Jesus Savior

Throughout the Bible, Yahweh is revealed to be the one and only Savior. There is one God, who is the one Savior (Dt 6:4; Jude 25). There is no one beside the God of Israel (Is 43:11; 45:15, 21; Hos 13:4). He has done great things (Ps 106:21) in delivering His people from those who oppress them (Ps 17:7; Is 19:20; 49:6).

The iconic oppressor in the Bible is Satan, our adversary. Jesus identified the devil as the ruler of this world (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). The kingdom of this world, in this present evil age (Gal 1:4), suffers under his dominion (Acts 26:18). Lucifer, the evil one, is the prince of the domain of darkness (Eph 2:2; Col 1:13). Through lies and deceit, this fallen angel inspires people to join him in rebellion against Yahweh (Gen 3; Jn 8:44).

The plight of man is the product of sin. Sin is lawlessness (1 Jn 3:4). It is the failure to believe God’s Word, resulting in disobedient acts of every kind. Sin is the reason men are spiritually dead toward God (Eph 2:1), which is why the wrath of God is against them (Rom 1:18).

Yahweh is the righteous judge of the whole earth (Gen 18:25). He is just in all His judgments (Ps 51:4). The standard of judgment is the Law of God, which reveals to man the holiness of God. To be in perfect alignment with God’s precepts is to be righteous. It is the righteous who have right standing before God, the holy One. Righteousness, however, is imputed to the saved sinner by God’s grace (2 Cor 5:21), not as a work of man, lest anyone boast (1 Cor 1:31; Gal 6:14).

Salvation is the transfer from one being under the wrath of God because of sin and unto a position of peace and refuge in God’s care (Rom 5:1). Jesus came to seek and to save those who were lost (Lk 19:10). Salvation is a stunning juxtaposition. It is deliverance by God, who wills to have mercy, a rescue from the wrath of God (Rom 9:15–16).

The wrath of God is directed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Rom 1:18). It has been displayed at various times and in diverse places throughout history, but wrath’s fullness is yet to come (1 Thess 1:10; 2 Pet 3:7, 10). It is seen most vividly in the Bible’s depiction of eternal punishment in the fiery hell of the lake of fire, as the eternal home of unsaved sinners (Eccl 12:5; Mt 25:41, 46; Jude 7; Rev 20:14–15).

Yahweh is slow to anger and slow to wrath (Neh 9:17; Ps 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jon 4:2; Nah 1:3) because of His reconnaissance mission to save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21). Our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God saved us (Titus 2:13; 3:5–6; 2 Pet 1:1), having been sent by God the Father (Yahweh) to be the Savior of the world (Jn 4:42; 1 Jn 4:14). This means that He is more than just the Savior of Jews; but He is Savior of people from all over the world…Gentiles. Like Mary, we rejoice in God our Savior (Lk 1:47), the one born to die, who is Christ the Lord (Lk 2:11).

In order to appease the righteous wrath of God against sinners, the incarnate Son of God became like us yet did not sin (Jn 1:14; Heb 4:15; 2 Cor 5:21). As fully man, Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the Law for righteousness (Mt 5:17). He obeyed the will of God to perfection (Heb 10:7). He always did what was pleasing to the Father (Jn 8:29). His Father was well-pleased with His only begotten Son (Mt 3:17; 17:5; 2 Pet 1:17).

In His death on the cross, Jesus put away sin and abolished death (1 Cor 15:26; 2 Tim 1:10; Heb 9:26). The last enemy and oppressor is death; but death is defeated. It has lost its power to terrify those who have been granted repentance and the forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:31; 11:18; Eph 1:7). It was always the legitimate fear of the judgment of God that kept men in bondage (Rom 6:6; Heb 2:15). Jesus set free captives in the kingdom of this world (Is 61:1; Lk 4:18). They are free indeed (Jn 8:32, 36).

The ransom price demanded for an eternal salvation was too high for anyone except Jesus Christ to pay (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45; 1 Tim 2:6). He purchased His church with His precious blood of the new and better covenant (Mt 26:28; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 1:19; Heb 9:15; 12:24). Christ died for us in order to release us from our sins (1 Cor 15:3; Rev 1:5). In securing our forgiveness He cancelled our debt of sin (Col 2:14). The iniquity of us all was laid on Him who bore our sin in His body on the cross (Is 53:5; 1 Pet 2:24).

The blood of His cross has reconciled us to God and removed the enmity (Rom 5:10). In death, Jesus’ substitutionary atonement has brought us life (Rom 6:8). He loved us and gave Himself up for us (Gal 2:20). In laying down His life for the sheep of His pasture (Jn 10:11, 15), we have the assurance that Jesus will lose none of His own (Jn 10:28–29), who were given to Him by the Father before creation (Jn 17:2, 6, 24; 2 Tim 1:9).

There is salvation in no one else, for there is only one name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). It is Jesus’ name above every other name that is named (Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9). We gladly confess, as faithful witnesses to this Gospel of God, that Jesus Christ is Lord of all (Jn 10:36; Phil 2:11). Every knee must bow to Him who God highly exalted to the right hand of majesty (Phil 2:10; Heb 1:3; 8:1), having given Jesus all authority in heaven and on earth (Jn 28:18). And He shall reign forever and ever (Ex 15:18; Ps 146:10; Rev 11:15; 22:5). Amen.

The enemies of Yahweh are warned, now and until the day of our Savior’s return to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:50 — that God is calling all men everywhere to repent of their sin and rebellion against Him (Acts 17:30). In contrast, the children of God, having received the indwelling Spirit of adoption are called to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so that we may serve Him as ambassadors for His kingdom (Rom 8:15, 23; 2 Cor 5:20; 2 Pet 3:18).

Christian, having been shown mercy unto salvation (Rom 9:15), it is your prerogative to bear witness of so great a salvation executed for your benefit (Acts 1:8). You are a great sinner; but you have a great Savior. He has laid down His life for you so that you might live free to serve Christ and His church. The end goal of God, in saving His beloved, is for us to enjoy Him, forever. Jesus is our Savior and our God; and we are His people, forever and ever. Amen.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

February 6, 2024