ISAIAH 48:10-11 – Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.”
The security of the believer is a glorious truth found in God’s Word. Whom God saves, God keeps. Once a child of God always a child of God. We cannot lose a salvation we never earned or merited. When God gives the gift of saving faith and salvation, He doesn’t take it back based on our misconduct as His children (Ephesians 2:8-9). As we rejoice in our eternal security, let’s rejoice in what is behind our eternal security. Yes, it is the character of God and His inability to lie. Yes, it is in the promise of His Word which cannot fail. But there is something else assuring our security. He saves us, keeps us, and takes us ultimately to heaven for His name sake. God must save us. His character or name is on the line!
Today’s scripture is one of many times we read God works in the world and His people not primarily for their sake but His and that particularly in forgiveness of their sin. Here are some references for our pondering and praising in this direction – For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great (Psalm 25:11); Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake! (Psalm 79:9); and I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake (1 John 2:12).
Why is this important? For two reasons. It reminds us that the ultimate goal of forgiveness and salvation is the exaltation of God in the Person of Jesus Christ, leaving man in his rightful, humble place. Salvation is about the centrality and supremacy of Jesus Christ, not us-And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father(Philippians 2:8-11).
The second reason for the importance of remembering our forgiveness is for God’s name’s sake is because it empowers us to live the Christian life for His name’s sake. Think about the logic and reasonableness. If God saves us for His name’s sake, then our lives are to be lived for His name’s sake. Embracing this frees us from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness and the world sees the true picture of Christianity.
As we marvel over being forgiven, rejoice and be glad but don’t forget it is primarily about the Lord. Such thinking will lead to lives lived primarily about the Lord!
PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I make life all about me, including my salvation and walk with You.”
QUOTE: “Learn to see all things in life and eternity are about God and watch how much fulfilling life becomes.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim