Salvation

 •  4 min. read  •  grade level: 8
THE first text in the New Testament relating to salvation is this: "And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His Name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins." (Matt. 1:2121And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21).) And in considering the subject of salvation our wisdom is first to consider our Saviour, and afterward the saved people. Jesus saves His people not only from the judgment due to their sins, but also from the weight and love of their sins. He is a perfect Saviour; His is a perfect salvation.
Jesus is absolutely the Saviour: "The Son of Man is come to save that which was lost," (Matt. 18:1111For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. (Matthew 18:11)) thus did He speak when the little ones were the object of His words; and, when grown-up persons were present to Him, He said, "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10).) Very little ones have not wandered away from God, as have older persons, and may not, therefore, need the seeking that do the latter; but old or young, little ones or aged sinners, all are lost, and all alike need the Saviour. Jesus came to save—to save absolutely and entirely—not just to help sinners; nay, He describes all sinners alike, little ones and aged people, as lost.
"God sent not His Son into the world to condemn" or judge "the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:1717For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:17); see also ch. 12:47.) He will come to judge, but now He appears before our faith as the Saviour. The blessed Lord presents Himself to all the wide world of sinners as the Saviour sent by God. His own words are salvation to the soul—"These things I say that ye might be saved" (John 5:3434But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. (John 5:34)); but whoso receives not His words shuts himself up to the judgment. To hear His words, and not to believe on Him, is to reject the only Saviour, and, therefore, to remain forever lost.
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" is the faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). All in the wide world are sinners, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, and the faithful saying is indeed worthy of all the acceptation of our hearts. A very beautiful passage of Scripture on this theme is "The Father sent the Son, the Saviour of the world" (1 John 4:11Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)); for the Father is the title of God, which expresses His love to His Son and to the children of God most deeply. All those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, are born of God; all the saved are God's children. We will embrace to our hearts the gracious fact that Jesus Himself is the Saviour, and that to believe on Him is salvation. "By Me," He says, "if any man enter in, he shall be saved." (John 10:99I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9).) "By Me" How simply do His words direct us just to Himself, how they keep away every difficulty and give to the soul rest!
When the jailor of Philippi asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" they replied, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:30, 3130And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:30‑31).) They bade him believe on the Lord Jesus Himself, and he did believe, he was saved, and his heart was filled with joy (ver. 34); and every poor distressed sinner who truly believes on the Lord is saved.
When Jesus was born, the angels joyfully proclaimed Him "a Saviour which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:1111For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)), and after man had despised and rejected Him, and had cast Him out of the world, crucifying Him with wicked hands, God exalted Him with His right hand; yes, God, in His mighty power, set Jesus on high in heaven, "a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:3131Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:31)), and there by faith we see Him now.
He has gone up on high, and in heaven bears for us the name of Saviour. Let us look at some of the texts that so speak of Him. The greeting to God's people on earth of grace and peace comes from on high: "from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour." (Titus 1:44To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. (Titus 1:4).) "The Holy Ghost is shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour" (ch. 3:6). From heaven we look for the coming of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ to change us to His image, and to take us home (Phil. 3:2020For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (Philippians 3:20)); and not only do we look for this blessed hope, we look also for the manifestation of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2:1313Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)), when every eye shall behold Him, and all the earth shall be filled with His glory. For then shall the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:1111Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. (1 Peter 1:11)) be established.
Thus we see what great and wonderful blessings are connected with the name of our Saviour. On another occasion we may consider some of the numerous texts which teach us concerning His work of salvation. But sure we are it is a delight to His saved people to think of Him Himself as Saviour.