Here's a Kind Gospel Reminder: The Pope or Joel Osteen will never ever tell you this very plain and simple Gospel truth. Here is the Gospel in black and white, in the plainest of English. You are a guilty sinner-a wretch undone-misery incarnate, and you must Lay Hold upon JESUS by personal Faith in His Precious Blood. If you are drowning, and there's a Lifeline thrown to you. What do you have to do? Simply lay hold on it. You don't look at your hands to see if they are clean enough to touch the line. Oh no, lay hold with clean or dirty hands. If your hand is weak, or you just have one hand, or just with your teeth, Lay hold as best as you can. Your main business at this moment is to lay hold on the Gospel lifeline. All your sins will be forgiven you for Christ's sake. You will be made accepted in the beloved, and be freely granted Everlasting Life, for Christ's sake.
You've rebelled against God, and you've lived your entire life contrary to God and His words. You have fallen overboard into the Sea of Sin, and there's only one Rope of Hope that can save your Soul from the depths of your sins. You are drifting away on life's pitiless sea; your Soul is sinking down beneath Sin's merciless waves. The surging waves of Sin threaten to ruin and damn you forever. The enemies of God can only obtain Salvation freely through Christ's Precious Blood Atonement.
Trying to save your Soul by your own works: you might as well try to sail to China in a paper boat. It is impossible! The religionist is like a blind horse that walks all day around and around the mill, and at the end, he has not gone one inch farther from where he started. Your conscience needs solid confidence and a firm foundation to REST upon. See Matthew 11:28. Conscience always says to your tainted works, "You have not done enough, never enough, these deeds of yours are not perfection; you ought to have done much better than this. Next!"
A drowning man catches at straws. You are sinking in anguish and despair, at your wit's end. The straws of religion and philosophy will not save your sinking Soul from the dark waves of your SIN. You let out death shrieks, desperate screams, and horrid yellings. The furious depths close upon you round about; your heavy laden Soul is troubled about the world to come. The angry surges of lust roll over your tempest driven Soul. The wages of sin is death. The mighty tempest is raging, the billows are tossing you high, the sky is overshadowed with blackness, angry clouds overshadow me with blackness, the perilous deep of your depravity is threatening your helpless Soul, the floods compass you about even to your heart, and the torrents of your iniquities sweep over your sinking Soul.
But Look, there is Hope! Behold the ready Lifeboat is coming to your rescue; JESUS with tender compassion is casting you His LIFELINE. Lay Hold on Blood Red Lifeline of JESUS CHRIST, and He will rescue your Soul from eternal peril and everlasting doom. You are despairing, almost all hope is gone, you've fallen off the main deck and drifting away in darkness of night on the Sea of Sin, violent swells surround you. All your of kicking and struggling only sinks you deeper. Your iniquities have gone over your head. Everything you try to do to save yourself is sinful in God's sight, and all you try to do will only SINK your Soul deeper into the Sea of SIN; Simply let JESUS deliver your Soul from the wrath to come.
The ROPE OF HOPE is a threefold cord which can never be broken. The Rope of Hope (THE GOSPEL) consists of Three Eternal Things: The Words of God, The Blood of God, and The Spirit of God - These three things make up THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL, and they are Mighty to Save. The Word of God is the Enlightener, The Blood of God is the Redeemer, The Spirit of God is the Regenerator.
First, Believe that you have sinned against God, and provoked the LORD exceedingly with your sins all through the years of your life. Believe the Gospel is true, that God was in Christ on the Cross reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Acknowledge that God sent His Son to be the Propitiation for your sins, the vindication and satisfaction of Divine Justice for you.
Second, Personally apprehend for yourself the Truth of the Gospel: Christ freely justifies the ungodly through Faith in His Precious Blood. Whosoever believeth in HIM hath Everlasting Life. Your Soul will soon be launched out into Eternity. JESUS is worthy of your Trust; Trust HIM now, and He has justified you. Believe in JESUS for yourself, and you are blessed and shall have Rest. Rely upon Christ for yourself, accept God's words as True, for yourself. Stop refusing Christ, and Receive Him into your heart, and it will be well with your Soul.
The LIFELINE of the Gospel is strong enough to support you and save your sinking, drowning Soul. This is the vital point of Saving Faith: Practically, Sincerely, Personally believe God by resting your own eternal destiny upon the Scripture of Truth of the Gospel of the Grace of God. Immediately Lay Hold on the Crimson Rope of Hope: The LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. No one can grab this rope for you. Grab the Rope of Hope for yourself or you will go down forever and the Sea of Sin will swallow you up. You are the very verge of Eternity; Teetering on the brink of damnation and sinking down into the bottomless pit of Perdition. Cry out to HIM with a distress call from your heart to JESUS HIMSELF. "Lord Jesus, think upon me, save my Soul, or I perish, God be merciful to me a sinner, I trust only in your Blood!" The very moment you personally Lay Hold on HIM, He will lay hold on you forever and ever. You cannot help procure your pardon by any doings of your own. Whosoever believeth on the Son of God hath Everlasting Life. The Salvation of God for sinners, just like you, is a Free Gift through Faith in the Person and Blood of JESUS CHRIST.
