Why Did Jesus Come? / Part 9

Series – April 2019 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Why Did Jesus Come?
Part Nine: He Came To Save The World

“If anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.” —John 12:47 ESV

The verb “save” used in the original Greek text of the New Testament comes from the root word sozo , which means “save,” “rescue,” “make whole,” “be whole” and “heal.” We usually associate saving with rescuing. Firefighters save people by rescuing them. A lifeguard saves a swimmer by rescuing him from drowning. Remember, however, the true meaning of the word goes beyond “rescuing.” The word also carries the meaning of “healing” or “restoration.”

Saving From The Penalty Of Sins
The Bible clearly states, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Hence, every single sin, by itself, which a person commits is enough to get him the penalty of death. Sins – which everyone commits every day – would keep us dead for eternity, because we sin against an eternal God.

Jesus came to provide a solution and save us from the penalty, or debt, of all these sins by dying on the cross. While He hung on the cross He paid our debt during the three hours of darkness and in His death (Mt. 27:45). Because He is an eternal heavenly Man, He was able to pay for the sins of all the redeemed (Isa. 53:5). This not only includes the sins that were committed before His cross but also all the future sins – even our sins today.

Saving From The Power Of Sin
Any diligent student of the Bible would easily notice a difference between the term “sins” and “sin.” When the Bible talks about “sins” the reference is usually targeting the transgressions we commit by breaking God’s moral, or biblical, laws. A lie is a sin. Adultery, murder and stealing are all sins.

When the Bible talks about “sin” (singular), the reference is usually focused on the evil nature that causes us to sin. We are all born with that bad nature, as David confessed, “In sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps. 51:5).

Paul spoke in Romans 6–7 about his struggle because of the power of sin, the sinful nature. Even though he received a new nature through new birth, he was still suffering from the power of the old sinful nature. The bad news is this sinful nature will not go away until we receive our glorified, eternal bodies. This will happen when the Lord Jesus comes to take us in the rapture. But the good news is even now Jesus has saved us from the power of the sinful nature (Rom. 8:1).

Think of this as having two natures trying to control what you say. From one side the old nature tries to get you to utter lies, foul jokes, curses or useless talk. On the other side the new nature seeks for you to praise God, pray to Him and express blessings to others. Your will is what controls which nature is going to direct your mouth. If you are not born again, you have only one: the sinful nature. If you are a born-again Christian, the Lord Jesus has given you:

• Freedom by equipping you with the new nature; and
• The Holy Spirit to help guide your “will,” to give control to the new nature.

Hence, you are saved from the power of sin – the bad nature.

He Is The Savior And The Judge
When the angel told Joseph in a dream about Mary’s baby, Joseph was instructed to call Him “Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21). The name “Jesus” means “Savior,” similar to Joshua. Jesus was born to be the Savior, not only of His people Israel but the whole world (Jn. 12:47).

Many people accept that Jesus is a savior, but most will not accept the fact that He is the Savior. People advocate that all roads lead to heaven and all good leaders, including Jesus, bring us closer to God. However, the Bible is clear that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus is unique. He is not a savior among others, but He is the one and only Savior.

Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind” (Jn. 9:39). He came not to judge the world (12:47), but that does not mean He will never judge the world. The Lord Jesus said, “The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day” (v.48). Unbelievers will not only be judged because of their sins but also because they rejected Jesus as their Lord.

What is your position regarding Jesus? Is He your Lord and Savior? If not, then you should expect Him to be your Judge in the future!

By Shereen Ghobrial

Look for part 10 next month.