The Angel Appears to Sleeping Joseph in a DreamBible World
1:21Matthew 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
His name Jesus means Saviour, declaring his mission to save his people from their sins by a power that belongs to him alone. He saves from sin, not in sin, delivering wholly from its guilt, defilement, power and bondage and bringing the fallen from death to life. His work was not to free a nation from Roman rule or establish political dominion, though many expected a conquering ruler and so rejected him. To secure this rescue he took human nature, became substitute and surety, bore the penalty of broken law and overcame temptation and darkness, opening pardon to all who repent and come to him. Salvation is received by living faith that confesses and forsakes sin and trusts his blood and righteousness, and it issues in an obedient transformed life that keeps God's law and reflects his character.
Name and Promised Rescue
The name Jesus means Saviour, and it expresses his mission to save his people from their sins. His name points to his work and signifies the only source of power that can save from sin, and he alone can save people from sin. That rescue is personal, bringing forgiveness of all sins, sanctification, purification by blood, consecration to God's will, and baptism with the Spirit, so that even a dying sinner who has confessed wrongs receives full assurance of God's love, victory, the nearness of Jesus, and triumph without fear. It is received by a living faith that holds fast to him, looking to him and living as with the lifted serpent in the wilderness, rather than dwelling on sin while staying away from him.
He was born of a woman and came as the promised Messiah in humble human form. He lived among the poor and sorrowful, shared their human experience, and gave his life to bring salvation. Through him people find release from sin's bondage and the satisfaction of their deepest longings.
He is a personal Saviour who saves his people from sin and transgression, and who can and will ransom them from sin. He alone can save them, and choosing another ruler instead of Christ rejects the one who can save from sin. His grace enables people to overcome sin and live as he lived. Believing in him is more than a feeling; it is living faith in him.
His saving power reaches all who come to God through him. It can ransom every soul, however fallen, and even the most guilty sinner can be saved and become a child of God by believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Redeemer of the world. Even scribes and Pharisees can be saved only through faith in Jesus Christ. Reflecting on his saving mission, mercy, love, and work as Redeemer and Intercessor strengthens faith and love and awakens desire to be transformed into his pure character.
Expected Deliverer Rejected
His mission was to save His people from sin, not to free them from Roman rule or foreign rule and not to establish Israel's political dominion. He came as the promised Messiah in humble human form, and through Him is found release from sin's bondage and the satisfaction of humanity's deepest longings. He was hoped for as a deliverer from sin, the One prefigured by the symbolic service who would come and explain its meaning.
The expectation of a conquering ruler blinded people to this saving mission and prepared them to reject the Saviour. Stubborn unbelief kept them from recognizing His character and understanding that He came to save His people from their sins. His name points to His work that He alone can save from sin, so choosing another ruler instead of Christ is to reject the one who can save from sin.
Saved From Sin
The promise is to save his people from their sins, not in their sins, not while they remain in them, and not while they continue in them, and no one can be saved while remaining in sin. This deliverance is from transgression of God's law, from its condemnation and its practice, and it calls for leaving wrong ways, turning from disobedience, denying self, taking up the cross, obeying God at any cost, and choosing self-denial rather than slavery to appetite. Pardon comes only through him, through repentance for transgression of God's law and through faith that claims the merits of his blood, receiving both forgiveness and grace to live in obedience and to obey acceptably. His saving grace is for everyday life, where truth abiding in the heart sanctifies the life.
He is a whole Saviour who saves from all sin. This includes cleansing from all unrighteousness and defilement, deliverance from condemnation, practice, power, and bondage, and restoration to divine favor for those who believe, for he was manifested to take sin away. The salvation he gives breaks sin's power rather than weakening God's law, since sin is the cause of the world's misery. His life in believers enables them to will and to do what pleases God. Mercy draws sinners to him, and the penitent who come with a broken and contrite heart, confessing and trusting the hope of the gospel, are received with mercy, and God does not reject such a heart, without weakening his law.
His saving work brings fallen people from spiritual death to spiritual life, giving them life, hope, and joy. It gives sinners hope of returning to the Father's house and walking the holy path. Through his grace they can obey acceptably and gain a home in Eden restored.
