For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19:10 (NASB)
I have always assumed that certain titles for God and His beloved Son Jesus Christ are beyond question until I came across the words of Rev. Brent Hawkes from the Metropolitan Community Church in Toronto, Canada; he is a renowned LGBT activist. This man disputes the suitability of calling Christ Savior in modern times, saying that it could be quite offensive to some people, in particular other religions. He would like to replace Savior with Guide, after all, not everyone feels like they need saving!
There are at least thirteen references to God as Savior in the Old Testament, given as yâsha in Hebrew, meaning to rescue or save. One of the first being in Exodus 15:2: “The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will extol Him.” There are also references in the Psalms and in Isaiah. It is no mistake that Jesus’s name, Yeshua, is derived from the same root as Yâsha, pointing to His familial resemblance to God His Father – thus He is also our Savior. In the Old Testament, God is Savior, and His Son is Savior in the New Testament. The New Testament Greek for Saviour is sōtēr, derived from sōz,ō meaning to save; there are 24 direct references to Jesus as Savior (sōtēr) and 110 references to being saved (sōzō) in the New Testament. Thus, being saved and needing a Savior is a Godly reality throughout the whole Bible, passed from God the Father to God the Son – our Lord and Savior. What God has set down in His Holy Word is sacred and must never be questioned or changed by any man.
After considering the Biblical roots of the word Savior, I can only say that the above statements of Brent Hawkes are completely ludicrous and heretical; he is teaching a fake gospel that will lead souls to hell. A guide is useless when you are sick with a terminal illness, such as sin? What the sin sick souls need is the great Physician (Matthew 9:12), the Savior who can heal the sinful nature.
Sin is an inherited disease that we all have and need saving from; “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). There are no exceptions. But there is Good News, Jesus the great Physician has a cure – He is the cure; “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8), “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). We simply have to verbally accept our Savior’s cure; “for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13). There are no alternative ways (or religions) to be saved from sin, to find peace with God; “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).
Dear Reader, thank you for reading this today. I pray that the necessity of knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is not lost on you and that you see there is no alternative route to Peace with God. If you do not know Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to read the above scriptures from Romans again, praying over them.
You can find out more at Peace With God
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Devotional Treasures
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