Almost every day, somewhere around the world, someone is being successfully rescued
by caring people.
Here in the states, most of
us will remember Jessica McClure (Baby Jessica) who was rescued from an 8” well
in Midland, Texas. She was only 18 months old at the time, and it took her
rescuers three days back in October of 1987 to get her out.
This is only one example
among so many who have had their lives spared. Sadly, there are just as many
who were not able to be rescued before it was too late.
It is very heartwarming when
we hear of successful rescues of children, adults and even animals. We don’t
like death, and what a relief when it is dodged for a time.
God doesn’t like death
either, and before someone gets their tail feathers in a knot, God did not
bring death upon us. We did that to ourselves. Someone else will say that Adam
and Eve did that, but think about it. Would we have done any better? No, we
would not have. Satan is a lot sharper knife in the drawer than any of us. We
wouldn’t even make a good butter knife.
Nevertheless, because of that
decision by our first parents, everyone sins and everyone dies. For over 6,000
years we have had to deal with this monster. The good news is that right from
the beginning God had the solution.
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise
his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
Even before mankind fell into
sin and brought death upon us all in the Garden of Eden, God already knew what
would happen and had a plan ready from the start. This plan was and is today
that He would pay for all our sins by taking our punishment for us upon a Roman
cross.
Satan keeps pumping out the
lie that there are several ways we can save ourselves, but wait a minute; he is
the one who got us into this mess in the first place with his lying. God
doesn’t lie, and couldn’t lie if He wanted to, and He says there is only one
way we can be saved and that is that one without sin must pay our sin debt.
However, there is a problem:
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not
one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there
is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with
their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed
blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they
not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. For all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God;”(Romans
3:10-18, 23)
No one can be found who is
qualified. God can’t pay for our sins. He isn’t a human. He is God, but wait,
God says that isn’t a problem. The Son of God simply came down to earth and
clothed Himself in a human body and became a human. His Spirit entered the womb
of a young female who loved God, and He was born from her body. How about that!
The Son of God and the Son of Man! Now He is both, and fully qualified to pay
for all our sins, and that is just what He did two thousand years ago.
(Note: Prior to the cross
those who believed were saved on ‘credit,’ since they looked forward to the
cross.)
This move by God is without a
doubt the greatest rescue of all times. Every man, woman, boy and girl can be
saved from Satan’s clutches if they just repent (change their mind) and ask
Jesus Christ to save them.
How tragic it is that
billions of people over the last 6,000 years have not accepted God’s way to be
saved … the only way actually. That sin nature we inherited from Adam just
keeps getting in the way for most folks. It keeps whispering; wait awhile,
you’re good enough, God would never send you to hell, and all those other lies
Satan loves to tell us.
Thank goodness there have
also been billions that have realized they are sinners, need to be saved, and
God has the only way that works. They realized Jesus paid their way to God and
asked Him to save them too.
The great thing about God’s
only way to Him through Jesus is that He loves us all and really wants us all
to be saved. He makes no preferences. He doesn’t care if you’re poor or rich,
what color you are or your nationality, etc. He just wants all to be saved, but
He cannot and will not override His one requirement. That requirement is that
we must come through His Son Jesus Christ. We must put our faith in Him and
trust Him to do the saving. If we will do that, He will save us.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and
the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)
If we’re drowning at sea,
stuck in a well, trapped in a fire, attacked by wild dogs, dying of an illness or
a thousand other things that could take our life wouldn’t we want someone to
save us? I’m sure the answer is a resounding, “YES!” Well in that case we’re
just talking about our body, which is only going to live but a few years. If we
live to be a hundred, our body is still going to die, but what about our soul?
Our soul is going to live forever either in Heaven or hell.
What is more important to us,
a few years on this earth, or an eternity that never ends … in Heaven or hell?
God wants us to be with Him in Heaven forever, but we must come through His Son
Jesus. If we refuse, there are no other options, except eternity in hell.
In 1869 a Christian lady
named Fanny J. Crosby wrote the following hymn:
Rescue The Perishing
Rescue the perishing, care
for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin
and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one,
lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the
mighty to save.
Refrain:
Rescue the perishing, care
for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will
save.
Though they are slighting
Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to
receive;
Plead with them earnestly,
plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only
believe.
Down in the human heart,
crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace
can restore;
Touched by a loving heart,
wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will
vibrate once more.
Rescue the perishing, duty
demands it;
Strength for thy labor the
Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way
patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a
Savior has died.
Her inspiration for this
great old hymn came from this Scripture passage in the Bible:
“And of some have compassion, making a difference: And
others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment
spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 22-23)
Jesus is our rescuer, but we
must call out to Him. He died for us and will save us if we only believe.
Grant Phillips
Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html
