Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. – Psalm 68:19
You have probably noticed how car dealerships often put large signs above their vehicles, with the words “Fully Loaded” printed in big, bold letters. Several years back I had an experience with a “fully loaded” vehicle. My wife was in the hospital because of a pregnancy, so I had to go to the car dealership alone to buy our new van. As a result, we ended up with a fully loaded vehicle.
The first time my wife saw the van, she was a little shocked. She said, “You picked out the best one in the lot! What happened?” I explained to her that I knew I had taken every option available for this vehicle, but that when I considered the “options,” they really were not optional. For example, one option was whether we wanted the long version or the regular version of the van. I felt that for our family of seven, I had no choice but to pay for the longer version. Another option was the alarm system. In our neighborhood it is not rare for a car to be stolen, so although the alarm was considered an optional feature, for me it was not. Granted, those options were not cheap, but they were effective.
When it comes to the Gospel, the Lord does not want us to lack anything; He wants us to have a fully loaded salvation. He was aware of our exact needs long before we came to Him, and He had already designed the perfect model just for us. He knew we would need to be saved from the penalty of sin, and He died on the Cross to purchase that salvation. He knew we would need to be saved from the natural tendency to sin, and for that He paid for our sanctification. And He knew we would need power to be effective servants, and for that He sent the Comforter, His Holy Spirit. All of these experiences are integral parts of a fully loaded salvation. They are not options; we need them.
Thankfully, the blessings of the Gospel do not end with just three experiences. The Lord has also supplied every other need that will come our way—be it encouragement, comfort, guidance, protection, or healing. God’s salvation is truly fully loaded! It is no wonder that the Psalmist said, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits.” God wants us to have the very best, and what He offers a soul is the very best. He is second to none in His goodness, and He has the power to supply our every need.