Sozo: the verb 'To Save'

When Peter saw Jesus walking on water - he stepped out of the boat to walk with him. On taking his eye off Jesus and noticing the increasingly large waves around him Peter began to sink. Peter cried out "Lord save me!" (Greek: Sozo)

Similarly when they were in a boat and Jesus was asleep a storm frightened the disciples as the waves poured over the boat. They cried out to Jesus: "Lord save us! - we're going to drown"

We will only call out for a saviour when we realise that we need to be saved.

John 3: 16 is probably the most famous verse in the Bible. Less famous are the two verses that follow:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to SAVE the world through him. Whoever believes in (trusts in , clings to, relies on) him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Like the disciples on the boat we are in need of a saviour to save us from imminent death - total separation of God.

"For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a)

Since: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) like the disciples we are urgently in need of a saviour:

"but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6: 23b)

As our sinless Christ suffered (the most excruciating death penalty devised by man) on the cross he took the full wrath of God for our sin on his shoulders.

Are you trusting in, clinging to and relying on Jesus for forgiveness of your sin? If not here is what I suggest you urgently need to do:

(1) Recognise that you are in danger
(2) Cry out to Jesus "Lord save me!"
(3) Repent: Turn away from ALL that is not of God and turn to God - (This is possibly a good time to say sorry to God the stuff that you have done that is against His will and perhaps a good time to thank Jesus for dying on the cross)
(4) Rely on the saving blood of Jesus Christ for salvation:
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
(5) Ask God's Holy Spirit to come and live in you
(5) Enjoy your new relationship with God through Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Enjoy 'eternal life' - the best quality of life in the presence of God - a life that starts today and goes on for ever more.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Nobody seems to be that interested any more Neil... Certainly no comments for ever such a long time...

I did think of a No. 6 in the above list:

6, and then become a self-righteous and self deluded soul, eager to attribute one’s actions to the Glory of God, but really just intent in making oneself feel better about oneself.... Swamped by the emotion of rage that is the only emotion the zealot appears capable of...
Self-love and self-absorption dressed up as some kind of piety...
But, hey, that’s religion, ain’t it?
September 14, 2010 at 3:25 PM
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