A blog from Isaiah 12:4–6
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Salvation changes more than our eternal destination. It changes what we have to say.
Isaiah 12 begins with the joy of experiencing God’s salvation. But in verses 4–6, that joy begins to overflow. The focus shifts outward: “Give thanks to the LORD… proclaim his deeds among the peoples… make known in all the earth.”
Those who have experienced the greatness of God’s salvation are called to share it.
Hebrews 2:3 asks a sobering question: “How will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” We often think of neglecting salvation as rejecting it altogether. But there is another way we can neglect what God has done: we can experience His salvation and then keep the good news to ourselves.
I. The Great Salvation We Possess.
Isaiah repeatedly uses the phrase “on that day.” In its immediate context, Judah faced the threat of Assyria as God dealt with the nation’s sin and rejection of Him. Yet Isaiah looked ahead to a day of deliverance—a day when God would rescue His people.
That picture of salvation points us toward an even greater spiritual reality.
John 3:18 tells us that the person who does not believe in Christ “is already condemned.” Sin separates us from God, and no religion, morality, good works, or personal performance can rescue us.
But there comes a day when everything changes.
For the Christian, it is the day we stop trusting in ourselves and place our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Our sins are forgiven. We are reconciled to God. We receive the promise of eternal life. We are sealed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
That is the great salvation we possess.
We should never become so familiar with the gospel that we lose our wonder over what Jesus has done. We were condemned, and He saved us. We were separated from God, and He reconciled us. We could not save ourselves, so Jesus did for us what we could never do.
What a day it is when Jesus saves us!
II. The Great Salvation We Profess.
Beginning in verse 4, Isaiah’s language changes. After describing salvation in verses 1–3, he begins giving commands:
“Give thanks to the LORD, proclaim his name! Make his works known among the peoples. Declare that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things.”
Salvation produces a response.
We praise the Lord. We call upon His name. We sing because of the great things He has done. Our salvation should result in a life that gives praise and honor to Christ.
Psalm 105:1–2 echoes this same response: “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; proclaim his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell about all his wondrous works!”
Our profession of Christ is not limited to what we say.
Think of a wedding ring. A wedding ring does not create a marriage, but it publicly identifies someone as married. In a similar way, our lives should publicly identify us with Jesus Christ.
Baptism is the believer’s initial public profession of faith, but our profession does not end at baptism. The way we live continues to profess what we believe.
Do we live lives of praise? Do we trust Christ when life is difficult? Do we speak about what He has done? Does the way we live point others toward Jesus?
Our lives should reveal that we have experienced this great salvation.
III. The Great Salvation We Proclaim.
Isaiah’s instructions do not stop with personal worship. He tells God’s people to “proclaim his name,” “make his works known among the peoples,” and make His greatness known “in all the earth.”
The good news of salvation is meant to be proclaimed.
Sharing the gospel includes telling others what Jesus has done in our own lives. But it goes beyond our personal testimony. We are also telling others what Jesus can do in theirs.
Jesus gave this same mission to His followers.
In Matthew 28:19–20, He commanded His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations.
In Luke 24:46–49, Jesus said that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all nations and told His followers, “You are witnesses of these things.”
In Acts 1:8, He promised the power of the Holy Spirit so that His followers could be His witnesses “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
And in John 20:21, Jesus said simply, “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
Witnessing is not an optional activity reserved for a select few Christians. It is part of the life of someone who has experienced the saving grace of Jesus.
Think about how naturally we recommend something we love. When we discover a great restaurant, we tell people about it. We describe what we ordered, why we loved it, and why they should try it too. We do it because our experience was worth sharing.
How much more should that be true of salvation?
If Jesus has forgiven our sins, reconciled us to God, transformed our lives, and given us eternal life, then we have something infinitely greater to share.
And when we share, God uses it in more than one way. We worship by giving Jesus the glory for what He has done. We witness by showing others how they can be saved. And we walk more faithfully with Christ as obedience strengthens and matures our faith.
Those who have genuinely experienced salvation should desire for others to experience it too.
Don’t Neglect So Great a Salvation
So how might we neglect such a great salvation?
By keeping it to ourselves.
Isaiah 12 ends with an invitation to “cry out and sing.” Salvation is too great to remain silent about.
There are people all around us who need the hope we have found in Jesus. They do not simply need to know that we go to church or that Christianity is important to us. They need to hear what Christ has done and how they, too, can be reconciled to God through Him.
You do not have to know every answer. You do not need a perfect presentation. Start with what you know.
Tell someone what Jesus has done for you. Tell them why you trust Him. Tell them how He saved you. And invite them to experience this great salvation for themselves.
The joy of salvation was never meant to stop with us. We possess it. We profess it. And we proclaim it.
A salvation this great is too good to keep to ourselves.