Receiving his grace and practicing the virtues of his character is choosing the way of eternal life, while clinging to sin is choosing eternal death. Persistent disobedience shows that a person has chosen sin's rule. The one who comes with a broken and contrite heart and confesses sin he saves, but the one who chooses to keep sin instead faces its consequences and perishes. Through his imputed righteousness and cooperation with divine power, believing sinners receive forgiveness and righteousness and can obey God's commandments and be pure and holy, for he took human nature and overcame temptation.
How Salvation Was Secured
Humanity's fallen condition made a sacrifice necessary, and the saving work involved great sacrifice in giving His life to redeem the fallen race. The Lord of glory left His station of high command to become a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, accepting ignominy and death to deliver people from the consequence of disobedience, without consulting His own convenience or pleasure. To do this He became humanity's substitute and surety, took human nature, and gave His life to atone for human sin, so that through His death believers receive life and an opportunity to know God and His law.
He took human nature and endured humanity's hardships and Satan's temptations, overcoming without turning from loyalty to God. His victory over the powers of darkness makes salvation possible, for failure in even one instance would have left humanity without salvation. That same taking of human nature and overcoming of temptation makes it possible for humanity to be pure and holy.
By His suffering and death under the load of human guilt He bore the penalty for transgression of God's law, revealing sin's offensive character. This bearing of the penalty made it possible to ransom every soul, however fallen, and made pardon available to those who repent and come to Him. Salvation was thus made possible by suffering and death.
His blood cleanses from sin as a fountain prepared by the Redeemer to make the sinner whole and to heal sin's wounds. His merits as crucified and risen Saviour can be claimed. As Advocate with the Father He takes away sins and imputes His own righteousness.
His perfect character and obedience to every requirement of the law are offered for the guilty and credited to them, so their efforts to obey are acceptable. His life and death provide the merit by which believing sinners receive forgiveness and righteousness, and through that imputed righteousness they can become conquerors. The sacrifices offered at the tabernacle pointed to Him as the Lamb who would die for the sin of the world, and the gospel reveals Him in those offerings. He was manifested to take sin away, and those who believe may be cleansed from defilement and restored to divine favor through His grace as Intercessor.
Receiving Salvation by Faith
Salvation was made possible by suffering and death, and it is received by faith. That faith is genuine and living faith in the offering made for sin, a faith that holds fast and does not let go. Believing is more than feeling; it is living trust and reliance that brings rescue from sin and justifying righteousness.
Sinners must repent and turn from disobedience and from transgression of God's law, and by faith claim the merits of the blood shed for them. That repentance is for breaking the commandments, and the faith that receives pardon also receives grace to live in obedience and to obey acceptably. This rescue does not leave people in sin nor excuse continued disobedience, for true faith works by love and leads to obedience.
The one who comes with a broken and contrite heart and confesses sin is saved, and such a heart is not rejected. Mercy draws sinners and receives the penitent who confess and trust the hope of the gospel. That mercy breaks the power of sin, which is the cause of the world's misery, without weakening the law.
The law acts as a mirror that convinces people they are transgressors and gives knowledge of sin by revealing spots and deformities of character. It cannot save from its penalty, and abolishing it would not remove the defects it exposes. When condemned by the law, people must come with humble penitent hearts to God for pardon and wash in the fountain prepared by the Redeemer to make the sinner whole.
Dwelling on sin while staying away cannot save, for the name given signifies the only power that can save from sin. As with the serpent lifted in the wilderness, the call is to look and live by a living faith that holds fast.
The verse means personal rescue through forgiveness of all sins, sanctification to God, purification by blood, consecration to God's will, and baptism with the Spirit. Even a dying sinner who has confessed wrongs and distrust may have full assurance of being loved as a child of God. That assurance brings victory over impatience, reconciliation to affliction, nearness of Jesus, a shining face, triumph without fear, and reason to praise and honor Jesus as long as breath lasts.
