Tommy and his mother were looking at a children’s book of Bible stories. The story about Noah had a big picture called, “Noah Entering the Ark,” which was very interesting to Tommy. He could see the animals, birds and Noah and his family going into the ark. His mother explained that they were all escaping to safety from the flood that God was going to use to punish the people on the earth.
“What if the ark had wrecked and sunk?” asked Tommy. “Then everybody in the world would have been drowned!”
“That couldn’t happen, because God was in control,” his mother answered. Then putting her arm around Tommy she added, “There is no ‘IF,’ Tommy, when God says ‘should not perish’ in 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 you have memorized.”
Tommy repeated the verse slowly: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
“God means what He says in that verse, Tommy,” Mother continued. “If you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and take Him as your Saviour, you will be safe, just like Noah, his family and all the animals were safe in the ark. There is no ‘IF,’ Tommy.”
How true this is! God says to all who trust in Him that they shall have “everlasting life,” or, as it says in another verse, they “shall be saved.” It is also true the opposite way. To those who choose not to believe, Psalm 1:66For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1:6) says, “The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” There is no “IF ” about that either.
ML-03/28/2004