“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,
of whom I am the foremost.”
1 Timothy 1:15
Why did Jesus come into our world?
These are all things that Jesus did (and still does), but none of them tells us exactly why Jesus came into this world.
The real answer, simply put, can be found in the words at the top of this page: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
The name “Jesus” means “the Lord saves,” and it was given to him because he would “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
That name captures the heart and height of his mission. Nothing less can explain why God would come as a man to endure such great suffering and shame. He did it to save sinners.
Notice, Jesus did not come to show sinners how to save themselves. He did not even come to give sinners the power to save themselves. He came to save sinners.
This is the glory of God that shines through the darkness, both in our lives and in our world. This Jesus Christ is truly the Savior “to the uttermost” for all who draw near to God through him (Hebrews 7:25).
None of these, as important as they are, have the power to free you from sin, suffering, sorrow, or death. None of them can reconcile you to God, or give you everlasting life. You need a Savior who is greater than all of these things. His name is Jesus.
Nothing that we are, and nothing that we can ever do, will free us from our Greatest Trouble and fill us with our Greatest Need. But Jesus lived the life that we could not, while dying the death that we deserved (Isaiah 53:4–6). He secured the reward we could never earn, while paying the debt we could never afford (2 Corinthians 8:9). He is the Good Shepherd ( John 10:14), and for his sheep he has become life and light, righteousness and redemption (Colossians 3:4; John 8:12; 1 Corinthians 1:30).
In other words, Jesus did it all, and he did it for all who trust in him. By doing it all, Jesus has become—in the fullest, widest, deepest sense that this word can bear—our Savior.
“The saying is trustworthy, and deserving of full acceptance… .” That saying in 1 Timothy 1:15 is the entire essence of the gospel. It is not “good advice,” but “good news.” The gospel is not a suggestion of what we can to do to earn salvation; it is a proclamation of what Jesus has done, is doing, and will do to save sinners.
The answer is simple: To save sinners like you and me.
Loosely adapted from The Power of God Unto Salvation by Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield (1903), pp. 47–50. Explore and learn more about the good news of Jesus Christ at DeltaOaks.org/Explore