Salvation cannot be bought; receiving Christ leads to an experience in which good works follow. Forgiveness brings joy and a free, joyful testimony. Confessing faith in Jesus' love and confessing backsliding in faith belong together with receiving that forgiveness.
Clear conviction of sin and awareness of the need for this faith deepen love for Jesus. Dependence on God for spiritual health and growth enables practicing the truth and showing gentleness. Neglecting the example given and failing to do the Word is neglecting this salvation and becoming separated from God.
Obedient Transformed Life
Sin is transgression and violation of God's commandments, the cause of the world's misery, and rescue from it means turning from continual transgression to obedience, leaving the error of the ways, and putting sin and iniquity out of the heart. Salvation is from sin, not a leaving of people in disregard of the law, for He imparts His righteousness to those who obey it, and people who cannot overcome by their own strength receive His righteousness through faith because He died and obeyed every requirement of the law they had transgressed. Cleansing by His blood is received through personal repentance and faith, and turning from sin is what salvation means.
Salvation does not excuse continued disobedience and does not release people from obedience to God's changeless law. His bearing sin does not remove the obligation to obey, and His suffering and death did not set aside the law but provided His perfect character to be offered for the guilty so that His righteousness is credited to them and their efforts to obey are acceptable, making them conquerors through the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. The salvation He gives breaks sin's power rather than weakening God's law, drawing sinners by mercy to confess and trust the gospel's hope and be received with mercy. His atonement gives every person opportunity to become a child of God, and His power enables overcoming temptation and obedience.
Those He saves are called to leave wrong ways, follow His example, deny self, take up the cross and follow Him, and obey God at any cost. There is no serving of two masters and no question of obeying His commandments or following temporal interests, for His death delivers from the consequence of disobedience and salvation is from sins, not in sins and not while remaining in them. This deliverance includes both condemnation and practice of sin, and calls for self-denial rather than slavery to appetite. Overcoming comes by doing the Lord's words.
True faith works by love and leads to obedience. He alone provides pardon, and salvation comes through repentance for transgression of God's law and faith in Him, a faith that receives both forgiveness and grace to live in obedience. Through His imputed righteousness and cooperation with divine power, made possible because He took human nature and overcame temptation so humanity can be pure and holy, believing sinners receive forgiveness and righteousness and can obey God's commandments, while persistent disobedience shows choice of sin's rule. Clear conviction of sin and awareness of need for genuine living faith in His offering deepen love for Him, and dependence on God for spiritual health and growth enables practicing the truth and showing His gentleness.
His saving grace is for everyday life, and truth abiding in the heart sanctifies the life. As people accept His character and spirit and know Him through communion with God, He changes their thoughts and aims so that obedience becomes the heart's own desire. Sin becomes hateful, and He gives strength for obedience and service, enabling people to overcome sin and live as He lived.
Coming to Him means laying aside sin and separating from anything that would separate from God. Sins, vices, follies, pride, and worldliness are to be laid at His cross by those who come to Him. He calls for this because He loves people and desires to save them, and accepting the truth brings a longing for transformation. His death under the load of human guilt reveals sin's offensive character and presses this putting away of sin from the heart.
His ransom on the cross bears the world's iniquity and makes pardon available to those who repent and come to Him, and those who receive His grace are adopted as God's children and become obedient to Him. His work makes it possible to develop a holy character in deliverance from transgression and a life of obedience to God's holy law, which reveals His character and expresses mercy, goodness, and love. Overcoming sin and growing in love, humility, and other traits pleasing to God is a lifelong work carried forward day by day.
Reflecting on His saving mission, mercy, love, and work as Redeemer and Intercessor strengthens faith and love. His saving power reaches all who come to God through Him, and meditating on Him awakens desire to be transformed into His pure character.
Representing Him to the world means showing Him as one who saves people from sin. Trusting and relying on Him brings salvation from sin and justifying righteousness, and the resulting life bears holy works, pure thoughts and speech, and a sanctifying influence on others. His saving work involved great sacrifice, and those who follow Him care about the salvation of the people He came to save.
Salvation from sin includes forgiveness and cleansing, and the saved honor God and praise Him for this deliverance. That deliverance is to a life of obedience expressing His character of mercy, goodness, and love.
