Do You Really Need a Savior?

If I had no love of Christ, the sheer understanding of his righteousness and the righteousness of God would drive me to flee to him with all of my energy, because I would understand the simple conclusion that there is nothing in this universe. I need more. than a saviour. And yet, there are millions, in fact, likely billions of people who believe otherwise. R.

C. Sproll has been addressing common objections to the Christian faith this week on Renewing Your Mind, and today he'll tackle the objection of those who claim that they don't need a Savior. Today is the final day you'll hear from Dr. Sproll's Objections Answered series.

So I do encourage you to request the complete series along with his 32-message overview of Apologetics, Defending Your Faith, when you give a donation of any amount at renewingyourmind.org before this offer ends at midnight tonight.

So how would he typically respond if someone said to Dr. Sprawl that they didn't need a saviour?

So we continue now with our study of the most frequent questions and objections that people raise about. Christianity. One of those most frequent objections that I hear. And has been documented. Is the objection After we have carefully explained the essence of the Christian faith and have tried to give a reason for our confidence in the existence of God and so on.

The objection that is raised is simply the statement.

So what? What's the big deal? Who cares?

Now, those responses are usually tied with the following statement that I have heard literally hundreds of times in my life. I've had people say to me, I don't see the need. For religion. I I accept, R. C., that you find some significance and meaning and happiness out of your devotion to Christ and the things of God and so on, but that's not where I am.

That's not a part of my everyday life. You know, I know friends who have gotten religion. And that's cool for them. But I personally don't feel the need of it. I tried to live a good life.

I try to do what's right as I understand it.

Okay. I'm not overburdened with some sense of guilt. I'm not preoccupied with my shortcomings, we're all imperfect and I just don't get it. I don't see why you need it. And I try to answer that in a brief way.

in a succinct way. in a direct way. Say, well, let me try to explain to you why I think I need it. And why I think that if you're anything like me, you may need it too. Yeah.

At the heart of our Convictions about the things of God is the first assertion that God exists. And that the God who exists. is holy. That God is perfectly righteous. He is altogether good.

and altogether just.

Now, I would grant to you that if he is not good. If he is not righteous, if he is not just, not only do we not need him, we don't. want him. I wouldn't waste five seconds of my time and energy trying to persuade people to devote their lives to an unjust God. to an unrighteous being.

Yeah. That I would equate with Satan worship. Those who are interested in worshiping evil, let them go to the occult. But I would not commend anybody to giving worship and adoration and devotion to one who is not good. But I say to my friends, I say that That's the first proposition, that God is good.

The second proposition is Aye. Am not good.

Now this flies in the face. the culture. Because just as 95% of the people In our culture, say they believe that God exists. I don't know the exact percentage, but it is the majority of people in our culture believe that human beings are basically good. They're willing to grant that no one is perfect.

And that all of us have made mistakes. But In the main, in general, basically, fundamentally. We're good. Yes, there may be some bad apples. And there may be people who commit murder and rape and that sort of thing, but the average person in America does not commit violent crimes, where basically.

Good. And so, if you're basically good and God is good, what's the problem?

Well, the question is this. Are we good enough? To pass. The holy judgment of God. Because if Jesus of Nazareth taught anything, he taught emphatically and clearly.

That every single human being at some point in the future will stand before. the righteous judgment of God.

Well, I don't know about you. But the thought of my standing alone. and naked. Before the Perfect Tribunal of God. Terrifies me.

If I had no love of Christ. The sheer understanding of his righteousness and the righteousness of God would drive me to flee to him with all of my energy, because I would understand the simple Conclusion that there is nothing in this universe. I need more. Then a saviour.

Now, the idea that we don't need a Savior. that we don't need Christ. that we don't need religion, so to speak, is not new at all. This same kind of question, this same kind of objection, was raised in Jesus' day to Jesus himself. And I want us to look at that account as we find it in the New Testament.

in the Gospel according to Saint Luke. In the eighteenth chapter of Luke, Beginning at verse 18, we read this narrative. Again, it's Luke 18, verse 18.

Now a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good teacher, What shall I do? To inherit eternal life.

Now, we notice here that this rich young ruler, this young man. who was a ruler. He was a leader in the community. presumably an educated man. He didn't come to Jesus with the question, so what?

He at least had enough interest peaked in his mind. Yeah. Probe a little more deeply into this message that Jesus was teaching. And he says to Jesus, first of all, Good teacher. What must I do?

to inherit eternal life. He was interested in this idea of eternal life. He didn't dismiss that as irrelevant. He wants to live forever. He heard about this teaching of the possibility of having eternal life, and he asked.

