The name Saviour is most definitely the one I love the most for the Lord! Without His shed blood and His payment for our sin, we have no hope. Without forgiveness, we cannot have a future in Heaven!
The word Saviour is mentioned 37 times in the Bible – 13 in the Old Testament and 24 in the New Testament. So who needs forgiveness? We all need forgiveness but let’s look at those mentioned in the Bible who considered themselves sinners in need of a Saviour:
Samuel: The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. ~2 Samuel 22:3
Israelites: They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; ~Psalm 106:21Isaiah: Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. ~Isaiah 45:15
Jeremiah: O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? ~Jeremiah 14:8
Hoseah: Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me. ~Hoseah 13:4
Mary (the mother of Jesus): And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. ~Luke 1:47
The Shepherds: For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ~Luke 2:11
Samaritans: And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. ~John 4:42
Paul: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ~Philippians 3:20
Peter: Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: ~2 Peter 1:1John: And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. ~1 John 4:14
Here we see that those of the Old Testament needed a Saviour (their Messiah) – we have Samuel, the Israelites, and even the prophets needed a Saviour. In the New Testament, the first time we see the word Saviour is when Mary speaks it. I found that interesting, actually. Even Mary needed a Saviour. The shepherds (Jews), the Samaritans (half Jew, half Gentile), as well as the Apostles themselves! None are exempt from the need of a Saviour.
Can there be another Saviour? The Word says,
I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. ~Isaiah 43:11
Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me. ~Hoseah 13:4
Our Saviour’s blood bought our pardon and the forgiveness of our sins. No other can claim this. The catholic church would have their members believe that because Jesus was Mary’s son, she suffered as much as He did. But my friend, it was not her blood that was shed on that cross, no matter how much her heart was broken at the death of her son. It was Christ’s blood that was shed and, therefore, He can be the only one who can claim the title of Saviour. Mary cannot be co-redemptrix! The catholic church teaches that she is and they have lied to their members all these years!
And at the foot of the cross of our Saviour (Jn.19:26), Mary’s intense sufferings, united with those of her Son, as Pope John Paul II tells us, were, “also a contribution to the Redemption of us all” (Salvifici Doloris, n.25). Because of this intimate sharing in the redemption accomplished by the Lord, the Mother of the Redeemer is uniquely and rightly referred to by Pope John Paul II and the Church as the “Coredemptrix.”
Mary was a sinner like you and I, my friend. To say otherwise is to call Luke 1:47 a lie. The catholic church includes this verse in their Magnificat yet its members are blinded by its true meaning. Why would Mary call Jesus her Saviour unless she needed saving? She needed a Saviour just like you and I need a Saviour. Only Christ’s shed blood brings about forgiveness – He alone has authority to be our Mediator, our High Priest, our Saviour!
Here is a beautiful depiction of forgiveness. I absolutely loved it :-)
The Cleansing Blood
One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God’s call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry, teaching young children. It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor’s son.
The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began. You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor’s son.
The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry the pastor’s son stood to speak. He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife to be.
He began to speak and his statement was this:
“My fiancee’s past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?” The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then we are all in a lot of trouble.
What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus…. end of case!!!
Pass this on to everyone that you truly care for at all….we all need this message…. God Forgives.. So Should We.
Author Unknown
Have you ever been in a situation where someone rescued you from certain death? I have. When I was 12 years old, I nearly drowned. Had it not been for my brother-in-law, Bob, jumping into the lake after me, I would surely have died. The act of one man saved my life! Bob was an expert swimmer and, thus, was perfectly qualified to jump right in to save me. My sister, Pauline, could not have done this as she did not know how to swim, therefore, she was not qualified!
