Why Did He Save Us?

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:4-5

I thought for the longest time that the answer to this question was “so I won’t go to Hell.” If I’m totally honest, the only reason I initially got saved was because unsaved people went to an awful place called Hell. I understood that Jesus paid the penalty for my sin so I wouldn’t have to, but I didn’t understand that He gave me the power to overcome those sins from which I needed saving. I also didn’t understand that sin needed to be removed so He and I could just hang out together. That would come probably 10 years after I got saved. I hope this WMD helps you understand what I wish I had understood when I first got saved.

When you get born again, your primary wants just change. You find that you simply want more of Him. You begin to find that you want more of His presence. You long to know Him more and more. You have this crazy thirst to read His Word. You look forward to spending time with Him. An anointed praise and worship song just sends chills down your arms. You start thinking about Heaven and that glorious day when your faith becomes sight!

This is precisely why He saved us…so that we can begin to KNOW Him! Not JUST so we could go to Heaven. Not JUST so we could avoid Hell. Not JUST so we’ll be better people. He NEVER intended for us to live our lives trying to do the right things so we can earn His favor. He NEVER intended for us to be religious and go to church every week because He is making a list and checking it twice. He saved us because sin separates us from Him. Sin is all over the unsaved individual, and sin STINKS! Nobody wants to be around anybody that stinks…including God. He made a way, through His Son Jesus, for us to not stink. When we receive His forgiveness, our stink gets taken away and we have access to Him. He can draw near to us because the barrier of sin has been removed. He also gave us the power to STOP those sins which enslave us. The more sin He helps you conquer in this life, the more you receive His presence on a consistent basis. On this Earth, there will be a constant purification from sin. Therefore, there will be a constant increase in the amount of His presence and power that you will receive. As hard as I’ve tried, I have never quit a sin because it was “the right thing to do.” I have found that the more I fell in love with Him, and the more I got to know Him, the more I wanted to refrain from sin because of that love. I found that His presence would just come on me and…well, I wanted a LOT more of that, so running from sin became a lot less difficult. As strange as it sounds, I now want to conquer sin in my life for completely selfish reasons…it simply invites more of His presence, and that benefits me!

If you have been saved, when was the last time that it was just you and Him and you just enjoyed time together? If you can’t remember, meet with Him as soon as possible. I can’t wait for the morning hours to roll around. That’s when we hang out together every day. I still can’t believe how He is waiting there for me just as my little man is when I walk into the house after work. I still can’t believe that God takes the time to surround me with His presence and give me just a little taste of what it will be like in Heaven.

If you have been forgiven, you don’t stink to Him anymore. He’s there waiting for alone time with you! He is waiting for you to make your move. He made the first move by demonstrating His love on the cross. This is why Jesus gave His life…so it would be possible for Him to spend time with YOU and have a relationship with YOU…unbelievable!

If you haven’t been forgiven, you stink. Ask Him to save you. He will save you through the washing of rebirth and He will renew you by His Holy Spirit. Then, spend time with Him every day. It’s the best relationship you will ever have in this life!

Later

Adam