Yet he saved them for his name’s sake. —Psalm 106:8 By the name of God we may understand his being, God himself: “this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God” (Deut. 28:58). To save for his name’s sake is to save for his own sake. By the name of God we may understand his authority, that is, his absolute right and power to do what he pleases with his own creatures. “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (Isa. 46:10). When he saves for his name’s sake, he saves for the sake of his sovereign will and pleasure and for showing his own absolute authority. By the name of God we may understand the Christ of God, for in our Lord Jesus Christ is the whole name and authority of God. When he pardons for his name’s sake, he pardons for Christ’s sake. God has done and will do much for Christ, because his name is in him, and in him he is well pleased and reconciled. By the name of God we are to understand the attributes of God. I will mention some of these. His power is his name, and for the sake of that he saves: “He saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known.” We cannot want more than he can give; we cannot pray for as much as he can bestow; we are not able to think what he can do. God’s power is a part of his name that faith may take hold of for salvation and flee to. When he saves for his name’s sake, he saves for his mercy’s sake: “May your mercy come quickly to meet us,… for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins” (Ps. 79:8–9). God, in saving sinners through Christ, has such a regard to his name as a God of infinite wisdom that in this method of salvation, the manifold wisdom of God is shown (Eph. 3:10). His truth and faithfulness is one of the capital letters of his name: “abounding in… faithfulness” (Exod. 34:5–6). And how often did God remember his promise toward Israel? In saving sinners through Christ, God’s truthfulness is displayed in fulfilling the law on the Surety in the place of the sinner, in fulfilling the promises of the gospel, and in fulfilling the promises made to Christ of seeing his offspring upon his giving his life a guilt offering for sin (Isa. 53:10). —Ralph Erskine Wallis, D. (2001). Take Heart: daily devotions with the church’s great preachers (p. 198). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 10:43:16 +0000
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