Perfect Salvation – November 5, 2021

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire . . . They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
Daniel 3:26,27

Perfect Salvation

“I think it can be salvaged.” In other words, it wasn’t a total loss. Maybe the damage came as the result of a fire or flood. Maybe there was an accident that was a bit more serious than your average fender bender. Maybe some bodily extremity found itself up against something sharp and lost the battle. Damage was most definitely done, but a person with the skills to repair the damage—at least somewhat—says, “I think it can be salvaged.” Whew!

Is that the situation in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found themselves after they were fished out of the fiery furnace? Did they survive the hellish blast, but just barely? Did they need to be rushed to the hospital with first, second, or third-degree burns? Did the doctors look at them after their ordeal and say with some hesitation, “I think their bodies can be salvaged”?

Nope.

The Old Testament prophet Daniel tells us what King Nebuchadnezzar, who had sentenced these men to the flames, and his officials witnessed. “They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.” It wasn’t that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had just barely managed to survive their fiery ordeal. They hadn’t even been touched by it.

What does it prove? It proves that Jesus isn’t only the world’s perfect Savior; he also provides perfect salvation. His saving work is more than a reclamation or restoration job. It goes way beyond a new paint job to spruce up appearances for the time being. He doesn’t simply perform reconstructive surgery.

No, Jesus heals us perfectly. He forgives us perfectly. He saves us perfectly, once and for all and forever. Indeed, as the apostle Paul once wrote, “we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10).

Trust him. You won’t be disappointed. He guarantees it.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to understand that perfect salvation is found in you alone. Amen.