To Save Sinners: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Our Lord Jesus Christ came into this world with His purpose of saving sinners; and to fulfill this purpose, He finished His Father’s work, glorified His Father, and obeyed His Father’s will unto death (John 17:4; Phil 2:8). To save sinners, our Lord had to keep His life holy and righteous in order to die for sinners as a perfect Substitute. He overcame Satan’s temptations luring Him away from this purpose with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (Matt 4:1-11; 1 John 2:15-17). He even ignored the challenges of religious leaders asking Him to come down from the cross (Matt 27:41-42). Dear friends, if we have been saved by God’s grace, we should have the same purpose as our Lord’s. May God use our lives to continue fulfilling His purpose of saving sinners. And to be used by God, we are to submit to Him and His Word. There is no other way!
To Save Repentant Sinners: Our Lord Jesus came to save sinners, but not all sinners will be saved, only those who acknowledge their sins and return to Him from sins in repentance, but the corrupt texts omit the word “repentance” in Jesus’ statements, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matt 9:13), and “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17), and even omit this whole sentence, “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost” (Matt 18:11). A patient who refuses or does not submit to the instructions and treatments of a doctor cannot be cured. It is worse if he does not believe in the doctor’s diagnosis or warnings, assuming that he is healthy without any illness or disease! Likewise, God loved mankind and sent His dearly beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world to save sinners, but many do not come to Him nor submit to Him and His Word, thinking that they have no serious sins or that there is no Hell. Then they can never blame God if they perish and are condemned to Hell! God’s Word confirms, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) and, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). How about you and me? Have we acknowledged our sins and our hopeless condemnation to Hell and then come to the Lord Jesus Christ in sincere repentance and full submission?
To Save Repentant Sinners to the Uttermost: Our Lord Jesus Christ came to save repentant sinners perfectly to the uttermost as He is ever living, making intercession for them, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:25). The term to the uttermost (pantelēs) means completely, wholly, always, forever. Then, by His death, resurrection and intercession, the Lord Jesus Christ has power not only to forgive our sins but also to deliver us from the power of sin and the power of darkness of Satan (Acts 26:18; Rom 7:24-25; Col 1:13) and to keep us secure unto the end (John 10:28-29). Then, a believer who is once saved by the Lord will be forever saved by Him. Praise the Lord! Do you and I have this assurance of our “eternal salvation” in the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb 5:9)?
Moreover, as Paul is “a pattern” or an example (1 Tim 1:13-16) of God’s love, grace, longsuffering and power to save and to transform him from a sinner, a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violent man unto a humble, gentle, godly and faithful servant of God, let us commit our lives totally to the Lord as the clay in the Potter’s hands so that God may mould, refine, sanctify and use our lives for His purpose and glory.
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