JESUS
CHRIST-SAVIOR
[Jesus] saves
His people from their sins. This is His special office. He saves them from the
guilt of sin, by washing them in His own atoning blood. He saves them from the
dominion of sin, by putting in their hearts the sanctifying Spirit. He saves
them from the presence of sin, when He takes them out of this world to rest
with Him. He will save them from all the consequences of sin, when He shall
give them a glorious body at the last day. Blessed and holy are Christ's
people! From sorrow, cross, and conflict they are not saved. But they are saved
from sin for evermore.
Commentary: Matthew 1.
He
bears the keys – to Him we must go for admission into heaven. He is the door –
through Him we must enter. He is the Shepherd – we must hear His voice, and
follow Him, if we would not perish in the wilderness. He is the Physician – we
must apply to Him, if we would be healed of the plague of sin. He is the bread
of life – we must feed on Him, if we would have our souls satisfied. He is the
light – we must walk after Him, if we would not wander in darkness. He is the
fountain – we must wash in His blood, if we would be cleansed, and made ready
for the great day of account.
J.C. Ryle
Matthew Commentary, Chapter 11.
[In reading
the Old Testament] you have learned that there is balm in Gilead, that there is
a great Physician there; He has checked your fearful, mortal malady, and you
shall live. You have looked to the brazen serpent, you are healed. You have
sprinkled your door post with the blood of God’s atoning Lamb, and the angel of
destruction will pass you by. You have fled to the city of refuge, and the
destroyer cannot come near you. You have laid your sins by faith on your
substitute and He has borne them away into the wilderness. You have bathed in
the fountain that was opened in the house of King David for sin and for
uncleanness, and the defilement of guilt has been washed away. You have brought
to Jesus the writing that bound you as a servant of sin, and He has annulled it
by nailing it to His cross.
John Broadus
Christian Joy.
The summary
of the gospel is that our Lord Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, has revealed
the will of His heavenly Father to us, and with His innocence has redeemed us
from death, and has reconciled us with God. Therefore, Christ is the only way
to salvation for all those who have been, are, and will be.
Ulrich Zwingli
Quoted in: Is Jesus the Only Way? Crossway,
1999, p. 45.
Our faith
itself, though it be the bond of our union with Christ
through which we receive all His blessings, is not our saviour.
We have but one Saviour; and that one Saviour is Jesus Christ our Lord. Nothing that we are and nothing that we can do enters in the
slightest measure into the ground of our acceptance with God. Jesus did
it all.
B.B. Warfield
When a person
is sick, the doctor may prescribe medicine. What heals the man? Is it the
medicine, or his reaching out for the medicine? Christ is the only solution for
your problem of sin and judgment. He is the medicine. Who else but Christ can
rescue you and bring you into the forgiven family of God? He is the exclusive
way to God. He is a narrow way, but a sufficient one. But how do you reach out
to Christ? By repentance and faith.
Jim Elliff
Pursuing God – A Seeker’s Guide, Christian
Communicators Worldwide, 2003, p. 44, www.CCWonline.org.
True
salvation is not to be found through the mere reception of any creed, however
true or scriptural. Mere 'head notion' is not the road to heaven. “You must be
born again,” means a great deal more than that you must believe certain dogmas.
The study of the Bible cannot save you! You must press beyond this; you must
come to the living, personal Christ, or else your acceptance of the soundest
creed cannot avail for the salvation of your soul. Salvation lies in Jesus
only!
It is not thy
hold on Christ that saves thee; it is Christ. It is not thy joy in Christ that
saves thee; it is Christ. It is not even thy faith in Christ, though that be the instrument; it is Christ’s blood and merit.
C.H. Spurgeon
All my
theology is reduced to this narrow compass – “Jesus Christ came into the world
to save sinners.”
Archibald Alexander
Christ is
much more powerful to save, than Adam was to destroy.
John Calvin
Your Redeemer
is bigger than your past.
Bad Memories: Getting Past Your Past, P&R
Publishing, 2004. Used by Permission.
When
I was young, I was sure of many things; now there are only two things of which
I am sure: one is, that I am a miserable sinner; and
the other, that Christ is an all-sufficient Saviour. He is well-taught who
learns these two lessons.
John Newton