Why Salvation and what is it for?
Most people understand the concept of a person who saves someone else.
We sometimes hear in the news of people who risk their lives to save someone else: firemen, policemen, etc.
The Bible often refers to God, especially Jesus, as our Savior.
John 4:42 - The Samaritans said, "...we have heard for ourselves and
know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
"Savior" means one who saves, delivers, rescues others from peril, danger, or calamity.
The purpose of this study is to consider the Bible teaching about Jesus as Savior.
We want to consider some examples in which God has saved people from
various dangers throughout history. We will consider specifically what
it means to you and me today: why do we need Jesus as our Savior? Then
we will consider what Jesus did so we could be saved, and what we must
do to receive His salvation.
Consider the following facts about Jesus as our Savior:
I. Examples of Divine Salvation
The Bible reveals a pattern that God has repeatedly saved people from
danger and destruction. Consider some Old Testament examples:
* Lot - Genesis 19:19 - God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their
evil, but first sent Lot out. Lot said (to the angel) that he had mercy
and saved Lot's life. Note that God punishes the wicked, but saves the
righteous.
* Jacob and his family - Genesis 50:20 [45:7] - Joseph's brothers had
sold him as a slave into Egypt. Eventually he became governor of the
land and brought his family there to keep them alive through a famine.
He said that his brothers had meant to do him harm, but God used it to
save many people alive. Note that God used the evil of wicked people to
bring salvation to the righteous.
* Israel at the Red Sea - Exodus 14:13 [15:2] - When Israel was
trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea, Moses said to not be
afraid but see the salvation of the Lord. God opened the sea so they
passed on dry ground, then caused it to collapse and kill the Egyptians.
Note that the means that God used to save the righteous also became a
means to punish the wicked.
* Gideon and Israel - Judges 7:2,7 - God deliberately reduced the
size of Gideon's army so they would not think they had saved themselves
by their own hand. Instead, God said He would save them from the
Midianites. Note that God requires men to act in order for Him to save
them, but He makes clear that He Himself is the one who saved them.
[6:14,15,36,37]
* David and Israel - 1 Samuel 17:47 - When David faced Goliath, he
said that God does not save by sword or spear, but He would give victory
over Goliath.
These and other examples illustrate the concept of a savior. A savior rescues or delivers others from peril or hardship.
The examples show that God can deliver people from problems that no
one else can solve. When our situation seem hopeless and helpless, when
we are powerless to save ourselves, that is when we need a Savior. God
is the ultimate Savior. Only He has the solution to our greatest needs.
[Matthew 14:30; 2 Chronicles 32:22; Jeremiah 42:11; Nehemiah 9:27;
Daniel 6:27; Numbers 10:9; 1 Samuel 7:8; 14:23; 2 Kings 19:34; 2
Chronicles 20:9; Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 2:5]
II. Your Need and My Need for a Savior
God has proved His power to rescue people from danger or calamity
from which they are powerless to save themselves in the Old Testament.
But why do you and I need a savior? What great danger or calamity do we
face?
A. Jesus Saves from Sin
Matthew 1:21 - Before Jesus was born, the angel promised Joseph that
Mary would bring forth a Son. He said to "call His name Jesus, for He
will save His people from their sins." "Jesus" means "Jehovah is
salvation" (or Jehovah is the Savior). But the salvation Jesus would
bring was salvation from sin. [Luke 2:11]
Luke 19:10 - Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. The
reason man needs salvation is that he is lost in sin and cannot solve
the problem by himself.
Acts 5:31 - God exalted Jesus to His right hand to be a prince and
Savior and give repentance and forgiveness of sins. So the reason we
need salvation is that we are guilty of sin. To be saved we need to
repent so Jesus can forgive our sins.
1 Timothy 1:15 - This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Sin
is transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4). The consequences of sin are
such that sinners are condemned to eternal punishment and cannot save
themselves.
1 Thessalonians 5:8,9 - God did not appoint us to wrath, but to
obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our sins make us God's
enemies, doomed to suffer eternal wrath. This wrath is described as a
second death in a lake of fire (Rev. 20). But this is not what God wants
for us. He wants us to be saved from sin through His Son.
This is the salvation that God offers through Jesus under the gospel.
[Romans 5:9,10; James 5:19,20; 2 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 2:2,3; Tit. 2:13,14; Rom. 6:23; Luke 1:77]
B. Salvation from Sin Is a Universal Need.
Many people do not appreciate the salvation Jesus offers because they
do not realize they need it. But all people become sinners, so everyone
needs salvation.
