Grab the Lifeline

Imagine, if you will, that you are a passenger on the ill-fated Titanic.  The ship was a masterpiece of engineering design, a craft so mighty that it was dubbed unsinkable.  I watched a program on it once, and was amazed at the lengths the designers went to, to insure that the huge vessel would stay afloat, even in the face of a disaster.  As you board the ship, you feel secure trusting what man has accomplished in this iron-clad giant.  Fast forward to the iceberg.  Now imagine that there are no lifeboats, every man, woman and child is on their own.  Barring a miracle, all will perish, no doubt about it.

Unbelievably an old, but sturdy boat appears out of the mist and the captain, himself,  begins throwing out lifelines.  There are enough for every passenger.  You would think that all the lines would be grabbed, but surprisingly, no.  Some of the folks don’t like the looks of the old boat, others fear that the captain could turn out to be a pirate.  Maybe they think that by treading water they can reach safety on their own.  The ones who do take hold, wait for the captain to pull them in, out of the freezing water, and sure death, to life.

Now you might find this rendition far-fetched, but I use it to illustrate my point for today.  We may never leave terra firma, but just as surely as those folks were facing their demise, so is every single human being on the face of the earth.  Yes, we are all going to die, physically, but what I‘m referring to is the spiritual death.  God, like the captain of that small ship, has thrown lifelines out, one for each of us.  Those who trust and believe, grab on, and will be drawn into the safe haven of salvation. Sadly, many will go under, choosing to forsake his invitation, trusting in themselves, and their own strength rather than His.  The reasons they give are similar to those drowning.  In addition they don’t want to feel indebted, or have to follow his strict rules. Maybe they just think the whole lifeline thing is an elaborate ruse.

Don’t think you are exempt, we’re all aboard the same “sinking ship” of sin, but your line is waiting for you.  God will never force you to take it, only you can make that saving decision.  Have you latched on?  Great, now let him continue to draw you in.  Are you still floundering around,  confident that you can reach the shore on your own?  Good luck with that!  Jesus himself reminds us that no one can save themselves.  Don’t pass that lifeline by, take hold and live, eternally!  "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:44