WHY DO I NEED A SAVIOR?

Matthew 19:16-22

INTRODUCTION: You are not superman and neither am I. We cannot fly and we cannot save ourselves by anything we might do in this life. We need a Savior! You might ask: “Why do I need a Savior, why can’t I save myself?”

I. WHY CAN’T I JUST SAVE MYSELF?

We tend to look at the deeds of our lives as a scale: if my good works outweigh my bad works surely a good God would let me into heaven. Unfortunately for us, our good God makes up the rules and He says no one is good enough to get to heaven without a Savior! Psalm 14:1; Romans 3:10-12. Let’s see from God’s Word what He says about our very best works:
Isaiah 64:6. That may come as a surprised to many today who have thought God thinks just like we do, but Jesus tells us that just because we do good works, even in His Name it won’t get us to heaven: Matthew 7:21-23. We are saved, not by our resume of what we have done for God but by our relationship with our God.

II. WE ARE ALL GUILTY BEFORE A HOLY GOD!

Let’s just look at the last five commandments the ones written on the second tablet of stone: Exodus 20:13. We might say “I have never killed anyone, and yet our Lord Jesus said: Matthew 5:21-22. 1 John 3:11-15. Exodus 20:14: Matthew 5:27-28. Exodus 20:15:Have you ever taken something that belonged to someone else? Exodus 20:16: Have you ever told a lie? Revelation 21:8. Exodus 20:17: Have you ever desired something that belonged to someone else? When we look honestly at just those five commandments we will have to admit we have all fallen short of the holy demands of our God. Our Lord Jesus gave this test to the rich young ruler and he failed it too: Matthew 19:16-22. “What must I do to be saved?” In this young man’s thoughts he was his own savior. Here is the problem: none of us are perfect and that is what is needed to gain eternal life: Romans 3:23. Our sin is what keeps us from being able to earn our own salvation. The question might be: “Just how holy to I have to be to earn salvation?” James 2:10. Jesus let the rich young ruler know that he had a sin problem: He loved his money more than he loved his God! Exodus 20:3. Money was not the problem for the young man it was his love of money that was his problem. No matter how good you are today you are still not good enough to be your own savior. A good question to ask might be “What does God require of us to be “good” enough? Genesis 4:1-5. Cain’s offering was an offering of works: Genesis 4:3; Genesis 4:5. The works of his hands fell short. Abel’s offering was accepted because it was a blood offering: Genesis 4:4. The LORD had regard for Abel and his offering. Why? Because it was a blood offering and that is what is required by God: Leviticus 17:11. Acceptance before God has always only come through a blood sacrifice. Our works will never save us. Our salvation will only come through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

III. THE BLOOD OF JESUS IS OUR ONLY HOPE!
Because the blood of Jesus Christ is our only hope of eternal life is why we preach and sing about His precious blood. Hebrews 9:22. That is why we celebrate the cross of Christ. How strange that Christian celebrate the brutal slaying of their Master. It is because on the cross our Lord Jesus did the only thing that could purchase our salvation: 1 John 2:2; Romans 10:9-10, 13. When we place our faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ as total payment for our sins the Bible says we are sanctified in God’s sight: Hebrews 10:8-10.