"WHY  WE ALL NEED A SAVIOR"
A Bible Study: One of Many Bible Studies

"WHY WE ALL NEED A SAVIOR"
By Evangelist Diana Gray
Copyright (c) 2001 All Rights Reserved

A Comparison  Study  of:    Our Need for  Salvation through Jesus Christ

     God loves us more than we will ever be able to realize. He specializes in striving to find every one he can to accept salvation. Changing people’s lives who seemingly are out of reach, is so very important to him. People of all walks of life, whether they are rich or poor, black or white, need a savior like Jesus Christ. 
     When we do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a person can’t see any further than the world they are living in. Their lifestyles,  and the choices they make, as well as the dreams that they can have,  are only focused upon what matters to them mostly. Selfishness and self-satisfaction tends to lead and control a person’s thoughts and actions throughout their daily life. 
     Only when a person receives new life by faith can they possibly begin to reevaluate what is important to them and their higher perspective of eternity. God’s patience is remarkable, as he gently encourages people to come out of the darkness and into the light.  One such man was Nicodemus, who, in the dark of night, was drawn to the light and spiritual truth that Jesus offered him.
     Nicodemus was a man of high intellectual prowess. He was an intelligent, resourceful, religious leader of a powerful Jewish council called the Pharisees. Being a member of this elite group of Pharisees, who tended to hold pride and status above Godly  humbleness, tended to make a person feel self-righteous if they were spiritually week. The very fact that Nicodemus was trained and educated as one of this group, tended to set him apart from the very people he should have been striving to spiritually lead.  He needed a Savior!
     In contrast to Nicodemus, was a woman who met Jesus at Jacob’s well.  Being (at that time in history) a hated, mixed 
race, Samaritan woman, she did not have the educational advantages that Nicodemus would have had.  Her opertunityies would not have been the same as Niocodemus, even if she had been a full blooded Jewish woman.    She did have the choce to sin or not though.   Niocodemus was a high born Jewish man. Jews despised and rejected anyone who was a 
Samaritan,  especially their women! In their opinion Samaritan women were as low as the lowest form of life. 
     Nicomemus’ name is mentioned in the bible because of his status as a Pharisee,  (he sat on the Jewish council of religious leaders called the San Hedran.)  He came to Jesus with profound spiritual questions.  Contrasting this, the woman at Jacob’s well wasn’t even given a name in the bible and she didn’t come to Jesus with questions.  She was trying to avoid people!  When the bible refers to her, little is mentioned about her except her morals and acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah.   She went to the well at a time of day when she knew no one else would be around do to her  sinful, adulterous lifestyle.  Women of Samaritan would come to the well during morning or evening as a happy singing group, not at noon as she did to avoid meeting them possibly because of her dubious reputation.   Little did she know that she would be forever changed!  She was to meet her Savior!
      Being a Samaritan woman, her status in town must have been one of the least respected, compared to the high-born, educated status of Nicodemus.  What a difference their lives had been.  Yet, as highly regarded as Nicodemus was, he realized there was someone greater than he. The lowly woman at Jacob’s well also had a need greater than herself. They  both  needed a Savior,  Jesus Christ.
     As different as these two people were they both had a similar need, they both needed what Jesus offered -- Salvation.  Only by being born-again could they achieve that very necessary requirement for entrance into Heaven. 

     In the Bible verse: John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.  Jesus’ earthly body was tired and thirsty. 

   He saw the Samaritan woman coming and used his weakness of the flesh to broach her about Salvation.   He shows Christian believers here that we all need to use every opportunity to share the Gospel, even when we are at our weakest point. 

     Bible Verse John 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans

     The very fact that Jesus, a Jewish man, was talking to her was unheard of among their culture.  She was a woman living in sin and shame not to mention the Samaritan woman was alone unaccompanied by anyone else.  Rules of decency and protocol were being ignored in a shocking portrayal of spiritual need verses worldly convention. 
     The very fact that Jesus, a Jewish man, was talking to this woman of adulterous sin risked compromising his reputation.  Yet Jesus didn’t care about man made rules of etiquette if they conflicted with the saving of a human soul and Godly design.  When man made rules conflict with God’s rules and will then we need to follow the Lord no matter how the situation may appear to others.  Godly righteousness is always to be preferred over worldly ways.  Jesus would 
cross any barrier to share the Gospel of Salvation and we must do the same!

