The late theologian R. C. Sproul tells a story when he was walking along and a man came up to him and said, "Are you saved?"  Well, Sproul says that he was taken back a little bit by the question, and he turned to the man and responded and said, "From what? Save from what?"  Well, the man that had asked the question was flustered and he started to stammer and he didn't have a response to Sproul's question.

How can one answer that question... from what? And how can you answer it with one word? Look at first John, chapter one, starting in verse 8: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." How do we answer that? From what question?

With one word. We need to be saved from sin. Sin. Interestingly, a survey was done of those that identified themselves as Christians, and one third of the people identifying themselves as Christians, one third of the people in that survey said that they didn't think that they were sinners. Now, I'll let that sit in for a moment.

These were people that identified themselves as Christians, and one third of them said that they didn't think that they were sinners. That word sin means to miss the mark. And Scripture tells that all of us, all of us, miss the Mark. We're all sinners. Thought, word and deed. What we've done, what we've left undone. Our problem, one word. What we need to be saved from sin. Sin.

I think of some artists. What some artists will do is they'll constantly be sketching and then they'll take one of their many sketches and say, now I'm going to turn that into art. They call it the fruitful moment. If we look at the various sketches of Jesus that Scripture reveals to us, what would be the fruitful moment? Well, the fruitful moment would be the cross, wouldn't it? Scripture tells us Paul says, first Corinthians, second chapter, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucify." That's the fruitful moment, isn't it? Scripture tells us as we go on in 1 John 2:2

"Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." God in his grace, sending his Son, the Lord Jesus to the cross. Jesus bearing our sin. The wrath of God falling upon Jesus instead of us. Incredible, Incredible grace.

The question that was asked was, are you saved? The response that was given... from what? How do we answer that? Succinctly. What do we say?  From sin? By whom? Jesus. May our responses be crisp and clear. 

Gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time in your Word. Your Word is truth. We praise you, O Lord, for the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and how you save us from our sin. We adore you. We thank you, O Lord, in the Savior Jesus name we pray. Amen. 

God bless you today. Encourage someone.

Pastor Eibel