By, Linda DeSilva
The boy hugged his model boat tightly. Some months earlier he had made it and sailed it on the large ornamental pool in the local park. Then, one day it broke loose from the string and drifted to the other side. He ran around as fast as he could, but it was gone! He grieved over his lost boat for several months. Then he saw it in a shop window – FOR SALE! He rushed in. ‘That’s my boat!’ he told the shopkeeper. ‘Sorry’, he replied. ‘It’s mine now; but you can buy it.’
The boy rushed home; counted the money in his piggy bank – not enough. Back he went to the shop. ‘I’ll buy my boat back when I save enough’, he said. ‘Will you hold it for me?’ The shopkeeper was sympathetic. ‘Give me all you have and you can have the boat,’ he said.
Gratefully, the boy handed over his money. As he left, he whispered to his boat: ‘I made you and now I’ve bought you. You’re twice mine!” (See 1 Corinthians 6: 20 – ‘Bought with a price.’)
I heard this story in my long-ago Sunday School days. Then, this week it was cited by a preacher on BBN. It illustrates the Bible message of creation, sin, and redemption so clearly that even a child can understand it. Simple – yes.
Nevertheless, the glorious truth of the greatest story ever told. Redemption from sin is offered freely through the sacrifice, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ to all who believe and accept Him as Lord and Saviour.
Young and old, rich and poor, educated and illiterate – we all need the salvation from sin which Jesus alone is able to provide. There is no one good enough to stand on his or her own merits and enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus made that clear to a religious leader of the Jews who came to Him one night.
Nicodemus greeted Jesus with flattering words – which Jesus ignored and emphasized that no one can enter God’s kingdom without being born again. God loves each one in the world so much that He sent Jesus into the world to live, die, be buried, rise again and go to Heaven. If we confess our sins and place our lives under His control, we are saved eternally: REBORN! (Read John Ch. 3: 1 – 21.)
BORN ONCE: DIE FOREVER.
BORN TWICE: LIVE ETERNALLY!
ETCetera 