Christ Savior of The World

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Christ:

Savior of the World


The apostle John wrote, “We have seen and Further, the early Christians who followed
testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Him, the church of the first century, lived in a
Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). Jesus Christ terribly unjust world; yet that church was apo-
fulfilled (and will fulfill in the future) a number litical. Its members never preached revolution;
of roles. He was, and is, Prophet, Priest, and King. and when its preachers entered a town, they
We will study in a later lesson His function as preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, not a social
judge in the last day. No role, however, is more gospel of justice.
significant than that of which John spoke: The On the other side of that gulf are those who
Son of God is the Savior of the world. believe that Jesus came to save the world in the
sense that He came to save people’s souls! These
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SAY are the Christians known as “evangelicals.” Al-
THAT CHRIST IS though members of the Lord’s church are gener-
THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD? ally classified in this way, we do not necessarily
What was Christ’s mission on earth? Attempts agree with everything that this group as a whole
to answer that question create a wide gulf sepa- believes or teaches. Our political choices, social
rating even those who profess to believe in Jesus practices, and religious beliefs are not controlled
Christ. On one side of that gulf are those who by what the “evangelicals” profess. However, we
say that Jesus Christ came to save the world by do agree that Christianity is about preaching the
making it a better place to live—that His chief gospel—the good news, or “evangel” (from
concern was social justice, and that His aim was euj a gge÷ l ion, euangelion)—in order to save souls!
to make governments more just and society more If that is what it means to be an evangelical, then
righteous. the evangelicals have at least that much right!
Some truth resides in this proposition. If
Jesus’ way were followed, human beings would Christ as Savior
be better people. Governments would be more Why would we say that Jesus’ mission was
righteous; and individuals would be happier, to save souls? Because that is what the Bible
healthier, and more helpful to one another. teaches.
However, evidence speaks against the view “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His
that Christ came primarily to make the world a name Jesus, for He will save His people from
better place. Jesus never preached revolution, their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
never tried to dictate to government leaders what “For today in the city of David there has been
policies they should adopt, and never said that born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”
everyone should have equal possessions. He did (Luke 2:11).
not even suggest that differences between the “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to
rich and the poor were wrong. save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

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“For God so loved the world, that He gave To say that one can be saved only in and
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes
in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”
through Christ may seem to be very narrow-
(John 3:16). minded. However, narrow-minded or not,
those who believe the Bible is God’s Word must
And they were saying to the woman, “It is no accept and proclaim the fact that no one can be
longer because of what you said that we believe, saved today without believing in and obeying
for we have heard for ourselves and know that
this One is indeed the Savior of the world” Christ.
(John 4:42).
HOW DID CHRIST BECOME
Therefore many other signs Jesus also per-
formed in the presence of the disciples, which
THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD?
are not written in this book; but these have If Christ is the Savior of the world, in that
been written so that you may believe that Jesus He saves us from our sins, how did He become
is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing such a Savior? The answer to that question has
you may have life in His name (John 20:30,
31). two parts.

“He is the one whom God exalted to His right He Came into the World
hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance First, He came into the world. As the second
to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31).
person in the Godhead, He emptied Himself of
“From the descendants of this man [David], ac- His prerogatives as God and came to earth to live
cording to promise, God has brought to Israel a as a man, “taking the form of a bond-servant, and
Savior, Jesus” (Acts 13:23). being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians
2:5–8). He who was the Word—who was in the
For He rescued us from the domain of dark-
ness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beginning with God, who in fact was God (John
beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the 1:1)—“became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John
forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13, 14). 1:14). Since other human beings “share in flesh
and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of
To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ the same,” and He was “made like His brethren
Jesus our Savior (Titus 1:4). in all things” (Hebrews 2:14a, 17a).

