Luke 18 + Do I Really Need Saving? // Jesus Changes Everything - Jeremiah Lepasana

Driving Question:
Do you need saving? As you reflect on your life—in your actions, your presence in the world, your work, your city—do you truly feel like you need a Savior? And if so, do you want one?

1. The Reason We Are Always Exhausted

Many of us functionally depend on ourselves to be our own savior. We try to manage life, fix our problems, and carry our burdens alone. This self-reliance can leave us anxious, exhausted, and restless. Like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable, we trust in our own performance and sense of “enoughness.” The problem is that this posture closes our hearts to mercy. When we think we are fine on our own, we miss out on the experience of Jesus as Savior.

2. Two Choices for Approaching God

In Luke 18, Jesus contrasts two men praying at the temple:

• The Pharisee: Self-satisfied, confident, and blind to his own need for rescue. He is fine in his own eyes and misses the doorway to salvation.
• The Tax Collector: Standing far off, unable to even look up, acknowledging his weakness, and saying, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

The tax collector’s posture—humble, desperate, and fully aware of his need—is the picture of someone ready to call out for divine intervention. Weakness, not strength, becomes the gateway to transformation. When life is overwhelming and painful, it’s tempting to escape, numb, control, or fight. Jesus suggests a different first step: simply stand before the only one who can save you and say, “Lord, have mercy on me.”

3. “God, you are my only hope”

To say, “Jesus is Savior,” is to live in dependence rather than control. It’s to acknowledge: God, You are my only hope. This posture isn’t just an occasional prayer—it’s the organizing principle of Scripture and life. No matter the circumstances, no matter the depth of our pain, the goal is to repeatedly return to this truth: God is my only hope.True freedom isn’t about being self-sufficient; it’s about trusting that Jesus has already done what matters most. It’s about experiencing the mercy that meets us in our weakness and learning to live from it daily.

Pray: Lord, teach me to depend on You as my only hope. Thank You for mercy that meets me in my weakness and makes me whole. Let my life reflect the freedom that comes from knowing I am already loved and already Yours. Amen.