August
16, 2003
SAVE
TO THE UTTERMOST
"He
is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God
through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for
them" (Hebrews 7:25, NKJV).
Let's
take a look at the record of the types of people the Bible
appears to indicate will be saved. By faith Abraham obeyed
when he was called to go out to a place that he would receive
as an inheritance, and he went, not knowing where he was going.
By faith he lived in the land of promise as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him
of the same promise (Hebrews 11:8, 9).
"By
faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not
believe, when she had received the spies with peace"
(Hebrews 11:31). There was Gideon and Samson and David (Hebrews
11:32). These men were heroes, but they were far from being
saints. They will receive the promises they claimed by faith.
A fascinating
story in the Bible is that of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah,
King of Judah. Manasseh was twelve years old when he became
king and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. The
Bible records that he did evil in the sight of the Lord, "according
to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast
out before the children of Israel. He rebuilt the high places
that Hezekiah his father had destroyed. He raised up altars
for Baal, made images, worshiped "all the host of heaven
and served them." He built altars in the house of the
Lord, and built altars for all the host of heaven in the two
courts of the house of the Lord. He made his own son pass
through fire, used witchcraft and consulted spiritists and
mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord and provoked
the Lord to anger.
"So
Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to
do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed
before the children of Israel. And the Lord spoke to Manasseh
and his people, but they would not listen. Therefore the Lord
brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of
Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze
fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. Now when he was in
affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself
greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him;
and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and
brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh
knew that the Lord was God... He took away the foreign gods
and the idol from the house of the Lord, and all the altars
that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord and
in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city. He also repaired
the altar of the Lord, sacrificed peace offerings and thank
offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God
of Israel. The story is recorded in 2 Kings 20:21 - 21:18
and 2 Chronicles 32:33 - 33:20.
If Manasseh
could be saved, anyone can be saved who will just put their
faith and trust in God and acknowledge Him for who He is.
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