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord He Came to Die for Our Sins
and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18a).
Second, Jesus not only came into the world
We have seen and testify that the Father has
to become our Savior, but He accomplished this
sent the Son to be the Savior of the world purpose by dying to take away our sins. He
(1 John 4:14). “humbled Himself by be­coming obedient to the
point of death, even death on a cross” (Philip-
In the light of these passages, we can con- pians 2:8); He “partook of [flesh and blood], that
fidently affirm that, though living by Christ’s through death He might render powerless him
teachings would produce a better world, Christ who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
did not come to make this world better. He and might free those who through fear of death
came to save the world—the world’s human were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews
inhabitants—from their sins! 2:14, 15).
Early in His ministry, Jesus said that the Son
Christ as the Savior of Man must be “lifted up,” anticipating the fact
Jesus Christ is not just “a savior”; He is the that He would ultimately be “lifted up” on the
only Savior. He said, “I am the way, and the cross (John 3:14). In predicting His death (Mat-
truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but thew 16:21), He said that He came “to give His
through Me” (John 14:6). Peter said concerning life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Him, “And there is salvation in no one else; for When Jesus was troubled about His ap-
there is no other name under heaven that has proaching death, He asked Himself, “What shall
been given among men by which we must be I say . . . ?” He considered one possibility: “‘Fa-
saved” (Acts 4:12). ther, save Me from this hour’?” Then He answered

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Himself, saying, in effect, “No, I cannot say that gift of salvation. Their only hope is Jesus Christ,
because this is My reason for being here” (John and the only way for them to hear about Christ
12:27). In other words, Jesus said that He had is for Christians to tell them about Him, to pro-
come into the world to experience the hour of claim to them “Christ, and Him crucified.” If we
His death. That was the purpose of His life. fail to meet our responsibility to obey the Great
He fulfilled that purpose. He died on the ­C ommission, the unsaved will remain un-
cross, taking upon Himself the guilt of our sins saved.
and becoming our Savior through the horrible
death of crucifixion. Paul spoke of Jesus as CONCLUSION
“our great God and Savior” and said that He Two final questions must be asked. First, have
“gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13b, you been saved by the Savior of the world? If
14a). Jesus’ life and teachings were important, not, respond obediently to His call as soon as
but He could not have fulfilled His mission to possible! After all, you do not know how much
save lost mankind if He had not died on the time you have left to live. Second, if you have
cross! been saved, are you doing your best to help save
others? Jesus is the Savior of the world! That is
WHAT DOES CHRIST’S great news! Let us do our best to share it with
BEING THE SAVIOR MEAN TO US? our neighbors—both our neighbors next door
First, the fact that Jesus is the Savior means that and those around the world! Coy Roper
there is a possibility of salvation! Jesus “taste[d]
death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9); therefore,
everyone is free to accept the salvation which Christ & Baptism
He made available through His death! Because Since Jesus Christ is our Savior, we can
Jesus came and died, “the grace of God has ap- answer the question about the necessity
peared, bringing salvation to all men” (Titus of baptism by examining how baptism is
2:11). related to Christ.
Before the possibility of salvation becomes
• Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:13–17),
reality for an individual, he must obey the gos-
and we are to follow His example.
pel! What must a person do to obey the gospel?
• Jesus commanded baptism (Matthew
1. Believe in Jesus (John 3:16; 5:24; Mark 28:19; Acts 10:48), and we must obey
16:16; Acts 16:31). Him.
2. Repent of his sins (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts • To be saved, we must be “in Christ”
17:30, 31). (see Ephesians 1:3), and we are bap-
3. Confess faith in Jesus as the Christ, the tized into Christ (Galatians 3:26, 27;
Son of God (Romans 10:9, 10; Matthew Romans 6:3).
10:32, 33). • To be saved, we must contact the blood
4. Be baptized for the forgiveness of sins of Christ, which was shed in Jesus’
(Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16). death; and we are baptized into His
death (Romans 6:3, 4).
Second, the fact that Jesus is the Savior of the • When we are baptized, we are buried
world means that those who have been saved have and raised with Christ to experience
the responsibility to try to save others by preaching a new birth and new life (John 3:3, 5;
the gospel of Christ to them. Since people can- Romans 6:3–6; Colossians 2:12).
not be saved apart from Christ, they cannot be • To be saved, we must be in the church
saved by Christ apart from the preaching of the that Christ loves, died for, and saves
gospel (Romans 10:13–17; 1 Corinthians 1:18–25; (Ephesians 5:23–25). We are baptized
Romans 1:16). into that church, of which He is the
Christians have a tremendous responsibility! head (1 Corinthians 12:13; see Matthew
The world is in darkness. Most people do not 16:18b; Colossians 1:18).
believe in Christ and therefore cannot accept His
©Copyright, 2011 by Truth for Today. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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