A surgeon who was teaching in a prestigious medical university had heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital where he teaches. Another surgeon operated this sick surgeon and he recovered. Though the sick surgeon had skills and knowledge, he did not have strength and stamina to ‘heal’ himself. He needed external help from another person.
All humans are sinners, who are spiritually sick. They are like as David descrbies: one caught in a ‘pit of destruction’ – miry clay. (Psalms 40:2) A person fallen in a miry clay would plunge deeper and faster, if s/he puts effort to come out. Only strong external force, which is stronger than that of pull power of miry clay could deliver.
There are many ‘self-help’ books to teach and videos to train in doing many things: cooking, painting, knitting, carpentry, interior decoration, mechanical work, language, computer skills, exercise…etc. Is there a self-help book for salvation? Even if there are, they could be only fake or false hope giving material.
Humans cannot receive salvation by their self-efforts, as there is no strength, efforts will not give desired results, only hope is God. Paul writes: “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) Yet, either by ignorance or choice, many try futile endeavours and feeble attempts to receive salvation. Penance to boy, Pilgrimages, abstentions, alms, feeding cow, crows, birds, meditations, mysticism, reciting mantras, offering sacrifices…etc.
Lord Jesus Christ is the Only Way for Salvation who declared: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6) Instead of trying to create our own way for salvation, we have chosen the ordained Way of God. Lord Jesus Christ came into this world, to die for humanity for wages of sin is death, as atonement for sin on the cross of Calvary, buried and rose again. (Romans 6:23) He offers Eternal Life, Forgiveness of sins, and eternal inheritance in Heaven. His extended hand of help will lift us from pit of destruction and rest us in the place of abundance. (Psalms 66:12)
Have I grasped the extended hand of Lord Jesus Christ?