Jesus Is The Only God Who Can Save

Trevor S Ferguson

December 14, 2013

INTRODUCTION

Today we reflect on the word of God from book of the prophet Isaiah, as I share with you on the topic: Jesus Is The Only God Who Can Save.  I declare unto you that Jesus Christ is Lord and God. He is the only God and the only One that can save us from our sins. Despite the fact that there are many things and persons that are worshipped as gods, Jesus Christ is the only true God and the only One that has the ability to save.

The setting is from the book of Isaiah, chapters 43-45, and speaks to the time period when Israel was in Babylonian captivity. Isaiah had previously prophesied concerning Israel going into captivity because of the multitude of their sins. During this time Israel was in a desperate and depressed state. This is probably best exemplified by the expressions in Psalm 137:

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.”  In such a desperate state, Israel was in need of a Saviour, a God who could deliver them from Babylonian captivity and bring them once again into their own land.  Beyond that however, they needed salvation for their souls. They needed a restoration to a right relationship with God and a deliverance from the effects of sin, which was in fact the reason for their captivity. In these chapters, Isaiah takes much time in explaining to Israel who is the only true God and the One to whom they can look for salvation. 

Today I apply these prophecies not only to Israel, but to all peoples, as I declare that Jesus Christ is the only true God and that He is the Only One that can save!

EXPOSITION

Let us take a look at the text: Firstly we look at Isaiah 43:10-11:

¹⁰Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. ¹¹I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

God, through Isaiah, here challenges Israel to recognize who they were and then to understand who He is.

“You are my witnesses” – Here God was saying to Israel, You are the one who have seen all my glory and my power. You are the ones who experienced the mighty parting of the Red Sea. You are the Ones who saw all the miracles in the wilderness; you are the ones who experienced mighty deliverance from armies that were much superior to you. You are the ones who have seen and heard the prophets. You Israel, above all nations, should know that I am God!

He further emphasized that He, God, is the first and the last. Before Him there was no God formed and after Him there will not be another.In verse 11 he reminds them – “I even I am the LORD” – I am Jehovah, the Self-existing One, the Creator; the One who was and is and is to come! He then lets them know that beside Him there is no saviour. If they are in need of salvation then He is the only One they can look to. 

This absolute supremacy and singleness of deity is repeatedly emphasized in these passages throughout Isaiah chapters 43 to 45. Let us look at some of these passages:

Isaiah 44:6 (NKJV) - "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.

Isaiah 44:8 (NKJV) - “… You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one."

Isaiah 45:5 (NKJV) – “I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me …”

Isaiah 45:6 (NKJV) – “That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other;”

Isaiah 45:18 (NKJV) – “For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD, and there is no other.”

Isaiah 45:21-22 (NKJV) - "Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other."

These passages strongly emphasize that Israel’s God, Jehovah, is the only true God. All the other gods that the nations worshipped were false gods, who were incompetent and could not save.

Isaiah also spoke of the folly of idolatry. How men cut down trees, use a part of it for fire wood or for other purposes then uses another part to carve out an image and then bow down to it. It should have been obvious to the least among them that such gods of wood or stone are powerless! Despite this however, Israel fell into the trap of idolatry and served gods which could not save. They should not have been surprised to find themselves in captivity because they put their trust in gods which could not save.

Men and women today are falling into the same trap! People all over the world are serving gods that cannot save! Some have put their trust in other men, believing that Buddha can save, or Confucius can save, or that Selassie can save. Some today behave as if some politician or president or Prime Minister can save! Some have put their trust in money; some in guns or military might! But alas, these cannot save!

I declare to you today that none these persons or things have the power to save. Only Jesus Christ, who is Jehovah God of the Old Testament, who was manifested in the flesh, and revealed to us, has the power to save. As the psalmist declared – “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright!”

Israel learnt the hard way. They forsook the One True God and put their trust in idols and ended up in captivity. Even then they still did not learn. When Jesus came they rejected Him as Messiah and chose instead to crucify Him. They the lost their prime position in God’s plan as God engrafted in the Gentiles. We as Gentiles do need to learn a lesson from Israel. As Paul writes to the Romans (11:21) – “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee”.  

God is challenging all the people today to recognize that He is the only Saviour. He says to us in verse 22 of Isaiah 45: “Look unto me and be ye saved, … for I am God and there is none else!”

He then follows it up with a warning in verse 23 “…unto me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear”. (Note that the same thought is echoed in Philippians 2:10-11 – “Every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess …”). The question then is, do we wait unto we are forced to obey God or do we do so willingly now? Willing obedience to God comes with peace now and the hope of eternal life, whereas failure to obey will be characterized by the inevitable frustrations and disappointments of this life and eventually separation from God and eternal damnation.

Let me again point out that salvation today comes only through Jesus Christ. The way of salvation has been given us in Acts 2:38 – "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit". Acts 4:12 tells us that salvation comes only through the name of Jesus Christ, for there is none other name by which men can be saved.

CONCLUSION

Jesus is the only way to Salvation! He is the Only God that can save! He invites people everywhere to look to him and be saved; No other god, no other system can bring salvation. Despite what we may have said or done the door to salvation is still open today. It is open to all who desire to receive him! Look to Him today and be saved!