Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
The Lord Jesus Christ is "the Savior of the world" (John 4:42). But what does He save the world from? What is salvation? Is it merely a physical resurrection, carrying on the same existence which we now have, with new bodies? Or can we say that salvation is deliverance from the sin that plagues our present life? And if we have not known what that deliverance from sin is now, will we be able to enjoy any kind of a "resurrection"?
We humans are not "saved" by being delivered utterly from "the flesh," but by receiving power to rule over the clamors of our "flesh." The "[much more abounding] grace of God" actually "teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age" (Titus 2:11, 12, New International Version). This is to rule over all the evil tendencies and desires of "the flesh" which we have inherited from the fallen head of our human race, Adam. We humans do not develop character by being delivered from the realm of temptation, but by receiving power to conquer all the temptation. That is salvation!
The Savior does not try to save us in a way that would leave us limp and characterless, by putting us in a place of no temptation; no, He came to us humans just where we are, in the midst of all our temptations. He came in the very flesh as we have, and in that flesh He met all the temptations known to that flesh, and conquered every one of them right up to the moment when He cried "It is finished!" on His cross and bowed His head and died.
By means of that conquest, He has brought victory over the flesh to every soul in the world who will open his heart to receive that "faith of Jesus." Hot-house tree plants that have never been outdoors and never known cold and wind are helpless to endure real life and can never develop into strong trees; the Savior of the world is busy as our great High Priest "saving" a people who will be happy meeting Him face to face when He returns, who will not be ashamed in His personal presence. They must not be surprised that temptations assail them, or that trials plague them. That is evidence that the High Priest is actually working on their case!
Good news! Let Him work!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: February 28, 2007.
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