Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isa 45:22 KJV).
When it comes to eternal matters, many look in the wrong place or to the wrong person. People look to works (themselves), preachers or parents – the wrong places. Isaiah 45:22 shows us the right – and only – place to look for salvation.
The Only God
First, we establish the Speaker: “I am God.” If it were Isaiah speaking, it wouldn’t have the same impact. But the only God says, “Look to Me!” We should listen to what He says. We listen to authority figures all the time; children listen to their parents and teachers; we listen to bosses, police officers and doctors. But do we listen to the only God? He has given warnings in His Word. He has told us about the way of salvation. Do we listen to Him or ignore Him? He is the only God; there are no other gods or higher authorities. Listen to what He says!
The Only Savior
God says, “Look to Me, and be saved.” The One speaking here is the only Savior; only He can say these words and mean them. If I need something, I go to someone who can meet that need. If I have car trouble, I ask a mechanic; I don’t take the car to a restaurant to get fixed. Sometimes, the need is so great that there are few options. If you have a rare disease, a hospital far away might be your only hope of survival.
But this is a much greater need because sin is worse than any disease. Sin leads to death (Rom 6:23) and eternal separation from God in hell. It doesn’t get any worse or more serious than that! And yet, the only God says, You can be saved! Your sins can be forgiven; you can have peace with God and a home in heaven. How do we know this is true? Because the only God said it. Trust Him because only He can save you. He doesn’t limit it to a select group, but says that “all the ends of the earth” are eligible. That includes you! He wants to save you, and so He says, “Look unto Me!”
Our Only Hope
Finally, look at the last words here: “there is none else.” Maybe you’ve heard someone mention a “Plan B.” If what you want to do doesn’t work, you move on to Plan B. When it comes to salvation, there is no Plan B. There is only one God, one Savior, and He is our only hope for forgiveness. Without Him, we would be lost forever.
Thankfully, our only hope finished the work of salvation. Plan A works! Think back to that rare disease, or any disease. If we had any hope of beating it, it would surely involve a lot of work, including doctor visits, medicine, surgery, recovery, etc. But not here – “Look unto Me and be saved!” Jesus Christ has already done the work. God gave His Son to the death of the cross, a work that satisfied God completely for our sin. The work is done, and we only look to Him. We accept His gift and trust His Word that it really is finished. Trust His Word; look to Christ and be saved today!
