The Christ of Christmas
By Jerry Batson, Th.D.
Special to The Alabama Baptist
Of the various names, titles and designations that refer to Christ in association with His coming into the world, none is more to the point of His mission than that of Savior. When the angel of the Lord announced to certain shepherds the coming of Christ, the angel said, “There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Indeed this was and still is “good tidings of great joy” intended for all people (Luke 2:10).
The intention of being the Savior for all people found its way into the understanding of the Samaritans. When the woman at the well reported her encounter with Christ, the people urged Him to stay with them. Christ remained two days among the Samaritans. The result was revealed in the report the people gave the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world” (John 4:42).
Years later when Titus ministered among Gentiles at Crete, the Apostle Paul wrote, as a Jewish believer, words that included Gentile believers: “When the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:4–6). Christ came to be the Savior of the world, not merely of Jewish believers. We might note in passing that both God the Father and Christ the Son are designated as “our Savior.”
While the noun “Savior” is used readily with reference to Christ, the verb “save” is even more frequently used in association with the coming of Christ. This verb has become the common term that Christians use to speak of their experience of trusting Christ. Through the centuries believers have confessed their Christian experience as being saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
When Christ is experienced as one’s Savior, that salvation has three distinct dimensions to it. Through faith in Him as Savior we are saved from the penalty of sin. The classic statement of this truth is Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Doctrinally, this aspect of the Savior’s work is commonly termed justification.
Deliverance from sin
Christ also seeks to be our Savior from the practice of sin. This dimension of His saving work is related to learning to obey the admonition of Galatians 5:16: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Deliverance from sinful practices is an ongoing or gradual ministry of the Holy Spirit in believers. Doctrinally this aspect of the Savior’s work is commonly termed sanctification.
Ultimately, Christ will be for us the Savior from the very presence of sin. This aspect of His Saviorhood awaits our reception into heaven about which Revelation 21:27 declares, “There shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie.” The sinless perfection of heaven awaits every genuine believer in Christ as his or her personal Savior. This aspect of the Savior’s work is commonly termed glorification.
Christ the Lord came to be our Savior in every sense of the word.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Jerry Batson is a retired Alabama Baptist pastor who also has served as associate dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University and professor of several schools of religion during his career.
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