Foes Or Friends
During a war between France and England, a French whaling vessel embarked on a long trip. As they were returning from their journey, the sailors on board found that they were short of water. They soon realized that the only port to which they could go before perishing of thirst was an English port, in great distress, the sailors feared entering this port, certain that it would mean that they would be taken prisoner and their vessel confiscated. As they sailed in sight of land they raised a signal of distress. From the shore came the answer that they need not fear to come into port, for peace had been declared. The French sailors would not believe it, thinking it only a ruse. However, with death staring them in the face they had nothing to lose: so finally they decided to make port and risk the chains and loss of the ship rather than all perish in the sea. When they came ashore they found the report was true. Peace had been declared and their lives were saved.
The world is full of people who are out on the sea of life facing eternal death because they have no “water of life” aboard their vessel. They try by every means to substitute for it or to manufacture it through education, culture, wealth, pleasure, or a hundred other ways instead of heading their ship toward the harbor of God. They say, God is my enemy. He will destroy me. God is a tyrant.” But over the water we send the message: “Peace has been declared. Come on into the harbor where there is food and water to spare.” But men will not believe it. They turn in fear from the God of heaven back to their old ships of life. But as the years go by and they see the eventide of their lives slowly creeping in upon them and the blackness of the eternal night and eternal death gathering around them, some finally risk themselves to the mercy of God and find it true that peace has actually been made between God and man through Jesus Christ.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only be gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
This wonderful gift from God is not something new, 6,000 years ago Christ offered His life to pay the penalty for Adam’s transgression and the penalty for every sin that would ever be committed in the whole history of the world. Peace was declared between God and every man over the crucified body of Jesus Christ.
Many people have the mistaken opinion that the merits of the death of Christ were available to mankind only after Calvary. But the Bible says that Christ was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8. Salvation by grace through faith in the death of Jesus Christ was made available at once to Adam when he sinned. Otherwise it would have been impossible for him to be saved. The wages of sin is death, and every individual who commits just one sin is doomed to eternal death unless he is saved by grace through Christ.
