by Dan Haley Jr.
A Beautiful Account of The Life-Giving Savior
The record of The Life-Giving Savior is found in John 4:7-26 and concerns Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman. This encounter is interesting because it leads to one of the greatest testimonies concerning the person of Jesus at that time. The woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (verses 28-29). Therefore, this testimony led many Samaritans to believe in Him (verse 39). These Samaritans came to Jesus and asked him to stay with them. He stayed with them for two more days (verse 40). Subsequently, after two days with Jesus, the source of the spring of water welling up to eonian life, they declared, “…this is indeed the Savior of the world” (verse 42).
The Father Sent His Son
In addition, John declares in his first epistle, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world”, John 4:14.
World equals kosmos in this verse. It denotes the ordered universe, the ordered system of God’s creation. It can also reveal the abode of humanity which is the order of things in which humanity moves or of which man is the center. We also see mankind as it manifests itself in and through such an order. That order of things is alienated from God in consequence of and since the Fall. This is manifested in and through the human race.” [1]
Therefore, by definition, our Lord Jesus Christ is Savior of both mankind and the ordered universe! The angel of the LORD declares to Joseph and to the shepherds that a Savior will be born in the city of David. Matthew 1:21 and Luke 2:10-11. Even the celestial beings will be included in His Savior hood, Colossians 1:15-20.
Do we really realize the extent of God’s love for the world, or do we limit His love to the elect only?
Old Testament References to The Life-Giving Savior
John, the son of Zechariah, declared in Luke 3:6, “and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
The Psalmist writes and declares in Psalm 98:1-3, “Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made known his salvation; He has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”
Isaiah 52:10 says, “The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”
This Is the Bottom Line
The Life-Giving Savior came into the world to save sinners, 1 Timothy 1:15. This is God’s revealed will 1 Timothy 2:4.
If Christ Jesus is declared to be the Savior of all men, He must indeed save all men. If just one individual is not saved, then Christ Jesus cannot be declared as Savior of all men for He has not fulfilled His destiny. Christianity in general denies this fact and thus makes God a liar.
Remember, traditional theology and traditions are not always in accord with the scripture. “The wages of sin is death”, Romans 6:23, not an endless existence of suffering in the lake of fire. Christ was the sacrifice for sin in His cross work. If the sufferings of the lake of fire were the penalty of sin, Christ would be there still suffering because according to 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake He [God] made him [Christ] to be a sin offering, who knew no sin, so that in him [Christ] we might become the righteousness of God.”
Please note that the Word of God declares that:
- “Christ died for our sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:3.
- “That He was buried.” 1 Corinthians 15:4.
- “He was raised on the third day.” 1 Corinthians 15:4.
- “And that He appeared” to many brethren before He ascended. 1 Corinthians 15:5-8.
- “So then the Lord Jesus…was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” Mark 16:19
The Responsibility of All Believers
As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we have the greatest and most amazing message in the universe. Therefore we should continually thank God for it and live a life worthy of its truth. Let’s be faithful to share that our Lord is “The Life-Giving Savior.”
ALL MANKIND CAN BELIEVE, JUST AS THE SAMARITANS DID, THAT CHRIST JESUS IS THE THE LIFE-GIVING SAVIOR—
DO YOU?
[1] A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament; E. W. Bullinger; Zondervan Publishing House
