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A Personal Saviour

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 2, 1909

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 86, No. 35.

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A Personal Saviour

By F. A. Zappe

F. A. ZAPPE
“Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” From these words of Scripture we learn that Jesus, the Son of God, is really our Saviour. He is not a Saviour that is interested in us only in a general way, as many suppose, but he is a personal Saviour, interested in each one individually.
Christ’s love for us personally is indeed very great. “If there had been but one lost soul, Christ would have died for that one.” “The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul for whom he gave his beloved Son.” So great is the interest which heaven takes in an individual, that all the heavenly angels rejoice with Jesus when one soul who has been walking in sin comes into the ark of safety.
Our Saviour said, “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Far better does Jesus know each one of us personally than does the nearest or dearest of our earthly friends. The hairs of our head are numbered, and he knows all our thoughts. Every commandment and promise given in the Word of God should be regarded by each one as applying to himself as directly as if there was not another soul living in this world. When each one knows for himself that Jesus is his Saviour and God his God, and that every command and promise given is meant for himself personally, then there will be no trouble in having a living experience in the things of God.
Encouraging indeed are the promises which the Lord makes to each one personally: “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” “Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”
Our Saviour is no respecter of person. He longs to see one man saved just as much as the other. He would, if necessary, send every one of the heavenly angels to help the weakest soul who is trusting in him to gain the victory over Satan, rather than to see Satan get the victory, and thus cause the loss of that one soul. O, how thankful each one of us should be that Jesus, the Son of God, is a personal Saviour!
Brethren and sisters, it does bring one nearer to Jesus when he feels free to come before the Father and the Son, and say, O God, thou art my God! O Saviour, thou art my Saviour! Seeing we have such a Saviour as this, “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus,” the personal Saviour, “the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” And seeing that it is a personal Saviour who is our great high priest that is passed into the heavens, “let us hold fast our profession,” and “let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Brownville, Minn.