A Hero To Save Us

“We need a hero to save the day!” That was the cry given in many of the older comic books. A mad scientist or some super villain would oppress a city through some maniacal means be it an oversized robot, freeze ray, or some wildly convoluted plan. The people would cry out for a hero to save them. As soon as the cry is given the hero would come on the scene and through the use of his super powers this hero would save the day. The people would rejoice and the day is saved…until the next issue.

“We need a hero to save the day!” is still a cry which echoes out in the world today. Does the world have such a hero? In the Bible, we are told of the greatest villain man has ever known. Why? Unlike the villains found in comics, this villain is real. The apostle John wrote this villain has been sinning “…from the beginning…” (1 John 3:8). Rewind back in time to the garden of paradise which God gave to man. This villain helped in causing the first sin man ever committed (Gen. 3). This workaholic has one goal in mind (Job 1:7; 2:2). Well aware of the eternal fate in store for him, he wishes to take as many human souls with him (Matt. 26:41; 46). Through devious means, he wishes to enslave mankind through the act of sin (Rom. 6:16). Death , physical and spiritual, entered into the world due this being (Gen 3:3) Is there a hero who can stop the works of the devil?

If one continues reading 1 John 3:8, that one will find such a hero. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8; cf. Heb. 2:14, 15). Christ is the hero capable of saving us. Much like many heroes, He is the one we need but do not deserve (Tit. 3:3-7). Christ is different from any hero which we could ever read of in the comics. This Hero is unlike any other.

·         While superheroes can only save people in a physical sense, Christ is able to save man in spiritual sense. That is, He saved man from his sins (Matt 1:18; John 1:29).

·         While most heroes can only be a saving force while alive, Christ sacrificed Himself for the benefit of mankind (John 3:16; Heb. 2:14).

·         Even those heroes who do sacrifice themselves for the benefit of saving others are only able to save a few and cannot reach those who once lived. The saving blood of Christ is able to reach the faithful who lived under the Patriarchal and Mosaic dispensations as well as those willing to obey the gospel of Christ. (Heb. 9:22; 10:10-12).

·         While those who are saved by a superhero will more than often never be able to know this person, man has the opportunity to know their Savior on a personal level thanks to God’s Word. The Bible even encourages man to take on a personal relationship with Christ (Gal. 2:20; Phm. 1:6;

·         Superheroes are not perfect people.  Thanks to the movies of the same and name the Avengers franchise Iron Man is currently one of the most popular superheroes. Little do many fans of the movies know that in the comics Tony Stark suffered from an alcohol addiction. Most superheroes are involved in actions which they later come to regret. Christ is man’s perfect example (2 Pet. 2:21-25). While He faced the same temptations which is common to man, He is without sin (Heb. 4:15).

Knowing that Christ is our Perfect Hero, the important question to ask at this point is, “How can this Hero ‘save the day’?” The Bible tells us that He is the “…author of eternal salvation unto all them that Him” (Heb. 4:9). In order to come in contact with the saving blood of Christ, one must be obedient to His will. If one reading this has not already done so, obey the gospel of Christ today. Having heard God’s Word (Rom. 10:17), having a firm believe on that Word (Mark 16:16), repented of one’s sins (Acts 2:38), and confessing Christ as the Son of God (Acts 8:37), one must be baptized into Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). He is able to save you from your sins.