The simple question, what do I have to do to get it? And what does Jesus say? Jesus answers this question with. A question. He says to the man.

Why do you call me good? Notice that before Jesus answers the man's question, the man's question, what must I do to inherit eternal life? before Jesus even addresses that question. He addresses the terms of greeting that the young ruler made to Jesus. Again, remember when the man came to Jesus, he said to Jesus, Good teacher.

And then proceeded immediately to his question. And Jesus stops him in his tracks. He says, Hold on, wait a minute. Wait just a minute. Why do you call me good?

It's as if Jesus were speaking to us in the 20th century and to our opinion polls. that celebrate the foundational goodness of ourselves. And would stand up today and say as loud as he possibly could, why do you call yourselves good? Or why do you call me good? No one is good.

But God.

Now listen carefully. Jesus is not saying here. Young man. I am not God. I'm not Emmanuel.

I'm not God incarnate.

So it's completely inappropriate for you to call me good because only God is good. And I'm not God. That's not what Jesus is saying. Yeah. Jesus knew where the young man was coming from.

And Jesus knew that the young man did not know. To whom he was speaking? Jesus understood that this young man assumed that Jesus was just another teacher. A good teacher, perhaps, relatively considerate. But Jesus immediately focuses on the issue.

that is the barrier to eternal life. Human goodness. And he understands at the very beginning of the discussion that the young man. Did not? Understand.

what goodness is. The young man won the focus. On the requirements. For obtaining eternal life, Jesus doesn't completely ignore that. But he wants to get the young man to see at the outset.

That the big barrier to eternal life. that you face and that I face is our lack of goodness. But this man Assuming A view of goodness. That was wrong. And Jesus challenges it and lays it bare in the subsequent discussion.

Let's go on with the discussion.

So Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? No one is good. but one, that is God. You know the commandments. Do not commit adultery.

Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your father and your mother.

Now again, what is Jesus implying here?

Okay. So do you want to go to heaven? Obey the law. Live a good life. Be good.

Be good. and you'll have eternal life. You don't have a thing to worry about. Because what Jesus is teaching this man, and what we need to hear from the lips of Jesus, is the only thing that will satisfy a good God at the Last Judgment is goodness. That only the good Well have eternal life.

Now if you think you don't need Christ. You ought to be squirming by now. Unless you have a hugely exaggerated concept of your own goodness. But you're right. It's going to take goodness.

to get you into heaven. And Jesus says, You know the law. Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery. And what does the rich young man say? Whoops!

Uh oh, I'm in trouble. I steal. I've killed somebody. I commit adultery. I don't have a chance.

That's not his response. Instead, it's almost audible that he breathes a sigh of relief and he says to Jesus, All these things have I done. From my youth. Jesus, is that all it takes to get into heaven? Is to keep the law of God?

Not to kill, not to steal, not to commit adultery? Oh, not to covet, not to bear false witness. I've kept all those laws since I was a little kid. And so Jesus said, well done, thy good and faithful servant. Enter now into the kingdom that God has prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

No, no, no, no. Jesus doesn't challenge it directly. is much more subtle. He said, Oh, I see. Kept all the law.

There's just one thing you lack. Just one thing. One small little shortcoming on your part. Go sell all that you have. Take up your cross.

And follow me. It's as if Jesus were saying, and notice I said, as if Jesus was saying, right, your evaluation of yourself is correct. You have been a model citizen. You've been upright and righteous in dealing with integrity. Just one little shortcoming here.

One thing. You have failed. Take up your cross. Go and give your possessions to the poor. And Come and follow me.

Now, obviously, I'm combining Jesus' statements here in Luke to those that are made in other Gospels. The Luke's version simply says, go and sell your treasures, and so on. But the point that Jesus is making here is. The man wasn't quite as good as he thought he was. He lacks something.

Now, before we get to what it was that he lacked. Let me try to read the mind of Jesus here for you. I don't want to be presumptuous, but I'm speculating this is vintage sprawl. I mean, the text doesn't say this. But I think what Jesus could have said to the man was, Oh, you haven't stolen, you haven't committed adultery, you haven't killed.

