Evidences of Naaman's Salvation

Driving home: He received the healing of his leprous soul and that long after that body healed of the living death of leprosy was rotting in a grave, the soul that was brought to the healing touch of the living God will be, as it is i…

Naaman's physical healing is presented as a 'picture in the theater of the physical and the tangible' of God's mighty work in the 'realm of the invisible and the intangible,' the soul, to illustrate the spiritual nature of salvation.

After considering the record of Naaman's healing, as setting forth in a very vivid way the unrivaled sovereignty of God, the unfathomable wisdom of God, and something of the unbounded love of God, we then examined for two Lord's Day evenings this account of Naaman's healing as setting forth in a very graphic way the way of a sinner's salvation. Naaman's healing is like a number of the healings, recorded in the Old and the New Testament, in that these healings are, as it were, a picture in the theater of the physical and the tangible of the mighty work of God in the realm of the invisible and t...

3:35 - 4:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He received the healing of his leprous soul and that long after that body healed of the living death of leprosy was rotting in a grave, the soul that was brought to the healing touch of the living God will be, as it is i…

The contrast between Naaman's 'leprous body' and 'leprous soul' is used to emphasize that his spiritual healing was far more wonderful and enduring than his physical healing.

And where once human eyes could see the ugly evidences of the living death of leprosy, those same eyes could now behold the evidence of his physical healing. Well, it's my thesis tonight that verses 15, through 19 contain equally clear and equally convincing evidence that Naaman received not only the healing of his leprous body, but something far more wonderful. He received the healing of his leprous soul and that long after that body healed of the living death of leprosy was rotting in a grave, the soul that was brought to the healing touch of the living God will be, as it is in this very mom...

5:22 - 6:39 Read in full sermon

The point: If you have experienced spiritual healing, you will inevitably make a public confession of Jehovah Jesus as the only Savior of sinners.

Rahab the harlot's knowledge of Jehovah from Joshua 2 is cited as an example of how the mighty deeds of God were known among pagan nations, giving context to Naaman's confession.

And we must remember that the knowledge of the mighty deeds of Jehovah were quite well known amongst the pagan nations. When you turn to the book of Joshua in chapter 2 and read all that Rahab the harlot knew about Jehovah, and that was prior to the conquest of Canaan, you can imagine the tremendous backlog of knowledge that existed by way of verbal transmission among these pagan nations, concerning that God, who was the God who would put forth his arm of power on behalf of his own peculiar people, so that this confession in a real sense is a parallel to confession to that of Rahab, which acco...

10:19 - 11:47 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is utterly impossible, morally, spiritually, psychologically, use whatever term you want to describe what man is inwardly as an image bearer of God. It is impossible to have any felt sense of free and sovereign mercy …

The idea of Naaman having a 'little booklet' with 'Six directives to new converts' is used to highlight that his gratitude was spontaneous and reflexive, not a commanded duty.

He had no little booklet that was stuck in his pocket. Six directives to new converts, and he turned it up and said, Oh, if you're converted now, you must...

21:42 - 21:51 Read in full sermon

The point: If you do not count it your delight to say, 'I am not my own,' and have not given yourself to Jesus, you are not a Christian.

The hymn writer's words, 'Here, Lord, I give myself to thee. 'Tis all that I can do,' are quoted to illustrate the spontaneous, self-giving response of a heart touched by God's grace.

Sorry, verse 9 of 1 Thessalonians 1. For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you, how that ye turned unto God from idols, there's Naaman's confession, to serve a living and true God. Not only was there a turning and repudiation of the false gods, but there was the glad spontaneous abandonment to the true and the living God. In the language of the hymn writer, contemplating the wonder of Christ's death, he penned the words, Hear, Lord, I give myself to thee. Tis all that I can do. It is utterly impossible, morally, spiritually, psychologically, use whatev...

23:21 - 24:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third evidence is Naaman's request for two mules' burden of earth to build an altar in Syria, declaring his intention to worship only Jehovah. This signifies a settled…

The image of Naaman returning to Syria with 'a couple of donkeys with some dirt' amidst his wealth is used to vividly portray the unusual and public nature of his commitment to Jehovah.

