Would You Change It?
"Jesus said to the woman,
‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'"
Luke 7:50
I wouldn't have said it that way. But then, who am I to change Jesus' words. He said it, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Jesus must have meant this. If He did, then there must be both a "who" that saves as well as a "what" that saves. Do you follow? No one would deny that it is God who saves; most of us would easily extend that to "Jesus saves", but we would stop there. The pastor does not save, the bishop does not save, not even Billy Graham or the Pope saves. God/Jesus is the "who" that saves. This is the person who saves.
Apparently there is also a "what" that saves. Call it the "instrument" that saves. When I think of possible instruments of my salvation I quickly think of the cross. Constantine's Chi-Rho cross was reputedly revealed to him in the sky with the words, "In this sign conquer!" Just recently at a funeral, I again sang the words, "So I'll cherish the old rugged cross..." Is the cross the "instrument" of my salvation? No. Neither is the Bible, an altar, a prayer rosary or any other "thing". The instrument of my salvation; the "what" that saves me; is my own faith. God has ordained that our personal trust in Him, His word and His saving power, will be a necessary ingredient to the recipe of our salvation. Jesus said it; I wouldn't change it.