I perceive, young man, that you weren't there the day I preached the Sermon on the Mount. You missed that sermon when I explained to the people there that the law of God that says that you must not steal and you must not kill and you must not commit adultery cannot be understood in a simplistic, superficial way. Because I explained to the people at the Sermon on the Mount. That the full extent of God's prohibition against killing. For example.

means that you cannot Be angry at your brother. without just cause, and that you cannot hate your brother. And that even when you lust after a woman, you have broken God's commandment against adultery. Maybe you haven't committed the actual act of adultery since you were a boy. Maybe you've never robbed a bank since you were a boy.

And maybe you've never actually taken somebody's life since you were a boy. But if you look carefully at what the full import of the law of God is, you haven't kept any of those commandments that you say that you've kept since you were a child. You haven't kept them since you got out of your bed this morning. But that's not what Jesus did. He could have done that.

and could have shown this young man that his understanding of goodness was pathetically simplistic. Instead, he takes a more dramatic tack. Notice that when Jesus rehearsed the law with the young man, he started with what we call the second table of the law.

Now he goes to the first table. What's the very first commandment in the Ten Commandments? Thou shalt have no other gods before me. And it's as if Jesus said to this young man, Oh, You keep the law of God? You're good?

Well, let's just go down the list. Let's start with number one. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Because Jesus knew. Where that man's heart was.

Jesus knew what that man worshipped. And what that man lived for, it wasn't for God. It was for possessions. And Jesus said, Okay. You gonna keep the law?

Let's see if you'll keep the law. Go and get rid of all your possessions. And the Bible tells us That the young man Shook his head.

sorrowfully. And walked away. He missed. The kingdom of God. He missed the The crucial point.

That what he needed more than anything else. was goodness. That he did not. and could not possess in and of himself. The gospel of Christ does not teach that God negotiates goodness at the Last Judgment.

and that God just simply waives the requirement. The good news of the gospel is that God himself supplies the goodness that you and I do not have. to everyone who will receive Christ. And that He gives to us. the very righteousness of Christ.

If we trust in him. When somebody says to me, I don't need Christ. I want to weep. Because, unless that person is perfect, and I know that person really doesn't believe that they are perfect. They need Christ.

They need Christ more desperately than they need anything. More than they need air, more than they need water, more than they need food, more than they need shelter, more than they need companionship with other mortals in this world. They need Christ. There is nothing more relevant. To unjust people.

Then the gift of the righteousness of Christ. who alone can satisfy for me and for you. Yeah. The demands of a perfect and holy judge. Let me review it.

If God is righteous. And you are not righteous. And he is going to judge you according to his righteousness. You need help. And the good news of the gospel.

Is that help has arrived? He is our help. in times of trouble. Because He comes bearing the thing that we need the most. He comes offering His righteousness.

that he will give to you as your possession. in the sight of God, if you cling to Him. and to him alone. The good news of the gospel is that help has arrived. Even though some of us feel that need for a Savior, while others don't, as we heard RC Sproul today, placing our faith in Christ as our Saviour is not just another option that we're free to reject.

He's our only hope. I'm glad you're with us today as we conclude a week on Renewing Your Mind, considering some of the most common objections to the Christian faith. And stay with us as doctor Sproll will have a final thought for us in just a moment. If you'd like lifetime digital access to this series, along with the DVD set and digital access to the messages and study guide of Dr. Sproll's 32-message study on apologetics, defending your faith, we'll make this resource package available to you as our way of saying thanks for your donation of any amount at renewingyourmind.org or when you call us at 800-435-4343.

Both of these series were recorded to help you be better equipped to defend your faith and provide answers to those around you.

So respond now before this offer ends later tonight, and you'll own Objections Answered and Defending Your Faith. Give your gift and request your copies at renewingyourmind.org by using the link in the podcast show notes. And for our global audience, request the digital-only edition at renewingyourmind.org/slash global. Thank you.

Well, here's doctor Sproul with a final word. Let me say to you, dear friends. Then you may not want Christ. You may not I want to be bothered. with religious things.

But, dear friend, you need Christ. You know you're not perfect. You know that you're not holy. And you know that God is holy. And the biggest problem you will ever face in your existence.

is how to reconcile. that problem. And what Christianity is all about. Is that righteousness has been achieved? By somebody else.

For me. And for all who put their faith In him. God provides what you need. If you despise that. You lose everything.

Sobering words from Dr. Sproll. All week he has responded to objections from unbelievers. But what about objections from Christians when we stumble upon a hard saying, a difficult passage of Scripture? It'll be some of those hard sayings that RC Sprawl will focus on beginning Monday here on Renewing Your Mind.