And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

“HE shall save.” Jesus is the only Savior. He needs no help from a church, from saints, from His blessed mother Mary, or from you or me. Our works add nothing. No amount of education, money, or good works can add anything to His finished work on the bloody cross and the empty tomb. He shall save!

“He shall SAVE His people FROM THEIR SINS.” From sin’s penalty, power, and someday from sin’s presence. He saves me from my sin, not only by forgiving me of my sins, but also by providing me with His righteousness. He forgives me not only in part, but in whole, taking away all my sin and shame. All past sins, all present sins, and all sins that I have not yet committed. The big and the small sins. The ones I am aware of and the ones I commit without thought or notice. He forgives me, not by looking the other way as though my sins do not matter, but by taking them upon Himself. He took my sins and the consequence for my sins and delivered me from sin’s death grip on my life. He saved me from my sins with His holy and precious blood.

“He shall save HIS PEOPLE from their sins.” His people are those who acknowledge that their ultimate and singular problem, is sin before a holy and righteous God. Sin corrupts not only my spirit, but also my mind and will, leaving me unable and unwilling to reform myself. Apart from God’s grace I have no desire for God. I have no capacity to believe Him. Why? Because sin corrupted me at the core of my being. That I do believe is due to His grace alone. That I do believe is because I am one of His people—one of those He came to save.