Do you know the most dangerous sailing region on the seven seas? Many sailors would without hesitation say Drake’s Passage.
Drake’s Passage is the part of the world’s oceans that lies between the southern tip of Chile and the continent of Antarctica. It’s a place where three great oceans meet: the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Southern Ocean. In these lower latitudes, currents of water and wind whip around the globe continually, unhindered by any landmass slowing it down. This ocean current is called the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, or ACC for short. Forty-foot waves whipped by gale force winds commonly occur in the region.
Sir Francis Drake was the first Englishman to sail the passage. Of the three ships that sailed in his fleet, one ship sunk attempting the passage, and the crew on board the second ship lost heart and turned back. Only the third ship, the Golden Hind, which was commanded by Drake himself, made it to the open waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Countless other ships battered by the furious waves and winds have sunk in the passage since then, and many more would have sunk if the Panama Canal connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific had not been opened to provide an alternate route.
In recent times, specially designed cruise ships with inverted hulls and many other safety features have been built to carry passengers through these waters. Notwithstanding, passengers are advised to take motion sickness medicine before embarking even if they have never been seasick a day in their lives. Sailing on one of these expensive, specially designed cruise ships is not for the faint of heart.
Drake’s Passage is a difficult passage at sea. Life in general is full of difficult passages. There is the passage from childhood to adulthood, adulthood to old age, and also from old age to death. All of these passages can be difficult, but the passage at the end of this life is potentially the most dangerous because of the potential to end up lost forever in the darkness of hell.
Truly Dangerous Passage
In the modern way of thinking, death is not a passage but the end of existence. If this were true, people would be fine going through life not caring that the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, died for their sins. They would have smooth sailing and then “kaput” — it would be lights out and they would go out of existence forever. But what a tremendous jolt they will be hit with when they realize they must come into judgment for their sins. People who die in their sins will end up being sent out of God’s presence into a real hell. There is a tremendous storm of suffering ahead for those who die in their sins.
“I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-1511And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11‑15)).
If you are going through life without a care for your never-dying soul, beware! The passage from this life to the life to come will be more dangerous than you could ever imagine.
You don’t have to buy a ticket on a cruise ship and sail through Drake’s Passage. But you will have to make the passage from this life to eternity. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)).
You must believe in Christ if you want to escape going into everlasting punishment! By His atoning death on the cross, every sinner may have their sins forgiven and begin to live a new life. When those who have come to believe and love the Lord Jesus Christ make the passage from this life to the next, they will be welcomed home to the glories of heaven. Someday, in transformed bodies, they will see God and enjoy His presence forever. Pain and suffering will be done away. The peace and joy of heaven will be very great and will never be interrupted by sorrow of any kind again.
Will you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that your passage from this life to the life to come might be a happy one?
Coming to the end of your life without regrets would be wonderful. Regrets covers far more than that!