His name Jesus means Saviour, declaring his mission to save his people from their sins by a power that belongs to him alone. He saves from sin, not in sin, delivering wholly from its guilt, defilement, power and bondage and bringing the fallen from death to life. His work was not to free a nation from Roman rule or establish political dominion, though many expected a conquering ruler and so rejected him. To secure this rescue he took human nature, became substitute and surety, bore the penalty of broken law and overcame temptation and darkness, opening pardon to all who repent and come to him. Salvation is received by living faith that confesses and forsakes sin and trusts his blood and righteousness, and it issues in an obedient transformed life that keeps God's law and reflects his character.
Name and Promised Rescue
The name Jesus means Saviour, and it expresses his mission to save his people from their sins. His name points to his work and signifies the only source of power that can save from sin, and he alone can save people from sin. That rescue is personal, bringing forgiveness of all sins, sanctification, purification by blood, consecration to God's will, and baptism with the Spirit, so that even a dying sinner who has confessed wrongs receives full assurance of God's love, victory, the nearness of Jesus, and triumph without fear. It is received by a living faith that holds fast to him, looking to him and living as with the lifted serpent in the wilderness, rather than dwelling on sin while staying away from him.
He was born of a woman and came as the promised Messiah in humble human form. He lived among the poor and sorrowful, shared their human experience, and gave his life to bring salvation. Through him people find release from sin's bondage and the satisfaction of their deepest longings.
He is a personal Saviour who saves his people from sin and transgression, and who can and will ransom them from sin. He alone can save them, and choosing another ruler instead of Christ rejects the one who can save from sin. His grace enables people to overcome sin and live as he lived. Believing in him is more than a feeling; it is living faith in him.
His saving power reaches all who come to God through him. It can ransom every soul, however fallen, and even the most guilty sinner can be saved and become a child of God by believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Redeemer of the world. Even scribes and Pharisees can be saved only through faith in Jesus Christ. Reflecting on his saving mission, mercy, love, and work as Redeemer and Intercessor strengthens faith and love and awakens desire to be transformed into his pure character.
Expected Deliverer Rejected
His mission was to save His people from sin, not to free them from Roman rule or foreign rule and not to establish Israel's political dominion. He came as the promised Messiah in humble human form, and through Him is found release from sin's bondage and the satisfaction of humanity's deepest longings. He was hoped for as a deliverer from sin, the One prefigured by the symbolic service who would come and explain its meaning.
The expectation of a conquering ruler blinded people to this saving mission and prepared them to reject the Saviour. Stubborn unbelief kept them from recognizing His character and understanding that He came to save His people from their sins. His name points to His work that He alone can save from sin, so choosing another ruler instead of Christ is to reject the one who can save from sin.
Saved From Sin
The promise is to save his people from their sins, not in their sins, not while they remain in them, and not while they continue in them, and no one can be saved while remaining in sin. This deliverance is from transgression of God's law, from its condemnation and its practice, and it calls for leaving wrong ways, turning from disobedience, denying self, taking up the cross, obeying God at any cost, and choosing self-denial rather than slavery to appetite. Pardon comes only through him, through repentance for transgression of God's law and through faith that claims the merits of his blood, receiving both forgiveness and grace to live in obedience and to obey acceptably. His saving grace is for everyday life, where truth abiding in the heart sanctifies the life.
He is a whole Saviour who saves from all sin. This includes cleansing from all unrighteousness and defilement, deliverance from condemnation, practice, power, and bondage, and restoration to divine favor for those who believe, for he was manifested to take sin away. The salvation he gives breaks sin's power rather than weakening God's law, since sin is the cause of the world's misery. His life in believers enables them to will and to do what pleases God. Mercy draws sinners to him, and the penitent who come with a broken and contrite heart, confessing and trusting the hope of the gospel, are received with mercy, and God does not reject such a heart, without weakening his law.
His saving work brings fallen people from spiritual death to spiritual life, giving them life, hope, and joy. It gives sinners hope of returning to the Father's house and walking the holy path. Through his grace they can obey acceptably and gain a home in Eden restored.
