A PERSONAL SAVIOUR

For unto you is born this day in
the city of David a Saviour, which
is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11

Looking at a list of “personal items” a person should not share with others, I found some familiar things my Mother told me I shouldn't share with other people. I can recall being told to never share lipstick with a friend. I couldn't understand it at the time, but I know better now. On the list of personal items I found we should never share with others are: toothbrush, razors, towels, soap, combs and deodorant. Some of these may cause questions, but with some thought, I understand the list.

There is one thing we are always safe in sharing and that is our anything to do with our faith. When I asked Jesus into my heart as a ten year old girl, I kept hearing the phrase that I had accepted Jesus as my “personal” Saviour. Let me say that in our spiritual walk, we all have had a tendency to adopt spiritual phraseology, often not paying attention to what we are actually saying. When we use spiritual phrases, I know what we are saying and it sounds good, but it doesn't mean we full meaning of what we are saying. All this to say, we have come to use words of spiritual meaning we often don't think anything about.

Perhaps it's the season we have just experienced, but I've been pondering one of the major things I often refer to Jesus as being in my own life...my personal Saviour. What is a Saviour? The world tells us that a savior is one who saves, rescues or delivers someone from danger or a life threatening situation. There are some dictionaries that refer to “Saviour” in spiritual terms, even mentioning Jesus in Christianity Who fits that definition.

I found it interesting looking up the word “saviour” in a Bible concordance that it was found more in the Old Testament than the New. In the Old Testament, there was an anticipation of a coming Saviour. In the New Testament, the Saviour has come and has come into our lives even to this day. However, even now, I tend to think of Jesus as being Saviour not just for me, but for you, people in other churches and even countries...a Saviour I share with countless others...and that's okay. That's what makes us one huge family, a family we will live with for eternity.

What has stuck in my own mind as of late is that although my Saviour is universal, who died for every single human being, I must not lose sight of the fact that He died and lives for me only, on a very personal level. He is MY personal Saviour. In this relationship He is mine all mine on a 24/7 basis. Our relationship is so intimate, it's as if I'm the only person He died for, like I'm that important to Him. I would hope you feel the same way about Jesus.

As Christians, we share relationships. We share them in families. Children may vie for attention from parents. All relationships have distractions that take away the personal feelings. I don't know how He does it, but through Jesus' Holy Spirit, He has a way of being with us in such a way that each of us always has His total and undivided attention.

Going back to the definition of “saviour,” I found three things Jesus does in our lives on a very personal level. First, Jesus saves. Poetry and songs have been written using those two words. What a pity if you and I get so used to them, they lose their significance. Jesus does save and continues saving anyone and everyone who chooses to come to Him, accepting that free gift. Our salvation isn't conditional like some relationships are. Once His salvation is accepted, it's a done deal...ours for eternity. However, guess what...it's MY salvation as I'm looking at this personal relationship I have with Jesus.

Second, my personal Saviour rescues. I have often wished I had written every time Jesus spared me from accidents, illnesses and yes, even what could have been devastating relationships that had the makings of being very toxic and destructive. I understand He has rescued you as well, but for now, He's my personal rescuer.

Third, Jesus delivers. Have you ever found yourself in a mess and couldn't figure out how to get out of it? We've all been delivered from one thing or another....financial debt, legal issues, dangerous situations...there might be other situations where we've cried out to Jesus to just deliver us from evil if nothing else. In this personal relationship I have with Jesus, I can cry out to Him at any time of day or night knowing He can and will deliver me in ways the world knows nothing about.

Please don't be offended that I'm trying to take Jesus away from anyone. I just want us to think of Him as being ours in such a personal way that it might seem He's all ours individually. I have often heard the phrase, “If I had been the only person on earth, Jesus would still have come and died for me.” It's not a very logical statement when you ponder all of details, but I get the intent of it. Jesus sees me as His very own...my own personal Saviour.

By the way, remember those personal items we should never share with others? Jesus is a personal item we can share with anyone and everyone with no fear of contamination. Even then, He becomes very personal to anyone who accepts Him as Saviour.

Father, thank You for sending Jesus to be the Saviour of the world. Thank You for sending Him to be my Saviour in my world. I'm ever grateful for the personal relationship I can have with Jesus through Your precious Holy Spirit. I'll never know how You could love me so much. I love You more than I can express. In Jesus' precious and holy name....Amen