Some Things Can’t Be Saved
Without God’s Help
The Bible never leads us to believe God will do everything for us. If anything, it teaches just the opposite. We are assigned many functions and held responsible. There are many things we can do, or to say it another way, there are many ways in which we can and should save ourselves. That was the point of the last post.
God created us with ability and the fact that He doesn’t do everything for us is an indication He expects us to use that ability. That approach works in our favor. Taking action is one way to make life meaningful. Getting involved saves us from the emptiness that comes with wasting away.
But there is one thing Jesus does for us which no one else can do.
Jesus saves souls
And He needs no help from anyone to do so. Some people balk at this idea and it’s easy to understand why.
They have never needed saving help from anyone. They don’t know what it is like to really need a lifeguard or paramedic and therefore have no visceral sense of the danger. They see life endangering situations as self induced and consequently do very little to enhance, support or save humans as a whole.
They don’t realize that helping each other is one way to save oneself and therefore assume they either need no saving from Jesus or can take care of the matter without His help if they do.
They have this misconception because there is a problem they don’t quite understand. Let me explain.
God gave each of us a living soul and with it we are free to feel, think, relate, visualize, act and choose. We can entertain appropriate or inappropriate feelings. We can make good or bad choices but the bad actions we take will damage the soul and those damages are not so easily overcome.
Telling a lie makes you a liar. Apart from the hurt it causes others, from which they may recover, a lie scars the one who told it irreparably. It twists and contorts a soul like a crash does a car fender.
Confessing the lie may make things right but it does not change your status. No amount of holy water, hail Marries, penance, sacrifice, giving, church attendance, Bible reading, prayer, fasting or service can eradicate the fact that you told a lie. These are temporary salves at best. Even those who use holy water say the same.
On your own you will never overcome it.
It’s like a broken ankle. Once it heals there will always be residual weakness and recurring pain.
The reality is, everyone is born with a broken soul. You began with a limp even before you told your first lie and, as House says, everybody lies.
The only fix is the salvation Jesus offers. A psychologist can help you manage a broken soul. They can’t undo the scars. Only Jesus can.
This, then, is the second way in which Jesus saves you. It’s internal and only Jesus can do something to make it happen.
But as many as received Him, gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name. Which were born not of blood (natural birth), nor of the will of the flesh (personal effort), nor of the will of man (institutional assistance) but of God. John 1:12-13)
Jesus doesn’t force anyone to accept it but that is the offer.
Next post: How does Jesus’ salvation compare?
THINK!AboutIt
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