God With UsНамуна

The Gospel according to Luke

GOD IS WITH US TO SAVE US

Max Lucado says “The purpose of the Bible is simply to proclaim God’s plan to save His children. It asserts that man is lost and needs to be saved. And it communicates the message that Jesus is the God in the flesh sent to save His children.”

Everything about Jesus coming to earth revolves around His desire to save us. The writer, Luke, records the different people who encountered the promised Messiah. Mary, the mother of Jesus, accepts her mandate in birthing and bringing up Jesus. She exalts God in song and is grateful for the salvation He will bring to the Jewish people. John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, is exultant in his praise of the coming Messiah who will bring salvation to His people and show them mercy. Simeon, who sees baby Jesus in the temple, is vocal about his gratitude to God for his salvation which was available to both Jews and Gentiles. 

You may wonder why there is so much emphasis and drama around the word “save”. Do you even need saving? Is it that important? The scriptures are so clear that all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Whether we have committed adultery, lied to our neighbour, cheated on a test, or ran a red light we are all sinners. In God’s eyes sin is sin. 

Even at our best, we still have parts of us that are broken and need fixing. God’s saving power in Christ does all the fixing we need. No amount of will-power, self-help, or positive thinking can do the job. They help but not entirely. 

Christ’s blood that He shed for us at his death cleanses us from every sin we have ever committed or will ever commit. Isn’t that mind blowing? The minute we declare with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, we are, for all intents and purposes, saved. This doesn’t mean, of course, that we instantly morphed into saints. Rather, we are now made aware of our sinfulness and God’s holiness. We are also increasingly aware of the cross and its work in bridging the great divide between these two facts. Jesus declares us righteous now, thanks to his death for our sins. So how should this affect us? Well, for a start, we must live grateful that he has saved us from the eternal repercussions of sin. We must then strive to make repentance a lifestyle which means that, without hesitation on a daily basis, humbly give our failings to our almighty God knowing that He loves and forgives us. It’s vital to remember that without repentance there is no forgiveness. We must then live with the sobering yet freeing reality that we did nothing to save ourselves and that it is purely by the goodness and grace of God. Finally, us being saved was never about just us but about us pointing others to Jesus. If he could save us he can save them. They may not know it just yet, but our story and our transformation could be the catalyst to make that happen. 

As you walk in the new normals of your life will you wake up every day joyful in the knowledge that the Saviour of the world saved you from yourself and for Himself?You were worth dying for. Tell yourself and tell others!

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

I thank you for saving me through your son, Jesus. I ask you to forgive me of my every sin by thought, word, or deed. I need you more in my life. Remind me of your sweet mercy and generous grace towards me.

May my life testify of your goodness to me.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.