“He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Sinners are saved by God. It is not God and man, God plus human effort, etc. it is God that saves us only by His work at Calvary, the work of the Spirit, and the word – (James 1:18) “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures”. God does as He has promised for sinners who CAN’T save ourselves.
One thing about being a sinner is you and I are sinners TOTALLY. In no measure can we do anything, so He comforts us with words of, “he will subdue our iniquities”, so that we can be free from sin by a power that’s not mine (Micah 7:19).
If my salvation is dependent on my experience, strength, or success, then I’m my own savior. But, if it is God who saves, then no matter my condition, how evil I feel, or what I’ve done, I can trust God bigger than me and BETTER than I to do what I can’t.
Salvation is of the Lord in full, every aspect, and every inch. The helpless are helped by God’s love in the gospel EMPOWERING us, so that He doesn’t say, “I love you” only, but He puts strength in us by the word- “For he said unto him, Come out of the man, you unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is your name? and he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many (Mark 5:8-9).” The Spirit begats us again, and the Spirit makes us live according to scripture.
In every detail, salvation saves, as promised. I don’t have to say, “I’m too weak, sin is strong”, or, “it cannot be”. As big a miracle as salvation is, God SAYS that He does it perfectly for all that believe. Now, I don’t have to worry if I can conquer; I only believe what He can and will do, and it is lived in me – “Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you” (Matt 9:29).
Salvation is SECURE because God is the Savior who puts His glory (more than the sinner’s salvation) on the line, ultimately. I can be the evilest of evil people, but believing, God is OBLIGATED to perform the same thing for me that He’s promised to the saints.
Salvation to sin no more is coming, but right now, He SUBDUES our iniquities, so that we grow. Sin won’t reign or rule, for we are not condemned and helped by God, as promised – “Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Rom 5:18).
