Why the World Needs a Savior

What do people usually think of when they wish someone a merry Christmas? Wishing them a good time with family maybe. Or good food and plenty gifts. Or good health. Or generally a happy time despite the pandemic. Of course we wish this for everyone. But there is one thing I hope we don’t forget. Wishing that they have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior and are eagerly awaiting his return.

Which brings us the question: do we really need a Savior? And the simple answer? Yes.

Look around you. Look at what 2020 has done to us. It has brought out the best in some people and the worst in some. It has been a long year of frustrations, sadness, and death. The common theme is despair. To think that we can fix all this by ourselves is laughable. Who do we think we are?

If we look at most of the tragedies that happened, if we dig deep down and try to figure out the root cause, you’ll be horrified to see that underneath it all lies the evil the human heart is capable of—sin of wrath, envy, greed, pride, etc. We can’t always do something about it. Try convincing a person who thinks he has the right to kill someone point blank otherwise. Try convincing a person who thinks that raping and abusing women is okay otherwise. We can always attempt to be good, or demand of other people to be good, but to what extent can one really be good?

We each have a moral compass. We all have a conscience, that little, irritating, uncomfortable voice that helps us tell right from wrong. Many argue that we have that so-called morality hence there’s no need for God. But if the basis of our moral standards is human instinct or something inherent to humans, then there can be no single standard because of our differences. What is moral to one may be immoral to another. We’ll all be running on our own moral engines going who knows where.

And that’s where Christianity speaks. The standard is Christ, who has revealed to us his basic nature through the bible. There may be disagreements on biblical interpretations of certain passages even among Christians, but these disagreements do not change Jesus Christ’s primary invitation and promise—believe in him, and you will be saved. Yet, every day, we reject him. Prideful as we are, we think we are capable of saving ourselves. I have no need of God. I can go through this life on my own steam. Why subject myself to an authority I don’t even see?

Just imagine if the horrors of the human heart are replaced with the truth and hope that the gospel, the good news, brings. Imagine a heart that surrenders to a God who is 100% good. Ideally, they would yield good fruit of love, patience, generosity, kindness, and many more. Imagine the effect of such transformation on the community. But of course, submitting to Christ doesn’t mean automatic perfection. Christians still sin and fall like any other. The difference is that Christians no longer thrive in sin like before. Like God, they hate sin and do their best to avoid it. They are not perfect, far from it, yet they strive to walk in the light because the God they worship is pure light. We can never achieve a perfect world by our own efforts, that much is obvious. Humans are amazing, but not that amazing. Try as we might to create a society where everyone loves as they should, it’s impossible. And that’s the blunt and hard truth. 

So does the world need a Savior? If you stare at yourself in the mirror long enough, you’ll be the first one to say yes. We need Jesus Christ to save us from our self-destructive nature. Every single one of us. No exceptions. Even the kindest person in the world needs a Savior. That is what Christians have been proclaiming for the past centuries. This is why, even though people mock their acts of praying and their expressions of hope, they continue to do so, because they know that only the God they are praying to can truly transform a life. He has done it before, and he continues to do so now. Jesus Christ invited into the heart of a repentant sinner can change his life for the better. The believer will know that this world is not his true home. Still, he will work to make this world a better place in the hope that one day, this imperfect world will be perfect once more.

The Christian knows that this world is not his true home. People may argue that this kind of thinking will make Christians calloused and indifferent to the problems of this world. On the contrary, it enables them to keep going, in the knowledge that their efforts to make this world a better place will not go to waste. It brings them joy despite the hardships and suffering the Christian life may bring, knowing that the reward of being reunited with God is greater. It gives them hope, knowing that they are working towards what Jesus Christ will soon accomplish when he comes again—an imperfect world made perfect once more.

We all need Jesus Christ. Our society needs Jesus Christ. Our country is in dire need of Jesus Christ. And the next time we wish someone a Merry Christmas, I hope it comes with the prayer that they recognize their need for Christ, and accept Him into their hearts if they haven’t yet.

A soul saved truly makes Christmas a merry one.