What did Jesus save me from?

I have grown up in the church and therefore, don't have a dramatic conversion story of Jesus saving me from drugs, alcoholism, a life of miserable promiscuity, abusive relationships, and so on.  This past week, a radio station, I'm sure many are familiar with, K-LOVE, posed the question to its readers, "What did Jesus save you from?" with a challenge to take a photograph of yourself with a sign saying "Jesus saved me from [fill in the blank]!"  Usually contests like this make me roll my eyes and move on without much consideration, but this one really made me think about what Jesus had saved me from.

All the time I hear stories about how Jesus saved individuals from the things mentioned above, but what did He really save us from?  Jesus didn't promise a life of peace and prosperity here and now - in fact, He promised the opposite.  He said that he came to turn brother against brother, father against son, and mother against daughter.  He promised suffering, and pain.  He promised hardships.

I don't think it's always quite so obvious what Jesus saved Christians from.  Many Christians, I find, don't even have a solid understanding of what the Gospel is.  Myself included until only a short time ago, and I'm not convinced that I totally understand it even now. So, what is the Gospel? The Gospel is that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, and rose again three days later.  He justified us in the eyes of God that we may spend eternity with Him and not in eternal torment from Hell.

The simplest cut-and-dry answer to the question is that Jesus Christ saved me from Hell, and that is true.  It is a simple, profound, resounding truth that is reason to celebrate, repent and live a life that you have now been freed to live - a life that is pleasing to God!  But is that all?  Could there be more to it?  Is more even needed?  I believe, that no, that isn't all, yes, there is more, but no, even though there is more to the story, it is not needed.

Jesus saved me from Hell, yes, but he also saved me from trying to earn Heaven.  Jesus saved me from being uncertain about my eternal future.  He saved me from spending a lifetime trying to live up to a standard I could never meet.  From obeying out of fear of rejection and damnation. 

Jesus saved me from trying to be perfect, even though I never could be.  He saved me from the price of imperfection, and the consequences thereof.

He saved me from hopelessness, and eternal brokenness, depravity, and deprivation.

He saved me from placing my hope in nothing better than what is tangible, and temporary.  Things that will fade away with time and use.  Things that will eventually disappoint.

So, what did Jesus save me from?  He saved me from Hell for eternity, and the fear of Hell now.