Imagine this scenario…You’re walking down a quiet residential street when you notice thick smoke billowing out of a house up ahead. As you get closer, you realize with horror that it’s your friend’s place engulfed in flames. The smoke is pouring out of shattered windows and the crackling roar of the inferno is deafening.
In that moment, you have to make a decision. Do you run into the burning house, coughing through the smoke and dodging falling debris, searching desperately for your friend to save them from perishing in the blaze? Or do you keep walking, trying to block out the gut-wrenching reality unfolding, selfishly preserving yourself while potentially allowing your friend to die alone among the flames?
It’s an extreme scenario, but it parallels the choice all of humanity faces. We are all trapped in a burning house of sorts – a world consumed by sin that left alone, leads to spiritual death and separation from God for eternity. The flames of greed, hatred, pride and selfishness rage all around us, clouding our vision and burning away our connection to the divine.
Yet into this scorching reality, God sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ to rescue us. Just as a loving friend would repeatedly rush into a burning home to save their beloved from the flames, Jesus came into this sin-blackened world to deliver anyone who calls out to him from the eternal fire. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
No matter how far the smoke of sin has stung our eyes and seared our lungs, Jesus rushes into the inferno to find us. His sacrifice on the cross opened the way for us to be lifted out of the consuming flames and into the fresh air of brilliant new life. All we need to do is cry out for him to save us.
The choice is ours – stay trapped in the burning house of this decaying world, or allow the brave Rescuer to pull us into his endless peace and restoration. After all, wouldn’t you do the same for a friend trapped in a burning house? God’s love for us is immeasurably greater.
Comments