Do You Need A Savior?

(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

God calls us to Himself because He loves us and desires an intimate and personal relationship with us. The righteous work of Jesus Christ provides the opportunity for us to choose salvation that results in communion with God.

“To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1 NKJV). Jesus Christ pleased the Father by being the acceptable sacrifice in our place. Our sin natures separated us from a relationship with God, but Jesus did everything necessary to make the way for us to come to God. It is His work that makes us acceptable to God, not any particular formula of human design. Erroneously we believe it is our responsibility to appease God and become acceptable to Him. Perhaps we assume that by doing the right thing, saying the right thing, or doing “it” good enough we can gain entrance into a relationship with God. Some even suppose they are entitled to access to God because of their upright lifestyle. The two polar extremes that block dependency on Jesus are “I am not good enough” and “I am good enough.” The reality is that it is not about us—whether we are or are not good enough. It is about Christ and what He has accomplished. When we come to salvation, we are choosing to depend and rely on God in all areas of our lives. “He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them” (2 Cor. 5:15 NLT).

It pleased the Father to provide for our best interest through His redemptive work.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. (1 Peter 1:3–5 NLT)

God’s undeserved, limitless grace is available to address the core needs of the soul. Christ offers

Redemption from the
      •Domain of Satan
      •Domination of sin
      •Damnation to hell
      •Dictates of this present evil world

Resolution of
     •Guilt
     •Shame
     •Fear

Restoration to
     •Love
     •Joy
     •Peace

Reconciliation
     •To God
     •Through Jesus
     •By the Holy Spirit

God looks into our lives and considers the trials and difficulties He foresees will come to us. He has already designed a master plan of how He will navigate us through the maze of trouble to ensure our arrival at His preordained destination. “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Rom. 8:29 NLT).

God deals with us right where we are, using the circumstances and problems we face to move us toward the likeness of Christ. God’s dynamic transforming process is set in motion through His grace as we act on His truth.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. (Col. 1:11–14 NLT)

God calls His children, and chooses all those who are willing to choose Him.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. (Eph. 1:4–8 NLT)

As our Savior He purposed to free us from the bondage of sin that keeps us stuck in the mire. His gracious action was prompted by His eternal desire to be in an intimate relationship with His creation. The resulting freedom and union enables His child to live devoted to God and totally committed to doing good deeds.

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. (Titus 2:11–14 NLT)

Why do you need a Savior?