Wonderful Merciful Savior

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you desperately needed someone to rescue you? Maybe it was a car accident, a financial crisis, or a relationship falling apart. In those moments, we long for a savior – someone to step in and make things right. But what about our deepest, most profound need for salvation? Let’s explore the concept of Jesus as our Savior and why it matters for our lives today.

What is a Savior?

In the Bible, the word “savior” simply means someone who saves or rescues someone else. It’s more than just being pulled from a wrecked vehicle or helped out of a difficult situation. A savior, in the truest sense, is one who delivers us from our greatest peril.

As I prepared this message, I couldn’t help but think about the things in our society that remind us how desperately we need a Savior:

“When I thought about the killing of children and adults in elementary school, I thought our world needs a savior. I think about the killing of unborn children, I think about how the world needs a savior. When I think about the devastation and the war in Ukraine, I think about how our world needs a savior.”

But it’s not just the big, headline-grabbing events that show our need for a Savior. We need saving from the apathy in our hearts, our judgmental spirits, and our tendency to do things in our own strength.

In the New Testament, we see Jesus referred to as Savior multiple times. For instance, in Luke 2:11, the angels proclaim, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Who Needs a Savior?

The short answer? All of us. Every single one of us needs a Savior. The Bible is clear about our condition: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Our sin separates us from God and leads to death – both physical and spiritual.

As I often remind my congregation, “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but you’re a sinner. Every one of you have sinned. Sometimes newlyweds think, ‘Oh, I don’t know if my spouse could ever sin.’ Yeah, they can sin. They will sin. Your children sin. We’re all sinners.”

Our greatest need isn’t financial security, good health, or even world peace. Our greatest need is salvation from our sins and reconciliation with God.

Who is Qualified to Be Our Savior?

This is where Jesus comes in. As both fully God and fully man, Jesus is uniquely qualified to be our Savior. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and paid the price for our sins that we could never pay. He conquered sin, death, and hell so that those who believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life.

“There is no other savior, there is no other name, there is no other way. There is one person, and that’s Jesus Christ, and He is the one who can be our Savior.”

So What? Why Does This Matter?

Understanding Jesus as our Savior has profound implications for our lives:

1. He is worth obeying: If Jesus has saved us, shouldn’t we be eager to follow His commands? As Paul writes in Titus 1:3, he was entrusted with preaching “by the command of God our Savior.”
2. He is worth living for: Our lives should reflect the transforming power of our Savior. Titus 2:10 encourages us to live in such a way that we “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.”
3. He is coming again: Titus 2:13 reminds us that we are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” This hope should motivate us to live with purpose and anticipation.

Life Application: Embracing Our Savior

1. Cultivate a deeper relationship with Jesus: Spend time in His Word, submit to His Spirit, and long for truth from the One who loves you more than you can imagine.
2. Live in light of His salvation: Allow the reality of Christ’s saving work to transform how you respond to difficulties, treat others, and view your purpose in life.
3. Share the good news: If Jesus is truly the Savior of the world, shouldn’t we be eager to tell others about Him?
4. Look forward to His return: Let the promise of Christ’s second coming fill you with hope and motivate you to live faithfully for Him.

Remember, Jesus is not just a Savior for eternity; He’s our Savior today. He saves us from the penalty of sin, is saving us from the power of sin, and one day will save us from the very presence of sin. May we never lose sight of our wonderful, merciful Savior and the difference He makes in our lives.