“Death Has No Sting for Me”
The storm was raging furiously and the two shipwrecked sailors in their little lifeboat were struggling to reach shore. One was a Christian, the other still unconverted.
After being tossed about for some time in their small craft by the mountainous billows, their boat upset and they were thrown into the raging seas. They were not far from shore and friendly hands had fired a rocket line out to them. The Christian seized the line and making his way to his unsaved mate who knew not the love of God in the gift of the Lord Jesus, passed the line to him and shouted, “Take this and try to save your life, for you are not prepared to die. Jesus has saved me, and death has no sting for me. Take this rope, get on shore, and trust in Jesus so that you will not be afraid to die.”
They parted, and the drowning child of God was heard to sing,
Jesus, Lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer——"
As he uttered the word “waters", a great wave passed over him and he was seen no more.
This truly is “life in death” beautiful beyond expression-the quiet calm in the midst of the storm, the self-surrender of a soul that had all its joy and treasure in Christ at God’s right hand. Here was the secret of it all:
He knew Jesus as his Saviour.
“Jesus has saved me,” he said, “and death has no sting for me.”
My reader, can you say this? “The sting of death is sin.” 1 Cor. 15:5656The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:56). One unpardoned sin will sink a soul to eternal perdition, but that blessed One who was made sin for us is God’s remedy, God’s ransom for the sinner, the One over whom rolled all the billows and waves of His wrath, when on the cross He became the Substitute for sinners who will believe.
This blessed truth, “He bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)), was the comfort, the stay and the joy of the drowning sailor’s soul. He could thus give up his own life, assured that for him to die was gain, and knowing that to depart and be with Christ was far better. (Phil. 1:2323For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (Philippians 1:23).)
ML-05/27/1979