Coming back, still with all his money. Nobody took it from him except the little bit that Gehazi tried to take later on. He's coming back with all the ten chains of clothing, almost a thousand pounds of precious metals, and then tagging behind is a couple of donkeys with some dirt. I mean that isn't exactly what you usually find.

30:20 - 30:40 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are a Christian, you have a settled determination to worship and serve no God but Jehovah, even at the cost of disapproval from friends or family.

Elisha's ministry, including the multiplication of barley loaves and resurrections, is presented as a 'wonderful prefigurement of gospel days,' connecting Naaman's altar to the future spread of Gentile worship of Jesus.

He's going back saying, I'm setting up a true center of worship right in the heart of the people of Israel. And he says, in the heart, polytheism and abounding idolatry. He is saying to the prophet, I have a settled determination to worship and serve no god but Jehovah and to do it at any cost. Now, it's my own conviction that the more profound significance of this event, I can't make judgment on whether or not he still had some overtones of pagan thinking, but as we have found again and again in the ministry of Elisha, there is a wonderful prefigurement of gospel days in Elisha's ministry. We...

31:34 - 32:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Do you know anything of walking with a tender conscience before God, feeling pain and seeking forgiveness for harsh words, forbidden objects, envy, jealousy, or bitterness?

A quotation from Edersheim is used to explain Naaman's scruple about bowing in Rimmon's house, clarifying that his bowing was incidental to his duties, not an act of worship, and thus demonstrating a tender conscience.

. myself in the house of Rimen, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. And he said unto him, you miserable, half-converted hypocrite, you don't have the root of the matter in you. That's the way some commentators interpret the passage. The only right thing for Elisha to have said to him is words such as I have read into the text. No, Elisha says, go in peace. And of all that I have read on this passage, nothing makes more good sense with the text and the context than what I read in Edersheim, who, speaking to this, says, when my master, this is his own translation from the original, when m...

40:18 - 41:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Do you know anything of walking with a tender conscience before God, feeling pain and seeking forgiveness for harsh words, forbidden objects, envy, jealousy, or bitterness?

The analogy of 'shipwrecked concerning the faith' is used to illustrate how neglecting a good conscience and allowing it to be 'bloodied' leads to apostasy, starting with heart perversity rather than intellectual error.

I pray that Jehovah will pardon thy servant what is this my friend here's the evidence of a converted man who like the apostle Paul exercises himself to have a conscience void of offense to God and to man one of these days I hope to preach a series of messages on the doctrine of conscience in relationship to the Christian life suffice it to say that the apostle Paul puts it as a central issue in maintaining the vitality of spiritual life he says to Timothy the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith on faith he goes on in 1st Timothy to say Timothy hold faith ...

44:05 - 45:31 Read in full sermon

The point: If you can go days without prayer and your conscience doesn't speak, or if you rob the Lord of his portion without your conscience twitching, it's doubtful you know the grace of God experimentally.

The example of a new convert weeping over skipping prayer is used to illustrate the tenderness of a true convert's conscience, contrasting it with the hardened heart that dismisses such concern as 'legalism'.

To see a new convert weep. And when you ask him why, he says, I didn't pray today. I got so busy I skipped prayer. I've seen new converts weep because they despise their Lord enough to skip a day of conscious communion. Oh, that's legalism. My friend, that's the language of your own unconverted heart that knows nothing of the very thing we're talking about. Some of you can go days and not pray. Conscience doesn't speak. You see, the new convert Smithley feels as guilty as though he robbed the First National when he cheated the Lord on his portion.

48:27 - 49:12 Read in full sermon

The point: If you can go days without prayer and your conscience doesn't speak, or if you rob the Lord of his portion without your conscience twitching, it's doubtful you know the grace of God experimentally.

The example of someone initially shocked by 'titillating' or 'unclean language' on TV but eventually becoming desensitized is used to illustrate how a conscience can become hardened by sin.

Just like some of you sitting in front of the TV. The first scene that came in front of your eyes was titillating in nature. It was marked by ribaldry or by unclean language. You felt a shock and horror and your hand reached out instinctively, and you flipped off the TV.

49:49 - 50:09 Read in full sermon