     Bible Verse John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

     Throughout the Bible it mentions thirsting after the Lord.  Spiritually thirsty  for the things of God.  (Psalms 42:1; Isaiah 55:1; Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 13:1) Our Lord God is called the fountain of living water and life. (Jeremiah 17:13;     Psalm 36:9;)  The Messiah Jesus Christ had the ability to give her a gift that would forever bring spiritual satisfaction throughout all eternity. 
     Just as we are making a contrast between these two people The ‘Woman at the well’ and ‘Nicodemus,’ we are also making a contrast between ‘fleshly’ needs and ‘spiritual’ ones!  Our bodies hunger and thirst, so do our spirits for things greater than ourselves.  When you are hungry and thirsty you eat.  We need to also remember to feed our spirits as well.  Spiritual water is much more important to us because it will give us eternal life in Heaven.  Our bodies will die and perish but our spirits will live on for eternity.  "Where will our spirit eternally reside?" is the question. 

     John 4:17-19 The woman answered and said, I have no husband.  Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

     The reason Jesus told her to go and bring her husband was to demonstrate to her that the Lord knew all about her sinful life.  She couldn’t hide her background from a all seeing and knowing God. The very fact that she tried to change the subject only showed how uncomfortable she was with the knowledge that he knew her sins.
     The woman at the well couldn’t run away and hide.   Even though she had come to the well at a time when she knew no one else would be there didn’t hide her from an all knowing God.   Just as she couldn’t hide her sins, we can’t either!  No matter where we go or what we do the Holy Spirit knows and sees it all.  People try to run and hide or ignore their sinful lifestyles but God knows everything.   We should not t judge people but to show them that even though they have 
sinned, Jesus still loves them and desires them to accept Salvation though him. 

     John 4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

     The woman by the well tried to change the subject by bringing up a profound difference between the Samaritans and  Jews.  People used excuses like this then as we do today with other theological differences.  (How sad that people can’t just love and accept each other the way the Lord wants us to.)  This was only a poor attempt at hiding her sin even from herself and her greatest need!  She needed what Jesus had to give, yet her pride kept her from looking at the truth. 

     Verse John 4:21-22 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

     Both the Jews and the Samaritan argued over the place to worship as if that was the magic key to unlock eternity for them.  Yet they were missing the most important thing, the condition of one’s heart.  What did it matter where a person worships as long as they worship in righteousness and Godly truths! 

     Verse John  4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

      Location of worship is not as important as to the spiritual method from one’s heart.  If your heart is right before the Lord then whatever location you are in, God will hear and be blessed.  From a jail cell to someone who is walking through a farmer’s barn full of manure, if their hearts are right and they are worshipping the Lord….He is blessed!   People could be in a fancy church filled with gold but if their hearts are full of sin, what good would all of the riches do them come judgment day?  The Lord will say, "I knew you not!" 
     The returning disciples who were shocked at finding Jesus talking to a woman not to mention a Samaritan woman didn’t dare to question the motives behind Jesus’ actions.  They didn’t understand that we must witness to everyone about Salvation. 

     Verses John 4:32, &  4:34-36 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of...... Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

     Our ‘meat’ is spiritual nourishment that only the Lord can give.   This is the spiritual food that the disciples didn’t understand that we are supposed to give to win souls for the Kingdom of God.  We have spiritual meet or nourishment that was given to us from Jesus that we in turn give to others.  The more we feed upon the Word, (read and study the Bible,) we will have to give to others. It is the one gift that we can’t give away and not get more in return. 
     The disciples didn’t understand this concept because they were only beginning to accept Jesus as the Messiah themselves.  They weren’t much farther along in belief than she was.  Even though they had been with and heard Jesus in person the reality was too deep of a concept for them yet.

     John 4:40-42 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.  And many more believed because of his own word;  And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

     What I want to point out here is that the Woman at Jacob’s well having found her Savior, (Jesus Christ the Messiah) she couldn’t wait to tell others the good news.  How much more readily these people were to listen to Jesus than the stiff-necked Pharisees who were too jealous to see that they had the Messiah with them and still turned away. 

     John 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

     There isn’t much time before the second coming of Jesus Christ called The Rapture,  we only have to look around to see the sign of that.   Jesus did tell us to be aware of the seasons or signs.  The reality is that we "All NEED A SAVIOR!"  We all need Jesus.  Looking around everywhere we turn are people who don’t go to church and haven’t a personal relationship with Jesus.  It doesn’t matter if they are rich or poor, black or white, in prison or a president, we all need to be saved.  We shouldn’t make excuses for not doing the will of God, winning souls.

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