A man rowing on the river fell in and was in danger of drowning. As he struggled m the water, bystanders on a bridge shouted to him to try harder and not drown. One man ran for a coil of rope and threw the whole coil into the water by the man.
It is hard to say which was the more futile: the advice given by the many, or the help offered by the one. Both were inadequate In connection with a far more serious emergency, we hear of similar things being done. Sinners, exposed to the judgment that their sins deserve, are offered all manner of advice— advice as useless to those who are dying in their sins as the counsel given by the people on the bridge.
The drowning man was entirely helpless to keep himself above the water, and though sinners are urged to try and to struggle and to do their best, the truth is that they are not in a position to save themselves. What they need is not advice as to what they should do for their own salvation, but a Savior willing and able to deliver them from their danger.
The gospel message speaks of such a Savior, One Who has accomplished the necessary work of atonement—covering and removing sin from God’s sight—and left nothing to be done by the sinner Instead of vainly saying, "Don't be lost," and ''Keep on trying," those who are lost need to hear of the Savior: who waits to hear their cry for rescue.
What about the rope? It was useless because the well-Meaning man who threw it did not retain hold of the end of it. If the drowning man had clutched it, it could not have drawn him to safety.
Equally futile are the schemes proposed to the betterment of man's condition, whether social or religious. They have no link with the place of safety—or, rather, with the Person in whom safety can alone be found—the Lord Jesus Christ. To be linked with Him, faith is necessary. To believe in Him, to exercise true confidence in His love and power and the merits of His atoning blood, means salvation.