Our Greatest Need - A Savior

                                          "If God had perceived our greatest need was economic,
                                           He would have sent us an economist.

                                           If He had perceived our greatest need was entertainment,
                                           He would have sent us a comedian or an artist.

                                           If God had perceived our greatest need was political
                                           stability, He would have sent us a politician.

                                           If He had perceived that our greatest need was health,
                                           He would have sent us a doctor.

                                           But He perceived that our greatest need involved our sin,
                                           our alienation from Him, our profound rebellion, our death,
                                           and He sent us a Savior."

                                                                                       D.A. Carson


                                                                  ***************


                                                   " ... but God shows His love for us in that
                                                     while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
                                                     Since, therefore, we have now been justified by
                                                     His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him
                                                     from the wrath of God.

                                                     For if while we were enemies we were reconciled
                                                     to God by the death of His Son, much more, now
                                                     that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.

                                                     More than that, we also rejoice in God through our
                                                     Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now
                                                     received reconciliation."
                                                                                             Romans 5:8-11
                                                                                       

                         
                           "Christ died specifically 'for us' who now believe and are justified through
                            our faith, and His death actually achieved for us the reconciliation that we
                            have now received." **


                                                                *******************


                                                      "Or do you not know that the unrighteous
                                                       will not inherit the kingdom of God?
                                                       Do not be deceived:

                                                             neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters,
                                                             nor adulterers, nor men who practice
                                                             homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy,
                                                             nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers
                                                             will inherit the kingdom of God.

                                                        And such were some of you.  But you were
                                                        washed, you were sanctified, you were justified
                                                        in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the
                                                        Spirit of our God."
                                                                                       1 Corinthians 6:9-11

                                (Notice that the Trinity is at work in the process of salvation).

                                Some of us used to be like this - terrible sinners, before God
                                cleansed us, set us apart, and justified us through the blood
                                of Jesus.



                                                                    *******************


                                                           "But our citizenship is in heaven,
                                                            and from it we await a Savior,
                                                            the Lord Jesus Christ."
                                                                                       Philippians 3:20


                               Jesus is the only Savior for sinful men.


                                                                     ******************


                                                            "But when the kindness of God
                                                             our Savior and His love for
                                                             mankind appeared, He saved us-
                                                             not by works of righteousness
                                                             that we had done, but according
                                                             to His mercy, through the washing
                                                             of regeneration and renewal by the
                                                             Holy Spirit.

                                                             He poured out this Spirit on us
                                                             abundantly through Jesus Christ
                                                             our Savior, so that having been
                                                             justified by His grace, we may
                                                             become heirs with the hope of
                                                             eternal life."
                                                                                   Titus 3:4-7

                                    (Notice that God the Father and Jesus Christ are both
                                    called our Savior, signifying that they are one Being,
                                    but two Persons).


                                   "Salvation is by grace, not works.

                                    The word 'washing' refers to spiritual cleansing,
                                    of which baptism is the sign and seal.

                                     Both 'regeneration' and 'renewal' characterize the 'washing.'
                                     Regeneration is the new life that begins when a person
                                     comes to faith in Christ.

                                     Renewal is closely related to rebirth; it signifies the
                                     complete transformation of a person's life that begins
                                     when one is regenerated.


                                     'Justified' means to be declared righteous by God.

                                     Left to ourselves, we could never stand righteous
                                     before God.  Righteousness comes through God's
                                     grace alone.

                                     God's purpose in extending His grace to sinners is not
                                     only to save them from eternal judgment, but to make
                                     them part of His family through adoption and thus
                                     heirs of His promises." **



                                                                ***************


                     Jesus is the perfect Savior!


                                                       "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
                                                        the author and perfecter of
                                                        our faith."
                                                                            Hebrews 12:2


                   ** Reformation Study Bible Commentary