Look Unto Me and Be Saved – Hope from Isaiah 45:22

We live in a world that prizes self-reliance and self-improvement — but the message of the gospel is the opposite. In Isaiah 45:22, God speaks with stunning simplicity: “Look unto Me, and be saved.”

This message reminds us that salvation isn’t about what we can do for God; it’s about what God has already done for us through Jesus Christ.

Sermon of the gospel message

The preacher begins with a direct question: Are you saved?

To illustrate what salvation means, he pictures someone in the middle of the Ottawa River whose boat has capsized. That person doesn’t need advice or better technique — they need to be rescued.

Spiritually, every person begins in the same place: far from God, in danger because of sin. Jesus described it as being on the “broad road that leads to destruction” (Matthew 7:13–14). But there’s another road — a narrow one that leads to life. Each of us must ask, Which road am I on?

A Personal Story of Realization

The preacher recalls a summer evening years ago when he invited a coworker named Adam to a gospel meeting. As Adam listened to the message and studied a chart showing the two roads, he realized he was on the wrong one.

“If what those men are saying is true,” he said, “then I’m on the broad road.”

Not long after, Adam trusted Christ. He understood Jesus’ words: “I am the door. By Me if anyone enters in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9). That simple act of trust changed his eternal direction.

The Character of God

From Isaiah 45, we learn that God reveals Himself as powerful and personal. Verse 18 describes the Lord as the Creator of the heavens and the earth — a reminder that creation itself displays the power of God. Every breath, every heartbeat, every view of this world speaks of His design.

Yet God is not only powerful; He is righteous. Verse 19 shows that He hasn’t hidden who He is. A holy God must deal with sin justly. The Bible says, “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).

That truth exposes our need: sin separates us from God, and judgment is what we deserve.

The Love and Concern of God

The good news is that the same God who is righteous is also loving. Heaven has moved to meet our need. John 3:16 declares that God gave His Son for the world.

Through Jesus, God Himself entered our story. He didn’t ignore our sin — He bore it. He became our substitute on the cross, satisfying divine justice so that mercy could reach us.

The preacher reminds us that God is patient and caring. 2 Peter 3:9 says He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

The reason God delays judgment is that He still longs to save.

The Call of God: Look Unto Me

The heart of the sermon centers on God’s invitation: “Look unto Me and be saved.”

These are not the words of a preacher or a church — they are the words of God Himself. The call carries divine authority (“I am God, and there is none else”) and complete availability (“all the ends of the earth”).

No one is outside God’s reach. Salvation is not limited to a few; it’s offered to everyone. Whether a child in Ottawa, a young professional in the city, or someone listening online halfway across the world — the call is the same: Look to Christ.

The Work of Christ: It Is Finished

The message of salvation rests on what Jesus accomplished at the cross.

When He died, God’s justice was fully satisfied. The resurrection proves that the work is complete and accepted. There is now a living Saviour in heaven who bears the marks of the cross — evidence that our debt has been paid.

Because of this, the gospel can offer certainty: forgiveness is not something we earn but something God gives freely. As the hymn says, “Because the sinless Saviour died, my sinful soul is counted free.”

The Assurance of Salvation

Faith means trusting God’s Word, not our emotions. Feelings change, but God’s promises do not. The Bible declares, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

To “look” to Christ is to rely on Him alone — to stop trusting in self-effort and rest in what He has already done.

Salvation is secure because it depends entirely on Him.

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If this raised questions, the full message on Isaiah 45:22 goes deeper into “rescue vs. self-rescue.” Watch the full message or contact us.