Simply knowing about the Lord Jesus Christ is not enough to save a boy’s or a girl's soul. Thousands of people know about the Lord Jesus and all the wonderful things He did. Yet, sadly, many do not know Him as their very own Saviour. Only when a person places his faith in Jesus and what He did at Calvary is he truly saved. When a person realizes that he is lost without the Saviour and then turns to Him in faith, the gift of salvation the Lord Jesus gives him is like a life jacket that is securely fastened to his soul and will never let him go!
Judy loved to water ski. She had been skiing for a couple of seasons already, and she was only twelve years old. She was a natural athlete, and skiing came easily to her. Her Uncle Ted had invited her along for a waterskiing afternoon with her cousins.
Judy’s cousins were older, so they all got to go first. At last it was her turn. She was about to jump over the side of the boat into the water when Uncle Ted said, “Slow down, girl ... I know you swim like a fish, but you need a life jacket on before you get up on skis.”
One cousin, who had just finished skiing around the lake and was still panting for breath, took off her dripping wet jacket and tossed it to Judy. Judy pulled it around her neck and without paying much attention to the straps she partially fastened them. In a flash she was over the side of the boat, got the skis on and signaled her uncle that she was ready.
As the boat picked up speed, the ski rope grew taut, and then her uncle pushed the throttle of the boat all the way forward. Judy was up on the skis and flying around the lake. Her red hair blew back in the wind, and she felt the excitement of speed. The small boat seemed to fly around the lake. Turning at the end of the lake was especially fun because the turn seemed to make her go even faster. Then they were racing back to the place where they had started. When it was time to stop, Uncle Ted reduced the power to the boat, and soon the ski rope went limp. But Judy was traveling faster than the boat, so she let go of the rope to glide in. Just for the fun of it, she raised her arms over her head, as if to show everyone on the boat how good she felt.
Suddenly, Judy was in trouble! The poorly fastened life jacket shifted up on her body, covering her face and trapping her arms above her head. As she slowed on the skis, she sank in the water. The life jacket’s shift to an improper position trapped her nose and mouth under the water and made it impossible for her to use her arms to swim.
No one on the boat thought anything was wrong for a long minute, until one of the cousins called out, “Judy is drowning!” With a pounding heart Uncle Ted looked towards Judy, put the engine in neutral, and quickly dove over the side of the boat. With powerful strokes he swam to his niece.
Just a part of Judy’s arms were above the water. He pulled her to the surface so she could breathe. She coughed up water and gulped a breath of air. Then Uncle Ted was able to straighten out the straps of the life jacket and return it to a normal position, and both of them swam back to the boat.
It was a very close call. Judy realized that not strapping the life jacket on properly was dangerous and could have caused her to drown. Still shaken up by her close call, she said, “Next time, Uncle Ted, I will make sure the straps are done right!”
Someday each one of us will have to give account of ourselves to God. Sinners who have never come to the Lord Jesus by faith will sadly perish in their sins. Down they will sink into the everlasting darkness of hell. Each one of us has sinned. The Bible says, “There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-2322Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:22‑23)). Because of sin, each of us needs to be saved. God loves you and me so very much that He is pleased to offer each one of us salvation as a free gift: “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:88For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)). Many think they can be saved by their own goodness. Impossible! The very next verse says, “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:99Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:9)).
Will you believe on the Lord Jesus that you might receive the salvation He freely offers? If you come to Him as a lost sinner and believe on Him with all your heart, He promises to save you and take you to heaven. But if you come short of placing your faith in Christ as your very own Saviour and are just content to know about Him, His gift of salvation will do you no good.
ML-07/06/2008