JESUS SAVES! Yes. But From What?

From this morning's sermon on Matthew 1:21, "You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 

Last, let’s understand that Jesus came to save sinners from sins! Or, sin itself. From what aspect of sin do we need to be delivered? We happily affirm that the Bible teaches we are delivered from the guilt, the penalty, the power, and ultimately the presence of sin.

1)  Jesus Saves Us From the Guilt of Sin. Guilt is the fact resulting from an offense. We sin, therefore, in point of fact, we are guilty. We are punished due to the guilt of our sin. Jesus saves us from the fact of our sin. The Psalmist said, “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the [guilt] of my sin” (Psalm 32:5). In Christ guilt no longer exists! “In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses . . .” (Eph. 1:7).

2)  Jesus Saves Us From the Power of Sin. The power of sin is its rulership over us, its dominion. Thomas Watson explains, “We are delivered from the rule of sin, though not its presence. Sin may rage in a child of God, but it may not reign. Lust raged in David, and fear in Peter, but it did not reign, they recovered themselves by repentance.”  For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14). Watson writes further, “Sin lives in a child of God, but is deposed from the throne; it lives not as a king, but a captive.” Indeed, "Jesus saves his people from their sins" the power of sin! 

3)  Jesus Saves Us From the Penalty or Curse of Sin. The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). And, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Gal. 3:13). Christ said to his Father, “Let the curse not be upon them, but upon me.” So, we read in Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law [working force] of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law [working force] of sin and death.  

4)  Further, Jesus saves us from the presence of sin. Amen. At our glorification, we shall at last be free from sin’s very presence! No more deceitfulness, manipulation, hatred and crime. “The redeemed are to be lifted from the earth and from its sin. The day will come when we will be taken to a place where there is no sin. Jesus promises that “there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination” (Rev. 21:27). Neither the Devil nor his demons will be able to enter into that City.” (Harold Sightler) 

5)  Jesus Saves Us From Satan. This makes the Devil mad. He does not want me to proclaim deliverance from his power. Blessed be the day when Jesus saved me from Satan. I am free indeed. The Devil cannot do more than nag me. He cannot put his dirty hands upon me except in God’s will. He cannot get to me except God permit him to do so. The Bible describes Satan as a roaring lion going up and down in the earth seeking whom he may devour. I rejoice that there are some whom he cannot devour—the redeemed. To the saved he is more a roar than anything else.  

Claim the deliverance and rejoice in it. The Devil can do no more than try to hinder you from so doing. Claim freedom by faith. When Jesus saved you, He saved you from Satan. 

Many times the Devil has threatened my life. In nearly audible impressions he tells us that he will take our lives. But he is a liar; my life is in Jesus, and the Devil can do nothing about it (Harold Sightler in a sermon on this text).

Nothing in this life so excites the believer like the truth that Jesus saves him from sin! Nothing is so vital to his ongoing life, yes, to life itself! So, one might look for eternity to find a subject of greater weight and he will cease trying, finding only the Creator outreaches his own plan of salvation.

May we find in Jesus Christ this season an increasing love welling up within our hearts for the beautiful, all-encompassing Savior of the world!

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