In any month of the year cold winds can blow along the rocky, barren coasts of Alaska, churning up the sea into towering waves. By October, winter has already set in with its deadly chill and fierce storms. It was in the month of October in 1918 that the ship, The Princess Sophia, left Skagway, Alaska, with close to 300 people on board for the warmer port of Seattle, Washington.
At 10:00 p.m. the ship pulled away from the lights of Skagway. Captain Locke, a captain of many years, stood at the helm. In order to reach the open sea, The Princess Sophia would have to pass through the Lynn Canal. The weather was usually poor in this area, and as the ship entered the region it ran into a blinding snowstorm. The captain, feeling sure of his decision, ordered the ship to sail at a normal speed. He did not know that this decision would result in one of the largest maritime disasters of the northwest Pacific coast.
If you have not come to the Lord Jesus to have your sins forgiven, your life is like The Princess Sophia, sailing into the blinding snowstorm. You are speeding straight ahead, unaware of the dangers in front of you. Because of not wanting to think about dying and life after death, you don’t want to look at what God tells us about what it is to die without your sins forgiven.
How many people have begun the last day of their lives thinking that it was just like any other day. They never supposed that before the day was over they would die and pass into eternity.
God offers forgiveness of sins to anyone who will receive His Son by faith. No one needs to die unforgiven and have to pay the penalty for their sins. Look at the danger ahead for all unforgiven sinners and come at once to the Lord Jesus for salvation. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
The Princess Sophia was a comfortable ship and most of the passengers were sound asleep in their berths. At 3:00 a.m. they were suddenly awakened by a tremendous jolt! At full speed, the ship had struck an underwater part of the Vanderbilt Reef. Its steel hull was jammed between two submerged rocks.
The captain sent some of his crew to investigate the damage done to the ship. Fortunately, the double-plated hull had not been pierced and there were no leaks. However, the ship was not able to pull itself off the rocks.
Sensing their danger, several passengers put on life jackets. Captain Locke sent out a call for help over the wireless telegraph, requesting all ships in the region to come help. By morning several rescue ships had reached the area where the passenger ship was grounded on the rocks.
One of the ships, named The Cedar, was commanded by Captain Leadbetter. Standing on the pitching deck of his small ship, he shouted through a megaphone to the ship in distress, “Do you want to transfer passengers from your ship to my ship?”
Captain Locke studied the heavy seas which he could see would make the transfer difficult. He didn’t think his ship was in any immediate danger, so he called back, “No, we will wait for more favorable weather.”
The favorable weather did not come. The winds became stronger, driving the waves into The Princess Sophia. All hope of transferring any passengers disappeared as the storm grew worse. They did not know that there would not be another opportunity of escape.
Are you delaying your decision to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour until a more favorable time? Let me ask, “Can you guarantee such a time will come?” If you are truthful, you will have to say, “No.” You cannot be certain that you will be here a year from now, or even six months from now. You cannot be certain even about tomorrow! Waiting may bring disaster. God plainly tells us, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, 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).
The rescue ships circled the stranded The Princess Sophia for a day and a night. They anxiously watched for a break in the weather so that they might transfer the passengers. By the second day the storm had grown so bad that the rescue ships had to protect themselves from the fierceness of the wind by finding shelter behind various islands. Around 5:00 p.m. they received an urgent message over the telegraph from Captain Locke that pleaded for their immediate help. The rescue ships steamed out to see what they could do, but they could not even find The Princess Sophia in the blinding storm.
The next day at dawn they found the broken mast jutting out of the water where the ship had been grounded. A black film of fuel oil covered the area. Apparently the ship had broken in half from the constant pounding of the waves. The ship and all the people on board were lost. No one escaped.
The Bible asks, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” Hebrews 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3). The answer is simple. There is no escape for those who neglect to come to Christ. Won’t you come to Him to have your sins forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life? “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23).
ML-03/21/1993