July 26, In Need of a Savior
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
I John 4:14
Professor of History, Joseph Loconte, writes about the friendship shared between two of the greatest literary minds of the past two centuries: J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. In his book, A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and A Great War, Loconte describes the similarities of their spiritual applications:
“The characters in Lewis and Tolkien's novels possess a great nobility: creatures endowed with a unique capacity for virtue, courage, and love. On the other hand their characters are deeply flawed individuals capable of great evil, and in need of divine grace to overcome their predicament. Both authors reflect in their writing the tragic mix within human nature of both nobility and wretchedness, and the need for grace.” [1]
Tolkien summarized, “the idea of the fall of man lurks behind every story”, and “all stories are ultimately about the fall.”[2]
Such is the message of man’s need for redemption found collectively in the writings of both Lewis and Tolkien. And, as they realized of society in the day when the Hobbit and Narnia were created, the need for redemption is a reality within every single human heart. Today, we are reminded of our great need for a Savior.
If you have placed your faith in Jesus, you have received the only salvation available for the predicament of man’s sin. And, in this glorious gift exists the irrefutable truth that mankind must be saved.
Our advancements, our discoveries, and the success of our sciences can often deceive the human mind into thinking that man is sufficient in and of himself. But the history of this fallen world has always cycled through the realities of cataclysmic world events that prove the fallibility of man and the insufficiency of his inventive ways. And we stand in this reality today, for innate within humanity exist the fallibility and insufficiency to completely resolve our own crises. And this present moment reminds us of mankind’s remarkable and undeniable need for a savior.
Today, our greatest need continues to be the fallenness caused by sin. Mankind needs a Savior. AND, A SAVIOR HAS COME!
Allow this truth to change the way you pray and to change the way you reach out to those around you. If you have placed your faith in Jesus, live as one saved and redeemed, for indeed you are! And look for opportunities to speak into this hurting world the truth of salvation in Jesus alone. Mankind needs a savior, and He is here.
Blessings.
READ
Read I John 4:7-19 and remember God’s great love that must be shared.
[1] Joseph Loconte, A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and A Great War (Nashville, Nelson Books, 2015), 21.
[2] Loconte, 21.
