Has anyone ever saved your life? Perhaps a firefighter bravely rushing into a burning building to rescue you from certain death. Maybe a loving parent quickly grabbed a fork out of your hand before you stuck it into a power socket. Maybe a stranger on the street pushed you out of harm’s way in the nick of time. Each of these people – your saviours – would have sacrificed something to save you, whether it’s their time, attention, or even their safety. We value people who do these things and would even give the ultimate sacrifice to protect us.
Did you know that there was someone who gave himself for you? He did not just risk his life, or take time out of his busy schedule to do something for you. He laid down his life for you. He offered himself up for you. He gave himself for you. That person is God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Why did he do it? The Bible says that all have sinned (Romans 3:23), and that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). God is good and holy and righteous, and he must punish sin. So, every time you ever lied, or stole something, or were jealous, or angry, or hateful, or lustful, you were sinning against God. This is serious. It means that we’re not just people with flaws. From God’s perspective, we’re wicked and rebellious sinners. God, as the judge of all the world, will do right in punishing all unforgiven sin. He will purge this world once and for all. The scary reality is that we all deserve to be purged along with it.
This is why the Lord Jesus died. God sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world (1 John 4:14). He saw the danger, and loved us so much that he would make a way for not one sinner to need to go to hell for eternity. The Lord Jesus Christ came to this world, lived a life of sinless perfection, and died a sacrificial death to atone for our sins. We didn’t deserve it. It is a free gift of God by grace. Have you ever received it? The verse above says that he gave himself for us, to redeem us (buy us back) and purify us to himself. He wants us for himself, which is our true purpose. To call God “Father” is the right and privilege of only them that believe on the Lord Jesus for forgiveness of sins (John 1:12).
The verse above ends with “good works”. God only calls the works of his people “good”. Until you are redeemed and purified, all your “good words” are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). They cannot please God unless they follow saving faith in Christ (Hebrews 11:6). Once you are saved, he calls you peculiar (or, special), and fit to serve him. We don’t serve him to be fit, we are made fit to serve. Come to the Lord Jesus today, the Saviour of the world, and know forgiveness of all your sins, and your true purpose in this life.