Mr. Dean had just pulled up at a railroad crossing on a country highway and was waiting for a long freight train to pass. Suddenly he heard a loud noise! He quickly looked in the direction of the noise and saw that the railroad cars were falling off the track and sliding down into the ditch! The train was still moving, and the huge freight cars that were tumbling off the track were being dragged toward his truck. Mr. Dean suddenly was very scared!
Have you ever been scared? Really scared? The dictionary gives the meaning of scared as “struck with sudden fear.” If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you should be struck with fear when you read what the Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27): “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”! This is God’s warning to us that there will be punishment for our sins after we leave this world! Do you know how much longer you will live?
Mr. Dean wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be alive either. What he did know was that there wasn’t much time, maybe just seconds, until one of those tumbling freight cars could hit his truck and possibly crush him to death. And he was very scared! He said later, “For a second there I thought there was no way out.” But he made a fast decision he hoped would save his life and his truck.
Because the Lord Jesus loves you and me and wants us to live with Him in heaven, He has made a “way out” of the judgment for our sins by His death on the cross. Hebrews 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28) says, “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.” He purposely went to that cross as a substitute and bore the punishment for the sins of anyone who would receive Him as their Saviour. If you see your need as a sinner, will you accept the “way out” He has made for you? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)).
Mr. Dean quickly threw the gear shift into reverse and stepped hard on the gas, backing away from the danger as fast as possible. When the derailing train cars hit the ditch, rocks, weeds, water and mud flew across the road. When the train stopped moving, one of the derailed train cars had skidded to a stop only a few feet from where he had been waiting in his truck for the train to pass!
How wise Mr. Dean was when he saw the approaching danger; he didn’t wait one extra second to get out of the way! What if he had waited? What if he had said, “Not now; I’ll just sit here and see what happens”? Most of us would tell him, “Don’t be a fool, Mr. Dean! Get away NOW!” And that is what you need to do - accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour NOW and know you are on your way to heaven - and away from the judgment for your sins. “NOW is the accepted time . . . NOW is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)).
Mr. Dean was not injured nor were any of the workers on the train, even though six freight cars ended up falling off the tracks and being dragged. We hope all the workers were thankful for that. If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you have been saved from that coming judgment and know you are on your way to heaven. Have you thanked Him for bearing that judgment as your substitute? You can bow your head right now and thank Him.
Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul;
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole;
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation, so rich and free.
ML-04/04/2004