As in the days of Noah, just before the great flood, "The earth also was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence," (Genesis 6:1111The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. (Genesis 6:11)), so today, men are trusting in weapons and leaving God out.
"Perilous times" are coming upon us! Frantic human efforts are being mustered to patch up the sinking ship. We read of them in Luke 21, verses 25 and 26, "And upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity...men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth."
"The end of all things is at hand." (1 Peter 4:77But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (1 Peter 4:7)). "The coming of the Lord draweth nigh." (James 5:88Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. (James 5:8)). Jesus has warned you to "take heed to yourselves, lest...that day come upon you unawares." (Luke 21:3434And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. (Luke 21:34)). "I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more, until He come." (Ezekiel 21:2727I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him. (Ezekiel 21:27)).
Blind optimism is the philosophy of fools. Let us suppose a vessel is foundering at sea, exceedingly rotten and leaky, and filling fast. From the shore a lifeboat is launched, and pulls alongside the doomed vessel. The captain of the lifeboat calls to every person on board to leave the old ship immediately.
But the people on board refuse. One says, "Our vessel is not so bad; she only needs a little repair and paint." Another says, "Away with both you and your lifeboat! We have a carpenter of our own, and we can repair this ship ourselves."
Most go on with their cards and drinking, while some, working with emergency tools, are determined to keep the old ship afloat. Just a few see their danger and take advantage of the only way to escape.
The vessel, left to itself, fills and sinks. Now, tell me, if every despiser on board goes down, who is to blame? The lifeboat was sent to them, but they refused to come aboard!
Christ Jesus is the lifeboat. The Father sent His Son to deliver us from this evil, perishing world. God so loved this poor, ruined, sinking world that He gave His beloved Son, that whosoever believes in Him might not perish.
In 1912, the finest and safest vessel that had ever been built, the "unsinkable Titanic," struck an iceberg and sank. "The staggering fact," an editor commented, "is not that the ship went down, but that she still went on after fifteen hours of radio warnings, her engines at full speed, her band playing, her passengers dancing and, apparently, nobody caring that there was ice ahead."
Do not ignore the danger ahead. Accept the salvation Christ offers today.
My Individual Savior
My salvation depends upon my taking Christ as my individual Savior, just as if He had died for me alone. If you can cry to God as the publican did in Luke 18:1313And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (Luke 18:13), then you can rejoice with the Apostle Paul who said, "the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)).