The Israelites were God's old covenant people. They existed to bring in the Messiah and illustrate God's relationship to His new covenant people, the church (Rom. 15:4). In Ezekiel 36, God tells the prophet of Israel's deliverance from idolatry into a saving relationship with Christ. He is speaking to His new covenant people, His elect, both Jew and Gentile, which are scattered throughout the earth.
Before He saves us, God's elect often go from BAD TO WORSE. We go from the immorality of drunkenness and fornication into the self-righteousness of religious dead works– "And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land (Ezek. 36:20)." Whenever someone takes the name of Christ in vain, they profane the Holy Name of God. Whenever someone declares acceptance by sincere obedience rather than a perfect obedience, God's law is cast down–"Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonorest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written (Rom. 2:23-24)." And again, Jeremiah speaks of those that are given to covetousness and self-glory. They've heard another gospel, which is not another, which declares that something can and must be added to Christ. "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush… (read Jer. 6:13-15)."
Yet, God saves His people in spite of our religious self-righteousness –"But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went (Ezek. 36:21)." The Holy Name of God is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He is the revelation of God, the express image of His person, His very glory, and the unveiling of His entire purpose of grace (John 17:6 / II Cor. 4:6 / Heb. 1:3 / Eph. 3:11). Secondly, HOLINESS precedes God's name and God's works more often than any other title. It is the holy temple, the holy Sabbath, the holy anointing oil, the holy day, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Child Jesus, and Christ Himself prayed, "Holy Father". Yet, the HOLINESS OF GOD, in our salvation, means that we have been included in Christ Jesus. When God looks upon Christ, He sees His elect in one glorious union. We are "… the fullness of him that filleth all in all". We are saved for His Holy Names sake because no member of the Christ's body can be destroyed. If the Head is holy, then every member of His body must be holy – "For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken (John 19:36)." Therefore, because of our union with Christ in eternal election, and for the glory of His great Name, God saves us.
Thirdly, God's salvation is according to His great love. He says, "But I had pity for mine holy name…" God's pity is ours through Christ the Lord. He does not look upon us the same way that He sees the non-elect. He looks upon the rest of Adam's race through the lenses of His holiness and perceives in them nothing but depravity forever. Yet, He looks upon His elect through the mediating blood of our Lord Jesus and loves us with heartfelt pity and compassion. "Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord (Jer. 31:20)." Even while Joseph's brothers feared and trembled before them, he wept secretly and "his bowels did yearn upon his brother". When Lot was commanded to flee from Sodom, he lingered in that wretched city… "And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful [having pity] unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city."
Fourthly, God manifests His pity through preaching; it is by the preaching of the gospel that He washes us with the water of the Word (Ezek. 36:25). It is God Himself who sprinkles the clean water upon our heart. This gospel is a revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and every bit of Christianity is a revelation of God; it is a revelation from God, and it is a revelation of God. And, your cleaving unto God's messengers is evidence of your new birth. When Paul preached at Athens, most everyone mocked. "Howbeit certain men cleaved unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and woman named Damaris, and others with them (Act 17:34)." And, sooner or later, you will make a decision as to WHOM you will worship, by whom you will worship with. The time of separation comes when you know that the gospel is NOT where you are, and you must join yourself with the Lord's people. We do not worship men, but we do get to Christ through the men that He has sent (I Thess. 1:4-6, 9 & 2:12-13).
Fifthly, God's salvation is also evidenced by self-loathing. You did not loathe yourself until AFTER God saved you. While in religion, I was concerned about my works, but now I abhor what I am. I once found peace in what I did or didn't do, but now I can only find peace through the blood of His cross. Before, I could convince myself that my sin was not so bad. Now, I must hear the gospel message, which says, "… Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin (Rom. 4:7-8)."
And one last thing, God will have us know that His salvation is NOT because of us – "Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel (Ezek. 36:32)." We are blessed IN our deeds, but never FOR our deeds (James 1:25). I hope that you have been blessed reading this article, but you are not blessed FOR reading it. We are blessed for Christ's sake alone (Eph. 2:8). We could have read, studied, and labored incessantly, but without the shedding of His blood to alleviate the guilt of our sin, we would never have obtained anything. Be it known unto you, my brethren, as you labor to serve your Master in the gospel, that you're blessed by Him and because of Him. This is God's Salvation!
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