2nd June 2024
Personal salvation
You have probably heard some form of the statement that Jesus is your personal saviour. But have you considered that being personal is more than being an isolated individual?
What does it mean to be a whole person? Persons, biblically understood, are not isolated individuals existing autonomously apart from relationships. To be a whole person requires one to be in relationship with all of creation and certainly with other persons. There is no escaping that established reality. We can’t even come into existence without the relationship we have with a mum and dad.
Being saved personally means that we are being restored for relationship with God, others, and all of creation. We are being made whole in every facet of our being.
The language in Psalm 124 is personal but personal in terms of being a community. Notice all of the pronouns in the passage are plural. There is no recounting of God’s salvation that does not speak in terms of the community as a whole.
If it had not been the LORD who was on our side– let Israel now say–if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters. Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth! We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 124:1-8 (ESV)
We are often tempted to believe that we are isolated and detached individuals whose identities are rooted in some internal and autonomous existence. But that runs counter to what it means to truly be persons created in the image of God. If it were possible to picture a completely autonomous individual existing detached from all relationships, including God, others, and creation, we would not have a picture of the perfect human and God’s intention for humanity.
Thankfully, we already have a picture of what it means to be truly human, to be persons living in perfect harmonious relationship with the Father, other persons, and all of creation. And that picture is Jesus Christ our Saviour. Praise God for our personal Saviour who is the saviour of the personal.
Presented by Greg Williams
About the presenter:
Greg Williams is President of Grace Communion International and lives in North Carolina, USA. Word of Life each Sunday is taken from ‘Speaking of Life’,
(https://www.gci.org/videos/media-speaking-of-life/), a public resource video on the USA website of Grace Communion International.
Local congregation:
You are welcome to attend one of our local church congregations located throughout the UK and Ireland. For details of your nearest local congregation check on our website, Grace Communion International | Grace Communion International under the ‘Churches’ tab, or ring +44 (0)1858 437099.
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church