Receiving his grace and practicing the virtues of his character is choosing the way of eternal life, while clinging to sin is choosing eternal death. Persistent disobedience shows that a person has chosen sin's rule. The one who comes with a broken and contrite heart and confesses sin he saves, but the one who chooses to keep sin instead faces its consequences and perishes. Through his imputed righteousness and cooperation with divine power, believing sinners receive forgiveness and righteousness and can obey God's commandments and be pure and holy, for he took human nature and overcame temptation.
How Salvation Was Secured
Humanity's fallen condition made a sacrifice necessary, and the saving work involved great sacrifice in giving His life to redeem the fallen race. The Lord of glory left His station of high command to become a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, accepting ignominy and death to deliver people from the consequence of disobedience, without consulting His own convenience or pleasure. To do this He became humanity's substitute and surety, took human nature, and gave His life to atone for human sin, so that through His death believers receive life and an opportunity to know God and His law.
He took human nature and endured humanity's hardships and Satan's temptations, overcoming without turning from loyalty to God. His victory over the powers of darkness makes salvation possible, for failure in even one instance would have left humanity without salvation. That same taking of human nature and overcoming of temptation makes it possible for humanity to be pure and holy.
By His suffering and death under the load of human guilt He bore the penalty for transgression of God's law, revealing sin's offensive character. This bearing of the penalty made it possible to ransom every soul, however fallen, and made pardon available to those who repent and come to Him. Salvation was thus made possible by suffering and death.
His blood cleanses from sin as a fountain prepared by the Redeemer to make the sinner whole and to heal sin's wounds. His merits as crucified and risen Saviour can be claimed. As Advocate with the Father He takes away sins and imputes His own righteousness.
His perfect character and obedience to every requirement of the law are offered for the guilty and credited to them, so their efforts to obey are acceptable. His life and death provide the merit by which believing sinners receive forgiveness and righteousness, and through that imputed righteousness they can become conquerors. The sacrifices offered at the tabernacle pointed to Him as the Lamb who would die for the sin of the world, and the gospel reveals Him in those offerings. He was manifested to take sin away, and those who believe may be cleansed from defilement and restored to divine favor through His grace as Intercessor.
Receiving Salvation by Faith
Salvation was made possible by suffering and death, and it is received by faith. That faith is genuine and living faith in the offering made for sin, a faith that holds fast and does not let go. Believing is more than feeling; it is living trust and reliance that brings rescue from sin and justifying righteousness.
Sinners must repent and turn from disobedience and from transgression of God's law, and by faith claim the merits of the blood shed for them. That repentance is for breaking the commandments, and the faith that receives pardon also receives grace to live in obedience and to obey acceptably. This rescue does not leave people in sin nor excuse continued disobedience, for true faith works by love and leads to obedience.
The one who comes with a broken and contrite heart and confesses sin is saved, and such a heart is not rejected. Mercy draws sinners and receives the penitent who confess and trust the hope of the gospel. That mercy breaks the power of sin, which is the cause of the world's misery, without weakening the law.
The law acts as a mirror that convinces people they are transgressors and gives knowledge of sin by revealing spots and deformities of character. It cannot save from its penalty, and abolishing it would not remove the defects it exposes. When condemned by the law, people must come with humble penitent hearts to God for pardon and wash in the fountain prepared by the Redeemer to make the sinner whole.
Dwelling on sin while staying away cannot save, for the name given signifies the only power that can save from sin. As with the serpent lifted in the wilderness, the call is to look and live by a living faith that holds fast.
The verse means personal rescue through forgiveness of all sins, sanctification to God, purification by blood, consecration to God's will, and baptism with the Spirit. Even a dying sinner who has confessed wrongs and distrust may have full assurance of being loved as a child of God. That assurance brings victory over impatience, reconciliation to affliction, nearness of Jesus, a shining face, triumph without fear, and reason to praise and honor Jesus as long as breath lasts.
Salvation cannot be bought; receiving Christ leads to an experience in which good works follow. Forgiveness brings joy and a free, joyful testimony. Confessing faith in Jesus' love and confessing backsliding in faith belong together with receiving that forgiveness.
