From the Editor Sep/Oct 2023
Hymns have a unique staying power. If you grew up singing hymns in your church, I’m sure you can attest to this fact. The sweet words of these songs lodge deep within our hearts and leave us with theological gems that we remember unexpectedly.
“It Is Well With My Soul,” the inspiring hymn Horatio Spafford penned upon losing his four daughters in a shipwreck, has left cherished truths in my mind. Spafford wrote,
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
This timeless hymn teaches a sacred truth that brings a smile to my face: When we place our faith in Jesus the Messiah, our salvation from sin is secure now and forever! The Savior who bought our redemption assures us He will never take it away. What a blessing it is to know that through the Holy Spirit we are “sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).
Let’s celebrate the certainty of our salvation in this issue of Israel My Glory. We cover Scripture’s teaching on eternal security, the joy of our faith in the Holy Spirit’s sealing of our souls, and the answers to your pressing questions about this doctrine. This issue also features a gripping, retrospective analysis of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, as we observe this October the 50th anniversary of Israel’s hard-fought battle for survival.
The eternal security of our salvation especially comforts us in our fragile, changing world. In this life, almost nothing stays the same. Clothes wear out, buildings crumble, relationships fade, peace breaks, and the “good old days” wither away. One day, even “heaven and earth will pass away,” Jesus said, “but My words will by no means pass away” (Mt. 24:35).
Take comfort, my friends, in the One “with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (Jas. 1:17). He has promised us salvation from sin and everlasting life when we turn to Him. I can think of nothing greater than to spend eternity with Him and, in the meantime, to live with confidence in this promise. I hope you feel the same as you read this issue!
In His service,
Jesse King
Managing Editor
