Our Saviour

‘The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” — r JOHN iv.

WE must begin with this. For until we

know the Lord Jesus as our Saviour,

we can not really know Him as anything else.

If you were drowning, it would be no use to call out to you about a kind friend who was ready to do all sorts of things for you. The first thing he would do for you would be to jump in and save you. So Jesus must be your Saviour first, and then all His other names will be precious and beautiful to you.

Perhaps you have heard the Lord Jesus spoken of as Friend, or Shepherd, or Master, and have thought how nice it would be if you could call Him so for yourself. And may be you wondered why the names which made others so glad did not seem to bring any gladness to you. This is because you had not begun at the beginning. And the beginning is the great fact that we are sinners, and can not do without a Saviour. It does not matter how old or how young anybody is, God says “al have sinned,” and “there is no difference” (Rom. iii22,25). Not a bit of difference in His sight between you and a poor little untaught gutter child! Both are real sinners, and can not be saved without a real Saviour; and Jesus is ready to save him and to save you, both alike. Some people will tell you you are better than they, because you have been brought up as a little Christian. But St. Paul himself said: “What then? Are we better than they? No; in no wise” (Rom. iii. 7 ). And surely, if St. Paul wanted a Saviour, you and I must want one. Jesus says He did not come to call the righteous (Matt. ix. ys but He says, ‘“‘The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke Ks ); and “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. i. ):

So you see, Jesus did not come to have anything to do with us unless we own to being “lost” and “sinners.” But if you say, “Yes, I am a sinner, and I am like the prodigal son, lost, and far away,” then you are just the one that Jesus came to save. And then you may say, “Lord, save me” (Matt. xiv. ); because you know you want saving. And then Jesus saves you surely and certainly, else He would not bea Saviour; for He is a Saviour because He saves, and this is what His very name means

(Matt. i. Wash Caise. a Savio, and a great one” (Isa. xix, ). He is “mighty to save” (Isa. Ixiil. ). And as soon as

you come to Him for the salvation you want, you will say, “The Lord was ready to save Me” (Isa, xxxviii. V3

I must give you some verses written by a little girl named Alice, only eleven years old. You will see how she came to Jesus as her Saviour, and found this precious name true for herself. Come! and you will find it true for you, for He is “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever” (Heb. xiii.:

One day I was in trouble,
And my heart was sore distressed;
But Jesus came to me and said,
*“Come, and I will give y6u rest.”

I went to Him, and told Him
I’d a debt I could not pay;

He said to me, ‘‘ Dost thou not know My blood washed it away?”

He took and laid me in His arms,
With my head upon His breast,

And now I’m with my Saviour,
Tm quiet and at rest.

I pray each day and every night,
Dear friends, that all of you

May trust the loving Saviour,
And be made happy too,