Jesus: A Reflection on God’s Gift of Salvation

A couple of years ago, Asheritah Cuicui introduced me to studying the names of Jesus through her devotional, “Unwrapping the Names of Jesus.” I have come to learn more about who Jesus Christ is and who I am in Him as I have spent time meditating on His many names/titles.

Each name of Jesus Christ gives us insight into His nature, character, attributes, and personality. As we get to know Him more, we can worship Him with awe and fellowship more intimately with Him.

Click on the links below to read two articles I previously wrote on the names of Jesus.

This Christmas, the name that I am focusing on is…

Drum roll, please!!

JESUS

The name Jesus comes from the Hebrew name Yeshua, which means “the LORD is salvation.” [Strong’s Hebrew 3091]

The English version of Yeshua is Joshua. However, as English speakers, we refer to our Lord as Jesus, not Joshua, because we read the English translation of the New Testament, which was originally written in Greek.

Jesus is the English version of Iēsoús, which is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Yeshua (short form of Yehoshua).

Therefore, the names Jesus and Joshua are essentially the same name, as they are both derived from Yeshua. [Strong’s 2424]

Everyone Needs Jesus

When the angel of the Lord visited Joseph in a dream to tell him that Mary had become pregnant through the Holy Spirit, he said,

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 NIV

The name Jesus is a direct revelation of His purpose in leaving Heaven to come to earth. Jesus came to save us from the penalty and consequences of sin and reconcile us to a peaceful relationship with God (2 Corinthians 5:18).

If you are unfamiliar with the gospel message, you may wonder why we humans need Jesus to be saved.

The Bad News

The bad news is that all of us, without exception, came into this world with a common problem— we were all born as sinners (Ephesians 2:1-3). Adam sinned against God in the beginning, and since we all descended from him, we all inherited his sinful nature (Romans 5:12;3:23).

God is infinitely holy, and sin separates us from Him. Similar to how a human Judge determines if people are guilty of their offenses and sentences them accordingly, God does not overlook our sins. The Bible states that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). In plain words, God’s verdict for sin is that those who remain in their sinful state will forever remain separated from God and spend eternity in Hell.

Now, the Good News

The gospel, aka the good news, is that although we deserved death because of our sins, God in His mercy, provided a substitute – Jesus. Jesus took our punishment, died in our place, and, in exchange, gave us His life – eternal life.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Salvation is a gift of God’s grace, which means that it is completely and totally unmerited. We do not become saved based on how good we are, nor do we earn eternal life because we give to the poor or come from a family that identifies as Christian.

Ephesians 2:8-9 puts it this way, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

In John 3: 16-18, Jesus Himself said that He came to save and not condemn the world. His salvation is an all-inclusive and open invitation for whoever, wherever. However, His invitation requires a response and is not to be ignored.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to SAVE the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3: 16-18

Receiving God’s Gift of Salvation

Salvation is a gift available to everyone; however, only those who repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ receive, open, and enjoy the gift. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36).

The gospel is the good news that shows everyone the only Way to God, and His name is Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). But, to receive salvation, everyone must at some point in their life acknowledge that they are a sinner who needs Jesus. If you are reading this and are not sure if you are saved, I invite you to pause right here and receive the best gift ever – eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Romans 10:9 states, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

You can pray in your own words or use the prayer below as a guide.

Father, I ask You to forgive me of my sins. Specifically, I repent for rejecting Jesus as my Savior. Today, I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I wholeheartedly believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead to give me eternal life. I lay my life down, and I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I commit to follow Jesus and obey Him all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Enjoying the Complete Salvation Package

It is crucial to understand that God’s gift of salvation continues to have a profound impact on our lives here on earth after we receive the forgiveness of our sins.

Being saved and becoming a child of God is a one-time experience, but appropriating and enjoying God’s gift of salvation is an ongoing process.

In Ephesians 2:10 and Titus 3:5, Paul states that it is by God’s grace and mercy that we are saved. This shows us that we are saved completely and perfectly when we place our faith in Jesus Christ. However, in 1 Corinthians 1:18, Paul tells us that the message of the cross makes the power of God manifest in the lives of those who are “being saved.”

“Being saved” is in the present continuous tense, showing that Christ’s perfect salvation continues to have an ongoing impact on our lives.

To understand the full implications of salvation, it helps to do a word study on a Greek word that is used multiple times in the New Testament.

The Greek word defined as “to save” in the New Testament is sozo. Sozo is an umbrella word that encompasses salvation, healing, preservation, and deliverance (Strong’s Greek 4982).

Here are five examples of the use of sozo in the New Testament

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save (sozo) his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

“He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed (sozo) you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5:34 (The woman who had the issue of blood)

“Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured (sozo).” Luke 8:36 (the demon-possessed man restored)

Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed (sozo).” Luke 8:50 NIV (Jairus’ daughter raised from the dead.)

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved (sozo) it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

All these references show us that the salvation Jesus provided on the cross for us is truly all-encompassing.

Chizobam Means God Saves Me

My name is Chizobam. (Just in case you haven’t read my “About Me” page.)

Chizobam is an Igbo name (from Nigeria) that means God saves me in the present continuous tense.

I grew up going to church but did not get saved until I was a young adult after surviving what I typically describe as a tumultuous and chaotic teenage existence.

At the point of my salvation, my sins were completely forgiven, and I received a brand-new life in Christ Jesus.

Because I am now saved, the power of God continues to work in my life through the Holy Spirit. God’s saving grace empowers me to live daily as a Christian and walk in obedience to God as I am continuously transformed and changed in my thinking, attitudes, mannerisms, and actions to be more and more like Christ.

Because I am saved, I can depend on God to deliver me from the mental and emotional traps that the devil positions in my path.

And because I am saved, I call on God in sickness and trust in Him as my Great Physician and Healer.

And I trust in Jesus’ complete and perfect gift of salvation for every aspect of my life until I see Him face to face and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

In Conclusion

Salvation refers to every blessing, grace, mercy, and provision we receive through Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

God gave us the perfect gift of all time, and His name is Jesus Christ!!

If you are yet to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, this Christmas is the appointed time to receive this gift!

Footnotes

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