24th September, 2007

LLOYD HARKNESS

In these days of self realisation and self actualisation and self and self and self, many people seem to have lost the conviction that there are simply some things we cannot do for ourselves.

THE SAVIOUR OF MANKIND: Statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. PICTURE: Joe Carey (www.iStockphoto.com) "This most fundamental understanding of the Christian faith - that Jesus came to save the lost and set captives free - is being lost amidst the voices of ‘isms’."

'What do I need to be saved from' is no longer a question but a statement. Whether this is said arrogantly or mildly perplexed it does not really matter. The point is there is a mindset which has grown in society that says; “I’m alright. What are you on about?”

A few years ago a bumper sticker that got a bit of mileage read “Jesus saves”. One bloke who I was car pooling with saw the sticker and said; “saves you from what?” For him, the need for a Saviour was a slightly bizarre and somewhat amusing concept.

This most fundamental understanding of the Christian faith - that Jesus came to save the lost and set captives free - is being lost amidst the voices of ‘isms’. Materialism. Humanism. Relativism. And so on.

Add to the ‘isms’ our growing focus on Anzac Day and the spiritual overtones it's being given in some quarters, a bit like what has happened with our preoccupation with sport. Toss in the culture of being a good mate as central to our identity. And when we mix up this porridge it is easy to see why we are losing sight of the One who gave His all because we were in a tight situation we could not extricate ourselves from.

From the dawn of humanity there has been an awareness of the need to be saved. Cain and Abel sought God’s forgiveness and mercy through the offering up of a sacrifice for their sins. They knew this was the only way they could come back to an Eden like presence of God walking with them through life.

The idea of sacrifice is intrinsically linked to the need to be saved or forgiven. The Old Testament sacrificial system, which became part of the spiritual and cultural identity of the Jews, was established on the tenet that faith in God, who seeks to forgive and restore, is central to this gift of life we have been given.

The imperfection of that sacrificial system pointed forwards to a Saviour who would sacrifice his all for our salvation. “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for out iniquities...” (Isaiah 53:5) He would be the one who would deliver sin its death blow.

And so a Saviour, Christ Jesus, was born into the world, at the fullness of time, in accordance with God the Father’s eternal redemptive plan for mankind. He is the Saviour, the Redeemer, the Preserver, the Sustainer, the one who has came to extricate us from the tight situation we find ourselves in.

From God’s perspective the whole focus of history is his Saviour based plan for bringing all who will come, into his abiding presence and fellowship. His heart aches to see none lost and all to come into his fold. If that is God’s perspective on the generations of mankind then we need to see the Saviour in the same way.

Yes, Jesus Saves! That is not some diluted, clichéd bumper sticker. As Saviour, Jesus removes the burden, the oppression and the danger we were in. Our Saviour saves us both ‘from’ and ‘for’.

He saves us from death and for eternity.
He saves us from bondage and for freedom.
He saves us from incapacity and for wholeness.
He saves us from Satan’s delusions and for his epiphanies.
He saves us from a rebellious proud spirit and for an obedient humble spirit.
He saves us from peril, like the house built on sand, and for a secure life, even in the tempest.
He saves us from defeat and its aftermath and for victory and its rewards.

Jesus is the Saviour. He is the man of the moment who stepped in to rescue all who are in danger.

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