p. 534 | JESUS-SAVIOUR by Milton C. Wilcox

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 2, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 34.

JESUS—SAVIOUR.

By Milton C. Wilcox

THE most precious thought in connection with Christ as a Saviour is that he saves from sin in its fullest sense, the root of all evil, woe, and misery. Said the angel, "Thou shalt call his name JESUS [Saviour]; for he shall save his people from their sins." Matt. 1:21. And it matters not how great those sins have been. The individual may be with whole head sick and whole heart faint, with nothing but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores (Isa. 1:5, 6), if he but hate the sin and desire to be separated from it, he can come to that blessed Redeemer and find pardon. Through his Spirit (1 Peter 1:10, 11) he brings us this message, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isa. 1:18. That is, it matters not how deeply dyed our sins may be; they may be as scarlet, the most permanent of all dyes, if we will only come to Christ, he will heal and pardon; he will wash us white as snow. He will cure the leprosy of sin so that the eye of God can only see the wholeness of righteousness. Truly "blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." Rom. 4:7.

What a gracious work! What a change in condition! From being "holden with the cords of his sins," (Prov. 5:22) he is set "free indeed" by the Son of God. John 8:36. Once a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3), now a child of the promised inheritance. Gal. 4:28. Then at enmity with God (Rom. 8:7), now the enmity is slain (Eph. 2:16), and we reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18), and the heart filled with a peace which the world cannot give. Rom. 5:1. We will not contrast all these opposite conditions between the sinner condemned and the sinner justified. Language cannot depict the wondrous transformation. It must be known by experience to be realized. O taste and see that the Lord is good.

But this is not all of the preciousness of this Saviour. It is but a small part. In fact, if simply forgiveness of past sins were all that Jesus does for us, if we were left to fall back in the old ruts of degradation, in the old habits of sin, if the diseased body were merely healed over on the outside,

while within it were as corrupt as ever, the forgiveness would be worse than nothing. It would only aggravate the sin and misery. It would be like taking the poor, half-frozen beggar out of the street, washing, clothing, feeding him, and placing him in a palace of warmth and light and luxury for a day, and then stripping him of all that was sweet and comfortable, investing him again with rags, and turning him out again upon the street, hungry, and homeless, and shelterless.

This is not what Christ does for us. He does not pardon to deceive. He does not begin the work to leave it unfinished. He is the author [the beginner] and the finisher of our faith. He is able to save "to the uttermost" all who come unto God by him (Heb. 7:25), able to keep them from falling (Jude 24), able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20); and he will for all who trust him, perform the work he has begun "until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil. 1:6.

This Saviour from sin, therefore, is a Saviour from sinning; and not only from sinning, but from all of the consequences of sin. When his work of redemption is finished, death and the grave will be destroyed. God's universe is clean, the people are all righteous, and righteousness is life. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain [of body, or worse, of heart]; for the former things are passed away. Sin is forever removed. "There shall be no more falling away" (Rev. 22:3, Syriac). God will therefore dwell with his people. "The tabernacle [dwelling place] of God is with men, and he will dwell with them," "and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." Rev. 21:4, 3; 22:4. Such is the salvation offered through our Lord Jesus Christ. "Whosoever will may come," and partake freely. M. C. W.