Merriam-Webster defines savior as “someone who saves someone or something from danger, harm, failure, etc.”
I define savior as Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 1:10 says, “But now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.”
To break this down, Jesus is the “someone who saves” and we, His people, are the “someone or something,” and this world is the “danger, harm, failure, etc.” Bringing 2 Timothy 1:10 into the picture: without Him, we are facing death. Accepting Him as your savior brings you eternal life, “immortality.”
That is what He came to do. He came to save. He came to save me, He came to save you. He came to save every single person that has ever or will ever walk this earth.
He is my savior.
And yet, we look for different saviors all the time. We look for saviors in all the wrong places. We should never look for a savior elsewhere than in Jesus, but especially not in another person. Although, it seems that people do that on a daily basis.
Your significant other cannot be your savior. They will not save you. They can’t be what they’re not, and expecting them to be is setting them up for failure. Setting your standards for them on the level of a savior is providing them with an impossible task. They just can’t do that. They can’t, and won’t ever, be that for you.
Yet, pop culture is spewing false information at you. All of these movies and songs are teaching that you can find redemption in a romantic kind of love.
God’s love is the only place you will find redemption.
The radio teaches otherwise. These songs are nice, but when you listen closely to the lyrics, you will notice what they are really teaching, either consciously or subconsciously. You will find this in every genre. Name an artist, and they probably have a song that conveys this false message.
Florida Georgia Line’s song “H.O.L.Y.” is the perfect example of this problem: “I never meant to cry, started losing hope, but somehow baby, you broke through and saved me…” “…Cause you’re the first thing I know I can believe in. You’re holy.” “You’re the riverbank where I was baptized. Cleanse all the demons that were killing my freedom.” “You’re my saving grace. You’re my kind of church.”
Hozier’s song “Take me to Church” was played repeatedly on every pop radio station across the country last year. The lyrics in this song are nothing short of dangerous. “I should have worshipped her sooner.” “The only Heaven I’ll be sent to is when I’m alone with you.”
“Only then I am clean.”
The entire chorus, “Take me to church. I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies. I’ll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife. Offer me that deathless death. Good God, let me give you my life.”
I realize these are more extreme examples than most songs, but even the subtle songs are dangerous when they use words like “save.” Over 23 thousand songs include the word “save” in their lyrics.
It’s hard to not look for other saviors when the whole world around us is telling us to. The world teaches us it’s normal to look for a savior. It teaches that a savior can be, and often is, found in a person. An imperfect person.
No human can save you. Not your boyfriend, not your wife, not your mother, not your grandfather, not your best friend, not your preacher, not your teacher, not some celebrity.
Romans 10: 9-10 tells us, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
No one but Jesus can save. And He has already died on the cross for you. Let Him be your savior.