God to the Rescue

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)...” Ephesians 2:1-5

We ordinarily think of rescue operations occurring in distressful circumstances - a man trapped in a burning building, a child swept down a torrential stream, miners trapped and aching for breath in deep coal shafts. However, a man at work in an office, a child fishing from the creek bank, or miners routinely extracting coal from black mining veins are not typical rescue scenarios.

It is difficult for many to view man in extreme need of rescue from God. We appear to be self-sufficient and bale to muddle through even precarious situations. But that is not God’s view. From his perspective - the right one - we are in desperate need of rescue. Our wealth, position, or status in our culture cannot deliver us. Our wisdom is barren, our technology useless.

Christianity is a rescue religion. It is the hand of God reaching down and pulling man out of his helpless state of sin. The Scriptures describe the unbeliever as dead in sin, a captive of the devil, and living in spiritual darkness. Such is the helpless state of mankind apart from God. But the God who cares will not leave us in this predicament if we will but take His outstretched arm and be pulled to safety.

“Return, O LORD, rescue my soul; save me because of Your lovingkindness.” Psalm 6:4