The Purpose of Our Salvation by the Covenant God Who Has Mercy on Us

 

 

 

“As He said through His holy prophets of long ago, salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember His holy covenant, the oath He swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days” (Luke 1:70–75). I desire to receive grace while meditating on this passage.

 

 

(1) Priest Zechariah, who was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:67), prophesied, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel” (v. 68). The reason was that God “has come to His people and redeemed them” (v. 68) and, “as He said through His holy prophets long ago, He has raised up a mighty Savior for us from the house of His servant David” (vv. 69–71, MGV).

(a) When Zechariah, full of the Spirit, spoke of “salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us” (v. 71, MGV), he was not simply referring to the political freedom the Jews of that time were expecting from Rome. Rather, this salvation is deliverance from “the devil, the enemy of Christ” (1 Jn 4:3, MGV), our “enemy the devil” (1 Pet 5:8), and the powers of darkness (Lk 1:71, MGV).

(i) God bestowed this salvation upon His people [“His people” (v. 68)] by raising up a Savior “from the house of His servant David” (v. 69, MGV). This Savior is Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of David (Lk 1:27, 31; Mt 1:18, 20).

· Thus, God sent Jesus, the Messiah—the “horn of salvation” (v. 69, Heb. hokmah), the “Savior” (v. 69, MGV)—to be conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order to redeem His people (v. 68), saving them from their sins.

(b) This “salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us” (v. 71, MGV) came because “the Lord, the God of Israel” (v. 68) “showed mercy to our ancestors and remembered His holy covenant” (v. 72)—that is, “the oath He swore to our father Abraham” (v. 73).

(i) As I meditate on this, I am reminded again that our God of salvation is a God of mercy. This brings to mind Hosea 11:8: “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? … My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.”

· The Bible describes God’s heart toward Israel as “compassion aroused like fire.” Thus, though Israel sacrificed to Baals and burned incense before idols (Hos 11:2), God promised not to unleash His fierce anger or destroy them (v. 9). Instead, He would draw them back with His love (v. 10–11). He could not abandon them (v. 8). He loved Israel when they were children (v. 1), taught them to walk, carried them in His arms (v. 3), and though they resisted Him (vv. 5, 7), He had compassion and did not forsake them (v. 8).

  • In the same way, God the Father, whose compassion burns like fire, cannot abandon the Church, purchased with the blood of His Son. He does not pour out wrath on His sinning Church, because that wrath has already been poured out on His Son at the cross. Instead, He binds us with “cords of love” (Hos 11:4) and leads us to His eternal house. Like the psalmist, we can confidently say: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps 23:6).

(ii) Meditating further, I also see that our God of salvation is the God who “remembers His holy covenant” (Lk 1:72). I recall a previous reflection: “My God is a covenant-keeping God” (cf. 1 Kgs 8:23); “My God is the One who makes promises to me” (cf. Gen 15:18–19); and “My God is the One who fulfills all He has spoken” (cf. v. 20). I concluded:

· I believe in the God of the covenant. I believe His promises to me are good. Therefore, I believe the good God of the covenant will work in all circumstances of my life for good (Rom 8:28). He will surely fulfill every promise He has spoken to me, not in my way or timing, but in His way and at His time, without failing in a single word.

  • “So is My word that goes out from My mouth: it will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isa 55:11). “God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” (Num 23:19, MGV).

(c) The statement “to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember His holy covenant” (Lk 1:72) refers to “the oath He swore to our father Abraham” (v. 73), which is found in Genesis 22:16–18: “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me.”

(i) This oath meant not only that Abraham’s descendants would conquer their enemies, but also that through Abraham’s obedience, the whole world would be blessed. Therefore, this salvation is not merely political liberation from Rome but deliverance by faith from Satan, sin, and death. It is the salvation of spiritual Israel, the Church (cf. Hokmah commentary).

· The salvation of this spiritual Israel—our salvation—has the purpose that “we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days” (Lk 1:74–75, MGV).

  • The Result of Salvation: A Life of Serving the Lord

n A new direction in life: The saved no longer live for worldly desires and pleasures, but for the Lord. Those once wandering without purpose now live to please God.

n Serving with love and devotion: Serving the Lord is not out of obligation but a natural response to His love. The deeper our love for Him, the greater our voluntary devotion.

n Loving one’s neighbor: Jesus came not to be served but to serve, teaching His disciples likewise. The saved manifest God’s love by serving others.

n Good works for God’s glory: Scripture exhorts us to bear the fruit of good works after being saved. Ultimately, through all our service and good deeds, we bring glory to God.

In conclusion, salvation is not merely forgiveness of sins, but the restoration of a sinner’s relationship with God. It leads to a life of gratitude, joy, and service, glorifying Him in all things (internet).