Author: Gary Witcher

Jesus: Savior

For the better part of this year we have been discussing various attributes of Jesus.  We have seen Him, among other things, as Messiah, prophet, teacher, priest, king, great physician, shepherd, lamb, rock, door, judge, brother, friend and master.  But, unless we know the Christ in one other role, all the others fade in importance.  If we don't know Jesus as savior, then we don't know Him at all.
 In the Old Testament Jehovah is often seen as the savior of Israel.
 "Truly, Thou art a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior!" we read in Isaiah 45:15.  
The word that is translated as "savior" in the Old Testament means various things.  It can represent peace, welfare or safety.  It can stand for deliverance from an unhappy situation.  It can imply help or assistance.  It can mean victory.  And it can carry the idea of rescue from any danger, and especially from sin.  Frequently, salvation in the Old Testament is dependant upon being part of a certain kingdom.
"How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news," Isaiah 52:7 exclaims, "Who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, {and} says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" 
When we turn to the New Testament, Jehovah is still seen as a savior.
"And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior," we read in Luke 1:47. 
But, along with Jehovah, Jesus is identified in the New Testament as a savior.
"And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus," an angel tells Joseph in Matthew 1:21, "for it is He who will save His people from their sins." 
"Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them," Hebrews 7:25 states. 
The concept of Jesus as savior is stressed throughout the New Testament.
"For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord," the shepherds are told in Luke 2:11.   
"But now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel," Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:10. 
"Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ," Peter expresses in the introduction of his second epistle. 
"And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son {to be} the Savior of the world," John agrees in 1 John 4:14. 
There is no doubt about it; the New Testament presents Jesus as the savior.
It is not surprising to discover that the word means much the same in the New Testament as it does in the Old.  It stands for safety as well as rescue in danger.  It represents healing in sickness and saving from death.  It can carry the idea of preservation in the dangers and temptations of life.  And it is still associated with being part of a certain kingdom.  

Salvation as presented in the New Testament is tied to being part of a certain kingdom.
"And Jesus said to His disciples, 'Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven,'" Jesus teaches in Matthew 19:23-24. 
"'And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' 
"And when the disciples heard {this,}," verse 25 adds, "they were very astonished and said, 'Then who can be saved?'" 
Notice that the disciples assume that entering the kingdom is the same as being saved.  Notice that Jesus makes no attempt to change this assumption.
"And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart," Acts 2:46-47 notes, "praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved." 
God adds those who are saved to a certain group.  It is not hard to understand from the context that the group is the church.  So the church is the kingdom, and salvation is connected with being in the kingdom, the church.
"For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;" Paul tells fellow Christians in 2 Corinthians 2:15.   
To be saved is to be a Christian.
Before going on we need to understand two things.  Jesus came to save sinners.  And it is the desire of God and Jesus that all be saved, although the Bible makes it clear that most people are going to turn their backs on this opportunity.
"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world," John 3:17 explains, "but that the world should be saved through Him." 
"It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance," Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:15, "that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost {of all.}" 
"This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior," Paul states in 1 Timothy 2:3-4, "who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 
Jesus came to save.  It is His will that all be saved.  But just what is it that we need to be saved from?
"And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins," Matthew 1:21 responds.
Jesus came to save us from our sins.
"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath {of God} through Him," Paul adds in Romans 5:9. 
Jesus came to save us from the wrath of God.  Of course, that wrath is because of our sins.
We know who our savior is.  We know why we need Him.  But one of the most important things we should know is how we can obtain salvation.  What is it that saves us?  God has not made salvation complicated.  He has made it so everyone can obtain it.  But neither is it as simple as many would have us believe.  We do need to be honest enough to examine all of the New Testament to see what elements are involved in our salvation.
"And it shall be, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved," Peter preaches in Acts 2:21. 
A little later we'll say more about calling on the name of the Lord.  For right now, though, we can simply say that the name of Jesus is an essential element of our salvation.  By the way, remember that in the Bible a name represents the power or authority of someone.
"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved," Peter explains in Acts 4:12.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek," Paul boasts in Romans 1:16. 
"Therefore putting aside all filthiness and {all} that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls," James 1:21 agrees. 
The word of God plays a part in out salvation.
"And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay {upon earth}," we are warned in 1 Peter 1:17-19, "knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, {the blood} of Christ." 
The blood of Christ redeems or saves us.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith;" we read in Ephesians 2:8, "and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God."
We are saved by the grace of God.
"He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved;" Jesus promises in Mark 16:16, "but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned."
Without faith we cannot be saved.
"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;" Paul urges in Philippians 2:12. 
"What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works?" James asks in James 2:14-26.  "Can that faith save him? 
"If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for {their} body, what use is that? 
"Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, {being} by itself. 
"But someone may {well} say, 'You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.' 
"You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 
"But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 
"You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' and he was called the friend of God. 
"You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. 
"And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 
"For just as the body without {the} spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."
Although many would like to deny it, works of faith save us.  We should not confuse works of faith with works of law.  But the clear teaching remains that certain works are essential to salvation.  We didn't say it.  The Bible did.  And notice something else.  See how dangerous it is to add the word "only" to anything on this list.  We are saved by faith.  But the only place in the New Testament where "faith" occurs with "only" is this passage in James where the point is that "faith only" will not save us. 
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments," Jesus states in John 14:15.
No one would disagree with the observation that love is essential to salvation.  John stresses this point in his epistles. 
"And everyone who has this hope {fixed} on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure," John says in 1 John 3:3. 
"For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees?" Paul inquires in Romans 8:24. 
Hope is connected with salvation.
"Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered," Hebrews 5:8-9 says of Jesus, 
"And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation." 
We cannot be saved if we do not obey.
"For 'Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved,'" Romans 10:13 promises. 
Remember Peter's promise in Acts 2:21.  Even after he tells the people they need to call on the name of the Lord, they still ask in verse 37 what they need to do.  Peter explains that they have to repent and be baptized.
"And now why do you delay?" Paul is asked in an event remembered in Acts 22:16.  "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name." 
Calling on the name of the Lord is required for salvation.  But we should take the time to look at what the Bible is talking about.
"For the sorrow that is according to {the will of} God produces a repentance without regret, {leading} to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death," we learn from 2 Corinthians 7:10. 
Repentance is necessary for salvation.
"For with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation," we read in Romans 10:10. 
We must confess Jesus in order to be saved.
"And corresponding to that," 1 Peter 3:21 instructs, "baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 
We must be baptized in order to be saved.
"And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved," Jesus explains in Matthew 10:22. 
Endurance is required for salvation.
Jesus is our savior.  It is His blood that washes away our sins.  Some of the other terms we have mentioned tell us when, why or how we are saved.  It is important that we understand these things.  And the only place we can obtain this understanding is in the Bible, the word of God, the truth.  False teaching will condemn us.  Only the truth will save.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."