Oh, thanks for rescuing me! Our ship went down. I was treading water for hours. I wouldn’t have lasted much longer. Now you’ve got to save my brother! Your brother? Where is he? He’s out there swimming for his life. We’ll save him. Ahoy! We’re here to save you! No thanks. What did he say? He said no thanks. I don’t want anyone to save me. I want to save myself. But you’ll drown! There is no land for over 1000 miles. Yes, but I’ve basically lived a pretty good life. I mean, over the years I’ve done more good things than bad … ... So I don’t think I need anyone to save me. What does how good you are have to do with this? You’re still going to drown unless we save you! You don’t understand. I’ve relied on myself all my life. I’ll not start accepting help now. But this is free! We want to help you. Without us, you’ll drown! You make it sound like you’re the only way I can be saved. Isn’t that a bit too exclusive? There are no other boats out here. Yeah, well what if I imagined I were a boat, or I started chanting, “I can save myself. I can save myself.”... ...Then I’d be able to save myself. I think he’s delirious. Listen, I respect your belief that I will drown. I just ask that you respect my belief that I can save myself. But your belief will lead to certain death. You arrogant %$#!@! Who do you think you are pushing your views on others? Why can’t you accept my beliefs? You intolerant, bigoted...Blub! Sounds crazy doesn’t it? My brother! He’s gone! Why would anyone reject a free gift of being saved? We could have saved him if he had just let us. We’re all in the same spot as the guy in the water...drowning in our sins. And every day lots of people are rejecting God’s free gift of salvation- God sent His only Son, Jesus, to earth to die on the cross for our sins. It was free too! All he had to do was take it. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) It is a free gift. We cannot earn it with our good behavior any more than we can swim 1000 miles in the ocean. Yet he foolishly wanted to earn it and now he’s gone. For it is by grace you have been saved. Through faith- and this not from yourselves. It is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) And the Bible says there is only one way to be saved. He thought we were being pushy. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name [Jesus] under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) God cares for us and wants to have an individual relationship with each of us. But we truly cared! For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son [Jesus], that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) We simply need to repent of doing things our own way and receive the salvation God has for us through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection. If only he would have changed his mind before it was too late. Gasp! I’ve changed my mind. I need to be saved! Yet to all who received Him [Jesus], to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12) Dear God, Thank you for sending Your Son to die on the cross on my behalf. I now place my trust in Him to save me for all eternity.