Clear conviction of sin and awareness of the need for this faith deepen love for Jesus. Dependence on God for spiritual health and growth enables practicing the truth and showing gentleness. Neglecting the example given and failing to do the Word is neglecting this salvation and becoming separated from God.
Obedient Transformed Life
Sin is transgression and violation of God's commandments, the cause of the world's misery, and rescue from it means turning from continual transgression to obedience, leaving the error of the ways, and putting sin and iniquity out of the heart. Salvation is from sin, not a leaving of people in disregard of the law, for He imparts His righteousness to those who obey it, and people who cannot overcome by their own strength receive His righteousness through faith because He died and obeyed every requirement of the law they had transgressed. Cleansing by His blood is received through personal repentance and faith, and turning from sin is what salvation means.
Salvation does not excuse continued disobedience and does not release people from obedience to God's changeless law. His bearing sin does not remove the obligation to obey, and His suffering and death did not set aside the law but provided His perfect character to be offered for the guilty so that His righteousness is credited to them and their efforts to obey are acceptable, making them conquerors through the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. The salvation He gives breaks sin's power rather than weakening God's law, drawing sinners by mercy to confess and trust the gospel's hope and be received with mercy. His atonement gives every person opportunity to become a child of God, and His power enables overcoming temptation and obedience.
Those He saves are called to leave wrong ways, follow His example, deny self, take up the cross and follow Him, and obey God at any cost. There is no serving of two masters and no question of obeying His commandments or following temporal interests, for His death delivers from the consequence of disobedience and salvation is from sins, not in sins and not while remaining in them. This deliverance includes both condemnation and practice of sin, and calls for self-denial rather than slavery to appetite. Overcoming comes by doing the Lord's words.
True faith works by love and leads to obedience. He alone provides pardon, and salvation comes through repentance for transgression of God's law and faith in Him, a faith that receives both forgiveness and grace to live in obedience. Through His imputed righteousness and cooperation with divine power, made possible because He took human nature and overcame temptation so humanity can be pure and holy, believing sinners receive forgiveness and righteousness and can obey God's commandments, while persistent disobedience shows choice of sin's rule. Clear conviction of sin and awareness of need for genuine living faith in His offering deepen love for Him, and dependence on God for spiritual health and growth enables practicing the truth and showing His gentleness.
His saving grace is for everyday life, and truth abiding in the heart sanctifies the life. As people accept His character and spirit and know Him through communion with God, He changes their thoughts and aims so that obedience becomes the heart's own desire. Sin becomes hateful, and He gives strength for obedience and service, enabling people to overcome sin and live as He lived.
Coming to Him means laying aside sin and separating from anything that would separate from God. Sins, vices, follies, pride, and worldliness are to be laid at His cross by those who come to Him. He calls for this because He loves people and desires to save them, and accepting the truth brings a longing for transformation. His death under the load of human guilt reveals sin's offensive character and presses this putting away of sin from the heart.
His ransom on the cross bears the world's iniquity and makes pardon available to those who repent and come to Him, and those who receive His grace are adopted as God's children and become obedient to Him. His work makes it possible to develop a holy character in deliverance from transgression and a life of obedience to God's holy law, which reveals His character and expresses mercy, goodness, and love. Overcoming sin and growing in love, humility, and other traits pleasing to God is a lifelong work carried forward day by day.
Reflecting on His saving mission, mercy, love, and work as Redeemer and Intercessor strengthens faith and love. His saving power reaches all who come to God through Him, and meditating on Him awakens desire to be transformed into His pure character.
Representing Him to the world means showing Him as one who saves people from sin. Trusting and relying on Him brings salvation from sin and justifying righteousness, and the resulting life bears holy works, pure thoughts and speech, and a sanctifying influence on others. His saving work involved great sacrifice, and those who follow Him care about the salvation of the people He came to save.
Salvation from sin includes forgiveness and cleansing, and the saved honor God and praise Him for this deliverance. That deliverance is to a life of obedience expressing His character of mercy, goodness, and love.