ONE very cold morning, as the captain of the ship was walking to and fro on the quarterdeck, he was startled by the cry of a sailor shouting as loud as he could,
"Boy overboard!" "Boy overboard!"
The captain ran to the side of the ship, looked down from the high place where he was, and, true enough, he saw a drowning boy struggling in the water. Now, the captain was not only a kind man, but he was also very brave, and at once he made up his mind what he would do. In a moment he leaped right down into the icy river; swam towards the drowning lad; reached him just in time; laid hold of him; and, after a severe struggle, brought him to the ship. Happily he was not dead: the captain had succeeded in getting him on board safe and sound.
Does not this story remind you of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us? The Bible says He became the "Captain of our Salvation." He saw us in the greatest danger. We were not sinking to the bottom of an icy river, but into the lake of fire which burns forever. Such was our deep need when the Lord Jesus not only looked down from heaven in pity upon us, but He came down and "gave His life a ransom for many."
If the drowning boy had said to the kind captain, "I do not feel any danger, I do not want to be saved," I am sure you would say that was very foolish and wicked, and that he deserved to be let alone to perish. Yet I am afraid some of you are, this moment, just like that drowning boy, and perhaps worse, but you do not feel your danger. You are saying in your hearts,
"I do not feel I am lost. I do not see any danger. Someday I will begin to think seriously about the condition of my soul, but not now, not now." Yes, I fear that is what you are saying in your hearts.
O, how it grieves the Lord Jesus to hear you say so. Think how much you owe Him, my dear young readers. What was it He gave for sinners?
He gave Himself. Yes, the Maker of all things, the Preserver of all things, gave Himself a ransom for many, and for many little ones too. As one of the hymns in your book says,
"Jesus when He left the sky,
And for sinners came to die,
In His mercy passed not by,
Little ones like me.
'Twas for them His life He gave,
To redeem them from the grave,
Jesus died, from hell to save
Little ones like me."
Certainly it was very kind of the brave captain to put his life in danger to rescue the drowning boy. But Jesus really did die to save sinners, and rose again. He gave His life a ransom for many.
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4.:10. Another portion of Scripture says, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," 1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15).
I am sure you will agree with me that the dear boy ever loved the captain afterwards. You can tell me why?
It was because the. captain saved him.
Just so, and that is why believers love the Lord Jesus Christ. He has saved them from death and hell, given them eternal life, and therefore they love Him. As the Apostle John says,
Messages of God’s Love 11/18/1934