Jesus offers salvation to all people.
John 4:42 - The Samaritans said they had learned that Jesus is the Savior of the world.
Titus 2:11 - The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
1 Timothy 2:3,4,6 - God our Savior desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. This is why Christ gave Himself as a ransom for all.
Romans 1:16 - The gospel is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes, Jew and Gentile.
Mark 16:15,16 - This is why the gospel must be preached to every creature in the whole world.
Jesus is not the Savior of just a certain nation or race of people,
nor of a certain group predetermined unconditionally before the world
began. He offers salvation to everyone in the world, because everyone
needs it.
All people eventually commit sin (Romans 3:23). This includes you and
me. Our sins alienate us from God and doom us to eternal punishment.
Since we have sinned against God, only God can declare the basis on
which the sins will be forgiven. We are powerless by ourselves to remove
the consequences of sin.
This means you and I need Jesus as our Savior. Only Jesus has the
power to save everyone in the whole world from sin. He offers that
salvation to all. It is up to you and me to decide whether or not we are
willing to meet the conditions to receive it.
[John 12:47; Acts 13:47; 1 John 4:14]
Jesus offers complete salvation from all sins.
Hebrews 7:25 - Jesus is able to save to the uttermost those who come
to God through Him. Sometimes people fear that they have committed some
sin that can never be forgiven. This is true only of sins for which we
will not repent. But if we are willing to completely turn from sin and
come to Jesus for forgiveness according to the gospel, He is able to
save to the uttermost.
And sometimes people have followed the gospel teaching to be
forgiven, yet their consciences still bother them. They fear they are
still going to be punished despite the forgiveness. True, there are
sometimes consequences of our sins that carry over in this life. And we
will always regret the fact we committed sin. But once the sin is
forgiven, we are saved to the uttermost. There is simply no more guilt
before God.
You and I need salvation by Jesus. No other power in the world can
save from sin. Without Him, we are powerless. But His power can save all people from the eternal consequences of all our sins. Are you willing to accept His salvation?
III. Jesus' Role In Our Salvation
What did Jesus had to do in order to become our Savior?
A. Jesus Had to Leave Heaven and Come to Live on Earth as a Man
Luke 19:10 - The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
1 Timothy 1:15 - Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Before He came to earth, Jesus was in heaven with God the Father,
enjoying all the glory and power of Deity. He was the eternal Creator
(John 1:1-3). But we His creatures were disobedient and doomed to
punishment. God loved us so much He determined a way to avoid this for
all who are willing to accept salvation.
Our goal is to leave earth and go to heaven. In order to become our
Savior, Jesus had to leave the joys and privileges of heaven to come to
earth to live as a man.
[John 3:17]
B. Jesus Had to Die for Our Sins.
Romans 5:6-10 - When we were without strength - helpless and unable
to save ourselves - Christ died for the ungodly. This is how we can be
saved from wrath and reconciled to God. This is why Jesus had to come
to earth as a man. As God, He could not die. But by becoming a man, he
could suffer death and pay the penalty for our sins.
So you and I could be saved from the consequences of sin, Jesus was
treated as a sinner. He suffered punishment He did not deserve so we
could escape the punishment we do deserve. He suffered and died on the
cross. Some people would suffer for a righteous man and maybe for a
good man. But Jesus did this for us who are sinners.
Hebrews 9:28 - So Jesus was offered once to bear the sins of many.
Our salvation will be complete when He comes again to take us to our
eternal reward.
C. Jesus Had to Rise from the Dead.
Romans 5:10 said we are reconciled by His death and saved by His life. This refers to His life after His death - i.e., His resurrection from the dead.
Hebrews 2:14 - Through death, He destroyed the power of death. But
this required Him to be raised from the dead, thereby proving that
someday we will all be raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20-26).
1 Corinthians 15:17 - If Christ did not rise, then our faith is vain
we are still in our sins. Had Jesus not been raised from the dead, Satan
would have been the victor. By rising, Jesus proved His superior power
over Satan, demonstrating His power to save us from sin.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 - Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, is the One who can deliver us from the wrath to come.
Jesus paid the greatest price anyone could pay to be our Savior.
Through His suffering and victory, you and I have the hope of eternal
life. What will we do with the opportunity? Do we appreciate how much we
need Jesus as our Savior?
