From Tim Chester at Desiring God blog.
There are two ways to get life wrong. One is to be our own Lord, the other our own Saviour. Both are destructive, but can be evidenced in different lifestyles.
Here Chester describes what he means when
We want to be our own Saviour instead of Jesus
I often replace Jesus as Saviour with me as saviour: attempting to save myself by doing good things, saving other people by straightening out their lives, or saving the world through good causes.
People trying to be their own saviour often live morally good lives. They’re good husbands, wives, and parents because they want to rescue their family. Or they’re involved in good causes, e.g. raising money for the poor, campaigning for justice, or addressing environmental issues.
These are commendable things. Replacing Jesus as Saviour often looks like a good life. People in your church are doing this and you think they’re doing great.
But its fruit will eventually become apparent: pride, frustration, stress, anxiety, or manipulation. Consider a parent trying to fix their child thinking it all depends on them. They may be manipulative or domineering as they attempt to control and protect their child. Or they may be bitter about their child’s behaviour or weighed down with stress.
Read When Good Lives Are Bad News at Desiring God.
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