Sometimes he saves an individual, at other times a whole city. At times he has to save the entire planet from some evil villain or alien invader. These stories can be exciting, especially when they are portrayed on the big screen with Hollywood special effects. In these stories we see the superhero explode into action, save the day and then fade into the background until some evil rises again. The superhero is always there to save the "good guys" and to triumph over the "bad guys." All the other people, however, are generally seen simply as innocent bystanders. The comic book superhero really can't be bothered to evaluate anything deeper than getting the bad guys. Everyone else is pretty happy with the results: "Just rescue me and leave me alone." Obviously the reality of human life is not like a comic book. All of humanity needs to be rescued from a very real evil. When we look at human behavior through the eyes of God, we find that He wants to save all of mankind, every human being, from the evil he or she faces. Who, or where, is that evil? Unfortunately it is in each of us. It is sin. The apostle Paul writes, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Yes, we are all the bad guys. And in addition, we all need to be rescued—saved from the penalty of sin. Again God says through the apostle Paul, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). We need a true hero, and only Jesus Christ has the power and ability to save us from the death we have earned. Only He can give us the gift of eternal life. Quite unlike the comic book superhero, who really isn't interested in changing anyone's life, the true hero, Jesus Christ, does have requirements and knows we need to change. Immediately after His baptism, Jesus Christ began preaching about the Kingdom of God and said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). God wants to save us, but He doesn't simply want to rescue us from our discomforts or suffering and then leave. God wants us to change; He wants to make each of us a new person who can ultimately become a member of His family. While the world recognizes we have a need for rescue and longs for a superhero, human beings don't really want to change or to admit that our own choices are at the root of the problems we see splashed across the headlines. God's solution is to change the inner man through an ongoing process of repentance. That is the certain and lasting way to be saved from the troubles of this world. That is God's plan to bring us all into the Kingdom of God as His children. Thanks be to God, the true hero and savior of the world. UN