The God Who Saves Us From Himself

"Are you saved?" a man asked as he approached R.C. Sproul. Dr. Sproul replied, "From what?"

We have driven these terms into the dirt and painted them over with so much tradition that we seldom think of what they mean. What does it mean to be saved? What do I need to be saved from? Many Christians would probably answer by saying that they are saved from sin or from hell and these are true. However, these are not ultimately what we need to be saved from.

In the Old Testament book of Nahum, the prophet pronounces coming judgment on Nineveh; that Assyrian city that repented under the preaching of Jonah but had turned again to wickedness. In chapter three and verse five the Lord even says, "I am against thee." Nahum pronounces judgment in chapter one, describes the means of God's judgment in chapter two by the Medes and the Babylonians, and gives reasons why in chapter three. Unlike Jonah, there is no repentance mentioned, Nineveh will be destroyed.

But in the midst of all of this, the prophet says in 1:7, "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him." He is a strong hold in the day of trouble. The word stronghold has the idea of a fortified place or a place of refuge. Nahum says that refuge can be found in God. But refuge from what? What did they need safety from? What was the danger? What was there to fear? It was the wrath of God. So, in effect, Nahum says that the only place of safety from the wrath of God is in God.

Sure we need to be saved from sin. Sure we need to be saved from Hell. But ultimately, we need to be saved from God. He has a holy anger against our sin. We have transgressed His holy law and profaned His holy name. We stand guilty before the Almighty Judge and there is nothing we can do. We stand condemned and without excuse. We need to be saved from God's wrath.

But on the cross, Jesus bore the wrath of God that was meant for us. I Peter 2:24 says of Jesus that He "...bare our sins in His own body on the tree..." Romans 5:9 says "...we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

Isaiah 53 says "Surely He hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows...He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed... the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all...Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief."

The wrath of God that was meant for us because of our sin Jesus took in His own body. God the Father gave His Son to save us from His own wrath. He is the God who saves us from Himself!