Thought for the Month - July 2018
"How shall we escape?" by Barry Adair
(The great escape)
How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? (Hebrews 2:3a)
There's an old story about a man who was caught in a flood. I'll call him Kevin, as I went to school with a Kevin Flood. Anyway, on to that story…
The floodwater was rising at a steady rate, including now inside Kevin's house. So Kevin began to pray "God, please save me from this flood." Not long after his prayer, a man in a boat came by. "Hop in and I'll take you to safety, he said." "Oh no, that won't be necessary," Kevin replied "God is going to save me." So, the boat went on. A few hours later the water had risen higher. In fact, Kevin had to move upstairs to stay dry now, and he was beginning to get scared. So he prayed, "God, this is Kevin again. I really need your help now. Please save me!" In a few minutes another boat came by, and someone called to him at the upstairs window, "come on and get in!". "Oh no," said Kevin, "God is going to save me." No amount of persuading would change his mind, so the boat went on by. A couple of hours passed and Kevin had been forced up to his roof-space by the fast rising water. So, he prayed once more. "God, this is Kevin, help!". He was getting really scared now when a helicopter appeared, hovered above the skylight and then a ladder was thrown down. "Climb up!" someone called, "we'll get you out of here". "No, it's OK" called back Kevin, "I'm sure God is going to save me!" So, the helicopter reluctantly left to rescue someone else. Well, Kevin drowned and soon he found himself in front of God. He was pretty disappointed, and even a little angry that God hadn't saved him. "God, why didn't you help me? I prayed three times, why didn't you save me?" said Kevin. God shook His head and said, "Kevin, I sent two boats and a helicopter, what more did you want me to do?!"
As I was reading the news recently, I noticed that a number of people in Birmingham (UK) and in Kent needed to be rescued from rising water after flash flooding hit those parts of the country. The story (above) is a bit flippant and actually being caught up in floodwaters would be a very scary episode indeed! However, it wasn't the news item that had put this old story into my head but rather a Bible verse. That's it at the start of this Thought - how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 3 is longer than the portion I have used, but it was this part that stuck firmly in my head, and specifically the "how shall we escape" bit.
Let me ask you a question. Have you noticed the apparent increase in worldwide 'disaster type' events? I'm thinking of those earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, flooding, famines, forest fires and occurrences of extreme heat which have culminated in the significant loss of human life. Then there are the major worries about global warming, our exponential population growth, the possible strike from asteroids, worldwide crop failure, global water shortage, spread of killer viruses etc. Some notable scientists are now stating that it is not now a question of 'IF' we are going to witness a cataclysmic worldwide event but 'WHEN' we are going to witness a cataclysmic worldwide event! And by cataclysmic, those scientists mean a substantial loss of life.
OK, all light and cheery this month then, you may be saying?!
One more potential dark thought and then I'll get to the great escape…
All the potential disasters mentioned so far have been in the physical realm i.e. in the here and now. But if the Bible is correct (and it is), we have the supernatural realm to consider too. And the Bible is adamant that - 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'. So this means, that even if we survive all the potential disasters (OK, I'm being a little over-dramatic here), after we die a natural death we all still need to answer to the God who created us. And obviously, as we all will come up short due to our sin, then there is simply no chance of heaven?!
On to the good bit now - just not so much for Kevin!
If we think back to the old story, poor Kevin perished because he ignored the deliverance/escape/salvation that was meant for him! There was no chance of his escape because he ignored a great salvation. The escape route was there (in fact, the story records 3 occurrences, including a helicopter!) but he ignored it at his peril.
God has provided an escape route for the whole population. It is an escape from the punishment of sin. Our sin, although still very real and present, was placed on God's only Son. He died on a Roman cross to take away our sin - He didn't have any of his own!
And the great escape? If we humbly acknowledge our sin and need for a Saviour and ask God to forgive us, then forgive us He will!
This is the gospel. This is salvation. This is the great escape.
Jesus died that we may go free.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10)
We may not be able to dodge the future problems and disasters in this life, but we can be sure of a glorious life to come.
Don't be a Kevin.
Don't ignore a great salvation!
If you haven't already done so, ask God to forgive you through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then seek His way for this life, always looking forward to a home in heaven with the One who has loved you from all eternity!
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. (Ephesians 1:4)
Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There's salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
(Phil Wickham)
Until next month (DV), I'll leave you with a song from Phil Wickham - Living Hope…
Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!
(All Bible verses used this month are taken from the New International Version)