Jesus Saves by (Walt Henrichsen)

The word “save” is a beautiful word filled with emotion. A child trapped in a burning building fills the onlookers with fear and apprehension. The fireman, risking his life, rushes into the flames and returns with the child in his arms.

People cheer as someone cries, “the child is saved!” A pleasure craft capsizes inthe ocean and the Coast Guard comes to the rescue. The next day the headlines in the newspaper read, “The Coast Guard Saves All.” Few words thrill the soul like the word “saved.”

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. In this context the word “save” becomes an affront to many people. They resent hearing it because it implies that they are in danger and need saving. Some people, like those floating in the ocean hoping for rescue, know that they need saving. Others live in danger and do not know it. For example, aviators talk about experiencing vertigo, a phenomenon in which you lose your sense of direction. The instruments on the aircraft may indicate that you are losing elevation while your instincts tell you the opposite. Such people need saving and do not know it.

Never lose your thrill when hearing the word “saved.” And never be shy about telling others the good news. When Jesus said He came “to seek and to save the lost,” he meant that there are two kinds of people in the world: those that know they need saving, and those that don’t. When people are offended by your telling them that Jesus saves, don’t become embarrassed. They are in spiritual vertigo.