone who is distressed upon hearing that this is the case, God tells the believer not to fret. These two posts help to explain the basis for that understanding: Biblical Proverbial Wisdom and Truth Applicable to Our World Today and Psalm 37.
6) Eternal Hell is Real
The following posts are self evident, but one thing needs to be made clear in addition. Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The “death” that is in view is not just physical death, but an eternity in Hell for the non-elect. Jesus’ Atonement paid this penalty in full for His chosen, His elect, which was the equivalent of an eternity in Hell (understanding that God is outside of space and time). That is the reality. If Jesus endured the wrath of God in Hell, then eternal Hell is part of that reality that everyone must accept.
7) God Conceals Himself in His Word
God hides spiritual truth from the non-elect. This is perhaps the hardest lesson to learn and teach.
Proverbs 25:2 (KJV) states: “[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter.” This is perhaps one of the most significant and profound verses in the Bible because, as explained here in this post: “The Lord Jesus Christ is The Word“. The Hebrew word for “thing” and “matter” דָּבָר (dāḇār)H1697 means “word,” pointing to Jesus, the Word (John 1:1).
Only the elect, guided by the Holy Spirit, discern these truths as we read in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned (ἀνακρίνω (anakrinō))G350.” [This also brings us back again to the Doctrine of Election.]
This is extremely important! The natural man is NOT anointed with God’s Holy Spirit and without Him, it is impossible for the natural man to begin to grasp any saving understanding of what God is teaching the believers who have been given, by God, the Anointing of The Holy Spirit. The unsaved may understand intellectually (as the devil does), but they remain dead in their trespasses and sins.
The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24) illustrates this, as Jesus, after His Resurrection, opened the scriptures to His disciples (who did not initially recognize Him), revealing Himself in the Old Testament. That study explains the significance of the associated events and is entirely consistent with what Jesus made clear in John 5:39… that we are to “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
In Jesus’s day, the scriptures consisted ONLY of the Old Testament! We therefore have a clear mandate to search, back in the Old Testament, to see how gloriously and amazingly God has embedded The Lord Jesus Christ within so many of the passages of the Old Testament. And the Bereanseaching website is dedicated to helping the reader see how this is so.
Remember this prayer of Jesus in Luke 10:21&22, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and [he] to whom the Son will reveal [him].“
Please see also this post: “God’s Word is a Mystery“. The Word of God is “Plain” to the Believer, but “Hidden” to the Non-Elect (and that is a “Mystery” in itself!).
The fundamentals of true Christianity are provided in a 15 Chapter Book entitled “Exalting the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ: The Key if Knowledge for Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible“. Chapter 12 focuses more on why God determined to conceal Himself in His Word.
CONCLUSION
“Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9) means Salvation is God’s Gift, according to God’s Sovereign Will and Good Pleasure, granted solely to His elect by His Grace alone. And “Salvation” means being saved from the just penalty for one’s sins, and that penalty would, apart from Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice, require an eternity in Hell come Judgment Day.
Parables are used by God to illustrate that Salvation is only for the elect of God, His Chosen people, His sheep. Matthew 22:14, “For many are called, but few [are] chosen.”…Note the word is “chosen” and NOT that the few “choose”. Romans 9:16, “So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.“
Only those born again by the Spirit can discern spiritual truths, as Romans 7:14-25, laments human carnality and exalts Christ’s deliverance. Believers, guided by the Holy Spirit, must search the scriptures (John 5:39) to see Jesus interwoven throughout the Bible, and be as the Greeks in John 12:20&21, who came up to the feast in Jerusalem to worship and say, “we would see Jesus.” May all who read this seek Him through His Word.
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