Love in Action

"He never marshaled an army, nor drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun; and yet no leader ever had more volunteers who have, under his orders, made more rebels stack arms and surrender without a shot fired."Once each week the wheels of commerce cease their turning, and multitudes wend their way to worshipping assemblies to pay homage and respect to him.

"He stands on the highest pinnacle of heavenly glory proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adored by saints and feared by devils as the risen, personal Christ, our Lord and Savior. He was and is the incomparable Christ.

More than a hundred years ago, a young man by the name of Edward W. Spencer was standing on the shore of one of the Great Lakes when he saw a crowded passenger steamer, the Lady Elgin, floundering. Far out in the breakers, he saw a woman clinging to a piece of wood. Throwing off his jacket, he plunged into the turbulent waves, swam to the struggling woman, and rescued her. Sixteen times during that day, Spencer swam out through the rough waters and rescued seventeen people before he collapsed on the beach exhausted.

His enemies could not
destroy him and the grave
could not hold him.

At the time, Spencer was in training to become a minister. Prior to this, as a university student, he had been a member of a volunteer student lifesaving crew, so was well prepared for this emergency. Apparently, however, he overextended himself rescuing those seventeen people and never fully recovered from the exertion. He was unable to enter his chosen profession and lived a quiet life in poor health and died at age eighty-one. In a notice of his death, one newspaper reported that not one of the seventeen people he rescued on that fateful day ever returned to thank him.

How sad it was that nobody returned to say thank you to Edward Spencer for his act of love, for as the Bible says, "There is no greater love than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."1

And how much sadder it is when we fail to thank Jesus Christ for dying on the cross to pay the ransom price for our sins, and fail to ask for his forgiveness, and receive his free pardon with the gift of eternal life.

Don't let this day pass without thanking Jesus Christ for dying on the cross for your sins, inviting him into your heart and life, and receiving his gift of eternal life. To assist you to do this click on the God's Invitation link below.

As God's Word says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved."2 And again, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."3

1. John 15:13.
2. Acts 16:31 (NIV).
3. Romans 10:9 (NIV). 

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