QUESTION: A savior is a hero who rescues from the destroyer. The Bible says we need a savior--a savior from what exactly?

ANSWER: Long ago, in the dawn of creation, the man and woman God created lived a wonderfully relaxed and free life.

Everywhere they looked, all they saw was peace and beauty. They didn't have to sweat the mortgage. There was no need for a home security system to keep the bad guys out. The word danger was literally not in their vocabulary.

But danger was present in their world.

God's enemy Satan also lived on this planet and hated the man and woman. It seems it was very important to Satan to gain control of this couple (abduct them if you will).

God knew this, but instead of sitting them down and giving them all the gory details, he chose a far simpler method of warning and protecting them.

He placed a tree smack in the middle of their world. The name of the tree was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And they were told simply to stay away from it!

How simple can you get?

There is good in this world, and there is evil. Do not try to learn about the evil. When it comes to evil, knowledge is not power! Stay away from it!

Now, we can safely assume that the first couple possessed superior intelligence, as they were created directly by God, and endowed with whatever knowledge they had need of. So there is no reason to believe they misunderstood anything relating to tree and where God stood in the matter of what they needed to know.

The tree was not there to trick or trap them. It was there to warn and protect them.

All they had to do in order to remain safe and happy forever, was obey one simple directive--do not eat the fruit.

They ate the fruit.

Imagine their horror, when they realized that with one simple act of disobedience their reality was radically and permanently changed.

They were now hostages of Satan (the world's first terrorist) God's enemy, and they would be forced to share in whatever fate awaited him, and there was not a single thing they could do about it.

Did they ever need a savior!

Not only did they need a savior, but all of their physical descendants would need one as well.

No ransom was requested, but to Satan's  everlasting dismay, God did what he does best (the impossible) and provided a ransom anyway. One that would indisputably pay the debt in full for all time, so all hostages could go free--forever

All each hostage had to do was place his or her faith in the one who would pay the ransom.

The ranson was paid by the Son of God himself, Jesus Christ--our savior.

We all desperately need a savior to save us from the awful doom described in Revelation chapter 20 that awaits Satan and all who belong to him.

Question: Since God is ominipotent why couldn't he just have forgiven us by divine generosity? Why did God have to put the only perfect human being on a cross?

Answer: God didn't put Jesus on the cross. He volunteered. That was his sole reason for coming to this earth.

Sin always exacts a price (and requires a price). When death entered the world through Adam's sin, and Satan held it hostage because of that, God acted swiftly to rescue fallen man by immediately promising one who would come and pay the ransom to free the hostages.

Because sin was committed by a man, the ransom had to be paid by a man. Because life was taken, a life had to be given.

But there was one problem.

The man who took the punishment for sin (thereby releasing everyone else from the consequences) had to be sinless.

That was a major problem.

Since Adam would pass on the sin and death now present in his nature to all of his physical descendents, there was not, nor ever could be, such a man.

But God the great problem solver, came up with an ingenious solution. He would become a man.

He became one of us. He came to earth and endured every temptation known to man (without ever once succumbing to sin).

After earning the right to free the hostages (and after his followers were fully prepared to carry the message of the paid ransom to the world) he voluntarily gave his life.

He paid the price with his sinless blood. the debt was cancelled, and God's enemy was left without a valid claim.

Because of that, anyone who chooses faith in Jesus Christ is free, and can look forward to an eternity of incredible life.

The only perfect human being that ever existed came to earth with just one purpose: to give his life as a ransom, so the hostages could go free.

Question: why isn't just living a good life enough?

Answer: Jesus claimed that he was the only way, the only truth and the only life.

When He was asked about the authority that gave him the right to say and do the things he said and did, he gave an answer that rendered his interrogator's speechless. He said his exclusive claims and authority would be proven when he rose from the dead.

Is your philosophy or religious belief backed up with that kind of power?

People's very lives are in our hands when we undertake the responsibility of instructing them concerning eternity. Jesus did that. He went about telling everyone exactly what was required in order to obtain eternal life.

Question: But aren't there many paths to God instead of just one?

Answer: Jesus said broad and easy is the way that leads to destruction; that many would choose that way. But narrow and steep is the way that leads to life and few would find it.

Jesus said narrow and steep, not hard. The way to life is easy, it is simple. So simple in fact, that people stumble all over it, because they just cannot believe that anything so simple can be so powerful.

The reason it is narrow is because there is only one way. If we reject that one way, there is no other path or entrance that will get us there.

Jesus said he is the only way, the only truth and the only life

Jesus said that no one gets to the Father except through him.
John 10:9, 14:6  Romans 10:9-10,13

Question: Does God allow individuals to have a second chance to discover Jesus if they were  a decent person in this life?

Answer: Hebrews 9:27 says, "it is appointed to man once to die and after that the judgement."

Another example would be found in Like 16:20-31

Jesus himself cleared the matter by giving a real life example of how many chances we get.

In this passage, the lives and consequences of two men are examined, and it is clear that no second chances were permitted.

We have one life and one opportunity to accept Christ and establish our final destination and position in eternity.

Jesus Christ is not only the savior of the world, but he is your personal savior as well. If you will allow him to be.

If you have never professed faith in what he has done for you - personally, please do so now. Do not let another second elapse (we are not promised the next second, minute, hour or day). But we are told that right now, today, is the day of salvation

Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God?

Do you believe God raised him from the dead?

Are you ready for a new life? Are you willing to turn from your sins?

Then pray right now, and tell him that! 

God promises that all who call on him to save them through faith in his risen son - shall be saved. If you called on Jesus just now - please tell someone (confess with your mouth as well as believe in your heart) by emailing us, and then go immediately to the "Christian Growth" page of this website using the link provided below.