A fishing crew set out from port in the pursuit of their calling. Skilled fishermen they were, acquainted with the tides, rocks and shoals with which they had to deal, able seamen, accustomed to handling their boat under all circumstances. They had been out some time, and were just hauling their nets or lines, when the attention of one of them was caught by smoke rising out of the engine-room. At once this conveyed to his mind the thought of the most dreaded danger of all at sea―the boat was on fire! With a cry of alarm he warned his mates, and they rushed to the scene of the fire. Every effort was made to put it out―they tried to smother it, to drown it, to pull away the burning parts, but all without success. The fire was gaining, and spite of all they could do it still gained.
Just think of their position; miles from land, and the boat in which they trusted on FIRE. If they stayed still, the flames would soon reach them or would burn down to the water’s edge and sink the ship. They stood in the most dreadful danger of swift and terrible death, either by fire or by water. You may be sure that none of the little crew of five or six men said they “didn’t care” or would “think of it some other time”, as men and women often do when spoken to of God’s Salvation. They fully realized the horror of their position: what could they do? One thing was certain―if they stayed there they were lost.
Happily they had a way of escape. They carried (as usual in such fishing boats) a small rowing boat (a “punt”) for use in harbor, or in case of danger, and now the need had so suddenly arisen their thoughts turned at once to this little boat. Some of them in their eagerness to get it out of the way of the fire and into the water were inclined to be hasty and rough with it, so the warning voice of their “skipper” rang out “Be careful with that punt. It is our only salvation”. Indeed it was true, if anything happened to that punt their fate was sealed. But there it floated alongside, an immediate escape from their danger, and not a man but was thankful to climb over into it and push off. I am glad to say they were picked up shortly afterward by a friend’s boat and thus got safe home.
It was that skipper’s remark “That punt’s our only salvation” that struck me; for God’s word tells us that we are all lost sinners, deserving His righteous judgment because of our sins. And we cannot save ourselves. Nothing we can do could turn aside the stroke of that judgment. We may try to do better, to “make a new start”, but we shall sadly find that “by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight.”
But thank God, His Word also tells us that “Whosoever believeth in HIM (that is the Lord Jesus Christ) shall not perish but shall have EVERLASTING LIFE.” Unlike our friends on the burning fishing boat, you may be careless of your danger: you may think little of your sins. What would you think of one of them who had said “Oh, there is no hurry, perhaps I’ll come along presently” or “I don’t think there is anything to worry about”. You would condemn them as being most foolish, wouldn’t you? But God, in His faithfulness has told us of our danger: and in His unutterable love has told us He has provided a Salvation―a Savior. He tells us in the verse just quoted (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)) that if we trust that Blessed Savior, we shall be SAVED from the judgment that awaits the guilty sinner, and have EVERLASTING LIFE.
To make it possible for God to give us so grand a message, His own Beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, had to suffer death, in all its horror, and shame, and agony on the Cross at Calvary. There He suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God. Your part is just TO TRUST IN HIM.
Just one thing more. If these men had left their “punt” at home it would have been no use to them in their time of need, and they would have PERISHED. But it was at hand for them. And God says about His Salvation that it is near. “The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED,” Romans 10:8-98But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:8‑9).
Will you not Trust Him NOW? There is peace and joy in Jesus such as there is none elsewhere; what else can you do? “HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE, if we neglect SO GREAT SALVATION?” Hebrews 2, 3.
Today is the day of mercy, tomorrow may be the day of doom.
“You cannot repent too soon, for you know not how soon it may be too late to repent.”