He is able to save

Published 2:16 pm Friday, September 26, 2008

In Hebrews 7:25 the Bible says, “Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (NIV). Hence the topic, “He is able to save.”

First consider the words “to save.” The New Testament word “save” means to set free, to rescue, to give deliverance, to make whole and to make well. And this relates to a person’s sins: the guilt of sin, the power of sin, the consequences of sin and the judgment for sin.

There is no way to understand the reason for the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ apart from his purpose to save us from our sins. In Matthew 1:21 the angel of the Lord said to Joseph concerning the Virgin Mary, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” John 3:17 says, “God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.” Jesus said, “I am come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus said that he had come to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). The good news that came out of the cross and the resurrection was that “Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead in fulfillment of the entire Old Testament and by this gospel you are saved as you receive it and take your stand upon it” (See I Corinthians 15: 2-5). Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “The gospel is the power of God to save everyone who believes.” The message of the book of Acts is chapter four and verse 12: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Now let’s ask the question, who is He able to save? Our beginning Scripture above says “He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him (Jesus Christ).” The Bible confirms the truth that no one is beyond God’s ability or beyond his desire to save. The true accusation leveled against Jesus by the self-righteous was: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). The lepers, the adulterers, the hated tax collectors, the demon possessed, the drunks, the rich, the poor and the outcast: He saved persons from among them all. Saul of Tarsus said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15). Later, writing to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul gave a list of sinners who would miss the kingdom of God: “the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexual offenders, thieves, the greedy, slanderers, and swindlers.” Then he added, “And such were some of you, but you are washed, accepted as righteous and set apart for God’s service in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (See 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Do not be deceived into thinking God cannot save you no matter what your past is.

Why is our Lord Jesus able to save? First, because He was holy, blameless and pure and had not one sin of his own. Second, because He sacrificed himself for our sins when He willingly offered himself to be the everlasting, eternal and the once for all sacrifice for our sins. Third, because He rose from the dead and ever lives to intercede at the right hand of God the Father for those sinners who come to God through Him. (See Hebrews 7:23-27) No wonder the Bible says, “He is able to save completely and he meets our need” relating to our sins.

Who does the Lord Jesus save completely? The answer is “Those who come to God through Jesus Christ.” God is calling: “Come to me. You can come to me through my Son.” An adequate prayer could simply be, “Jesus, save me.” From a sincere heart, you would not be refused. “For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved.” You have God’s word for it! (Romans 10:9,10,13).