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God Our Savior |
Dear Brethren,
Many Scriptures attest to the fact that Jesus Christ is our Savior God. Both the
Old Testament and the New Testament certify that Jesus is God our Savior. The fact that Jesus is also the Redeemer shows the process by which our
salvation is effected or achieved. We are bought back (redeemed) with a price – the blood of Jesus. The name Jesus means Savior, the One who brings salvation and deliverance.
More than anywhere else in the Scriptures, Paul’s letter to Titus utilizes the terminology, “God our Savior.” That concept of a God Savior brings up some
interesting questions: Why do we need a Savior? Why does not God the Father in His infinite mercy just forgive us our sins and reconcile us to
Himself? Why did Jesus have to die to be our Savior? How does Jesus’ death substitute for our death in His Father’s judgment?
“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Adam and Eve sinned against God and brought sin and judgment on all men. Because God’s eternal law states that sin brings death, their sinful act brought the
necessity of God’s forgiveness from the foundation of the world. From that point in time it was necessary that mankind would need a Savior. The
Scriptures pinpoint that precise time where salvation became necessary for mankind – Jesus would have to die:
“Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world…” (1 Peter 1:20)
“… the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)
Salvation means the act of saving. All mankind needs to be delivered from the eternal consequence of its sin. We all require salvation. Because of
our sin we could never come into the presence of God the Father’s glory.
“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Jesus Christ died for our sins, but how did His dying make salvation possible for us? Remember, it is through Jesus’ sacrifice that we are saved. Our sins cast us away from God’s perfect presence since no sin can come near God the
Father. Our sins separated us from Him (Isaiah 59:2). How could we be reconciled to the Father? The answer is: We must be purchased back with a price that exceeds our wages of sin.
Eternal life is a gift of God (Romans 6:23) – there is nothing we could ever do to redeem our sinful life that deserves the death penalty. Once mankind
sinned it was doomed to death and there was nothing we could do of ourselves that would ever free us from the sentence of death. However, Jesus Christ as
creator of all creation (Colossians 1:16) is worth more than all the creation itself. The principle is clear: The builder is of more value than
that which he builds. The composer is greater than that which he composes. Jesus’ worth is superior to all mankind’s which He created. Only Jesus’
life is more than sufficient to redeem sinful man from the wages of sin. To redeem all mankind, the price paid was Jesus’ life – worth more than all mortal mankind.
Jesus literally put Himself in our place. He became the Son of man – placing His eternal existence in jeopardy – to pay the price of our sin with His own
life so that we may live. Had Jesus sinned even once, His eternal life would have been required as payment for sin. Jesus shed His blood that we
might be forgiven (Colossians 1:14). Therein is the love of God shown to us in that He would die in our stead, purging away our sin so that we might live (Hebrews 1:3).
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9)
“[Jesus Christ] gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” (John 1:29)
“But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of Holy Spirit; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus
Christ our Savior; That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7) That is salvation.
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Sermon: |
"God Our Savior" |
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