[I Tim. 1:15; I John 4:14; Eph. 5:23,25; I Pet. 2:24; Heb. 7:25]
IV. The Application to Us: Conditions We Must Meet to Be Saved
A. Old Testament Examples Show that God's Salvation Is Conditional.
Some people deny that we need to do anything to be saved. They tell
us that Jesus is the Savior, so if we think that we must do something,
we are denying or belittling Jesus as Savior. However, every example of
salvation that we have studied demonstrates that God offers salvation,
but people must act in order to receive it.
* Lot - Genesis 19:19 - God saved Lot from the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah, but Lot had to leave the city. Action was required.
* Jacob and his family - Genesis 50:20 [45:7] - God used Joseph to
saved his family from the famine. But the people had to travel to Egypt
to be saved. Action was required.
* Israel at the Red Sea - Exodus 14:13 [15:2] - God saved Israel from
the Egyptian army by parting the Red Sea. But the people had to march
through the sea. Action was required.
* Gideon and Israel - Judges 7:2,7 - God said He would save Israel by
delivering them from the Midianites. But Gideon's men had to surround
the enemy camp, blow trumpets, and hold torches. Action was required.
[6:14,15,36,37]
* David and Israel - 1 Samuel 17:47 - God saved David from Goliath, but David still had to fight.
In every case, God was the Savior who met the people's need that they
could not meet for themselves. But in every case the people had to act.
They had to obey God's command to receive His salvation.
B. So, We Must Meet the Conditions of the Gospel so We Can Be Forgiven.
Hebrews 5:9 - Jesus is author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.
Philippians 2:12 - Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
We have learned that God offers salvation through Christ to all of
us, and we all need that salvation. But just as in Old Testament
examples, so today there are requirements we must meet to receive the
salvation. As long as we deny or neglect the need for obedience, we will
never be saved. [James 2:14-26]
What are the conditions we must meet?
Hear the gospel message
Acts 11:14 - The angel told Cornelius to send for Peter who would
tell him words by which he and his house could be saved. That message is
the gospel.
James 1:21 - James instructs men to receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save our souls.
[1 Corinthians 1:18,21; 15:2; 2 Timothy 3:15; 2 Peter 2:20]
Believe the gospel
Romans 1:16 - The gospel is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes, Jew and Gentile.
Mark 16:15-16 - Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved;
but he who does not believe will be condemned."
The gospel is the message by which God reveals how we can be saved
from sin. To receive that salvation, we must learn and believe the
message.
[Romans 10:9,10; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8,9;
Repent of sins
Acts 5:31 - God exalted Jesus to His right hand to be a prince and Savior and give repentance and forgiveness of sins.
2 Corinthians 7:10 - For godly sorrow produces repentance to
salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces
death.
Repentance requires us to be willing to change our lives to serve God
according to the gospel message. When we realize what God has done
through Jesus to offer salvation, and when we understand the
consequences of not being saved, what sensible person would refuse to
repent?
Confess sins
Romans 10:9,10 - With the heart one believes to righteousness and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.
One must have strong enough conviction about Jesus as his Savior that
he is willing to openly profess that he knows who Jesus is.
Be baptized
Mark 16:15,16 - We have seen that the faith that a person needs in
order to be saved is a faith that must lead him to obey Jesus' teaching.
Jesus specifically stated that faith must lead to baptism if one is to
be saved.
1 Peter 3:21 - Baptism also now saves us.
Baptism is a condition necessary to receive salvation by the blood of
Jesus, because one is baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3). In baptism,
ones sins are washed away (Acts 22:16), so he receives the remission of
sins (Acts 2:38).
Live a faithful life
Matthew 10:22 - He who endures to the end will be saved.
When people truly understand their need for salvation and the great
sacrifice that Jesus made to make salvation possible, surely they should
willingly meet the conditions of salvation.
[Acts 2:47; Eph. 5:23,25; 1:13; 2 Thess. 2:10,13; Heb. 10:39; I Cor.
1:21; 15:2ff; 1 Tim. 4:16; Tit. 3:5; Mk. 8:35; Luke 9:24; 8:11,12]
Conclusion
God has repeatedly admonished people that He offers salvation that no one else can offer.
Isaiah 43:11 - Besides Me there is no Savior. [45:21,22; Hosea 13:4]
Acts 4:12 - Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no
other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
You and I need salvation that only God can offer. He has proved
repeatedly in the past that He does have the power to save. He has sent
His only begotten Son to die for our salvation. Will you accept the
salvation only He can give?
2 Corinthians 6:2 - Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is
the day of salvation. Why not receive the salvation God offers today?
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