| How We Are Saved, Part 5: Man's Viewpoint - Awareness of Need |
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| Written by David Lawrence |
| Monday, September 15 2008 15:18 |
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As we consider salvation seen from our perspective, somewhere in our mental process leading up to trust in Christ comes an awareness of need. Something is wrong in our lives. We are not right with God. We have no assurance of what will happen to us when we die. We are lost. The order of these events in the processes of the human mind may differ from person to person, but at some point there must be a realization that we are in a desperate situation. The jailer cried out “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). The publican (tax collector) lamented, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). Isaiah fell before the Lord, “Woe to me…I am ruined!” (Isa. 6:5). The Jews on Pentecost asked “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). We do not come to Christ unless we believe that we need what He can give us. Within our hearts there is a conviction that we have done wrong, what Scripture calls “sin,” which is a violation of the laws of God by breaking commandments or failing to keep them (commission and omission). There has to be some kind of awareness that we are in a pit out of which we cannot pull ourselves. We lack the resources to fix the problem that is coming into focus in our hearts and minds. We know of the One who can save us. Like Peter who took a few steps on water and then fell in, we know that we are perishing, and we cry out “Lord, save me!” (Matt. 14:29-20). Not until the sense of desperation sets in will we truly look to the Savior. We must be convinced that we need saving. As long as we think that we are basically all right, that we can handle any situation in life, that God will accept us if we try our best and live a clean life, we shall not trust in Christ. LeRoy King tells of his journey to Christ about a life that was without God until he picked up a Bible and began to read. He said that he had a feeling of being lost, of falling in vast darkness. (You can obtain our interview with him by contacting Engedi Ministries). It happens differently for all of us, but it must happen. As we sing in the hymn, “Soul a Savior thou art needing…” |
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