Picture it…You are sunning on the deck of a massive ship in the middle of the Caribbean, heading to one of those islands that serve up sunshine and beaches. You are loving life – soaking up the rays, listening to the tunes, and enjoying a poolside snack. Life is good.
Then, out of the corner of your eye, a commotion erupts by the rail. Curious, you wander over to take a peek at what’s going on. As you try to squeeze through the onlookers to get a visual, you notice the water is full of people.
Those on the deck are pointing, commenting, and volleying advice back and forth: “Float on your back—that will help!” “Stop thrashing, just breathe!” Some offer tips on swimming technique, while others puff themselves up, comparing their own strokes to the sloppy form of those struggling in the water.
But nobody moves.
Nobody throws life jackets.
Nobody lowers a boat.
Nobody jumps in.
They just stand there—observing, judging, and shouting.
I have to ask myself: when I see people struggling spiritually, how often do I do the same? How often do I point out flaws, give glib advice, or continue on my day as if nothing has happened—without sharing the gospel?
The gospel is good news. We have a Savior powerful enough to rescue us from eternal death and give us eternal life. If I’m standing safely on the deck, knowing that there is a way to rescue someone, yet do nothing, I need a heart transplant. I hate to admit it, but I do it every day. Too often I live as if their situation isn’t urgent.
It’s easier to compare myself to them in their visible signs of struggle and feel slightly superior. It’s safer to critique their flailing than to climb over the rail and risk being mistreated or misunderstood. Talking to people about Jesus carries risk—risk of embarrassment, risk of offense, and the risk of being misunderstood or rejected. Fear of failure can keep me silent. And while I wrestle with my discomfort, they are still in the water.
People thrash and struggle. They act in ways I may not understand, and their stories are complex with real wounds. My mission is to care about the ones in the water and tell them about the One who can save them.
Because, the truth is, we all have the same problem.
God is holy; we are not. Every single one of us is a sinner, and sin separates us from God. We are born into it, and we cannot swim our way back. Isaiah 64:6 says, “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” The laws and sacrifices described throughout the Old Testament reveal just how desperate our need is. God’s standard is perfection, and we fall short every time. That is the bad news.
Our best efforts are no match for the length, width and depth of our sin problem.
The gospel literally means “good news.” And without the bad news, we’ll never grasp just how good that good news really is.
Here it is in a nutshell:
God loves each one of us and has a purpose for our lives. Sin disrupted that design. It severed the relationship that we were created to enjoy. We didn’t just drift slightly off course—we became separated, unable to make our way back on our own.
So God intervened at His own expense.
Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He didn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up. We can never become strong enough swimmers on our own. No amount of effort, morality, or comparison will bridge the gap. We need a Savior.
Jesus lived the life we could not live—perfect, without sin. Then He willingly laid down His life as the spotless sacrificial lamb. When the Gospel of John calls Him “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” (John 1:29) it points to the fulfillment of every Old Testament sacrifice. He was the final, sufficient offering.
His death paid the debt for our sin.
And if we ask for forgiveness through Jesus, placing our trust in Him, we are rescued, restored, and brought into right relationship with God Almighty.
But the story doesn’t end at the cross. Jesus did not remain in the grave. Three days after His crucifixion, He rose again, conquering sin and death once and for all. He ascended and now sits at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for us.
Jesus is the lifeboat.
Those who are waterlogged, exhausted, and barely keeping their heads above the surface of the water have an option to climb in. But love does not coerce. God does not force anyone into the boat. The invitation is extended, but each person must respond.
Eternal life is a free gift. Salvation cannot be earned. But like any gift, it must be received.
As a recap… God loves you and has a plan for your life. We have all sinned and that separates us from God. Jesus sacrificed His life so we can be forgiven, but we have to receive the gift of eternal life by asking Jesus to forgive our sins and asking Him to be Lord of our lives.
If we refuse the lifeboat, we cannot experience being rescued from our sin or sin’s consequences. The boat is there. The price has been paid. The hand is extended.
The question is whether or not we will take it.
Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Confession isn’t vague regret. It’s honest agreement with God about our sin and our need for rescue.
Repentance means turning—literally 180 degrees. It’s no longer living for myself. It’s laying down control to be pulled into the lifeboat. We must leave the old waters behind.
When you truly understand what you’ve been saved from, something shifts. Your heart doesn’t want to cling to the very thing that was drowning you.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” That’s not cosmetic change. Being a new creation means resurrection life with new desires, new direction, and a new identity.
Getting into the lifeboat is not the same as grabbing what some call “fire insurance” faith—the idea that you say a quick prayer to avoid consequences and then go on living as if nothing happened. There’s no magic formula in repeating certain words. It’s about heart transformation.
If you have been saved by God’s grace, the truth is that you were drowning and now you have been rescued.
And rescued people don’t just sit comfortably on the deck—they join the mission.
Your desires become reordered in the light of God’s grace.
My mission in life is to point others to Christ because He is the point of life.
Sharing the gospel is simply one person—pulled from the water and placed safely in the lifeboat—calling out to another.
No one can easily dismiss the testimony of someone who has been saved. A changed life speaks. Acts 26:18 describes salvation as being brought “from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.” From death to life.
And people who have truly been rescued care deeply about those still struggling in the water.
Not with condemnation.
Not with superiority.
But with compassion.
Because we remember what it felt like to be in those waters.
We remember the exhaustion.
The fear.
The futility of trying to save ourselves.
So we point—not to ourselves, not to our strength, not to our swimming ability—but to the lifeboat. To Jesus.
Are you in the water or on the boat?
There are only two kinds of people reading this: you are either in the water, or you are in the boat.
Which one are you?
In the Water
If you are in the water, hear this clearly. God loves you. He sees you. He is not standing at a distance with crossed arms. Jesus stepped into our broken world precisely because we could not save ourselves.
He died so that you could have life—real life. In John 10:10, Jesus says “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” As we look around, the work of the enemy is all too apparent. Steal. Rob. Destroy. Those are fighting words.
I’m tired of watching the people I love feel the brunt of the enemy’s schemes. There is nothing passive about what the enemy does. It is strategic, targeted, and relentless.
And that should stir something in us.
I want them to experience life that is full, secure, anchored, and eternal. Freedom comes through surrender. We think we are free while thrashing—while insisting on doing it our own way. But true freedom is found when we stop fighting to keep ourselves afloat. Freedom comes after rescue.
In a relationship with Jesus Christ, we experience peace with God and the promise of eternity with Him. Our hearts swell with love when we recognize the depth of His love and the price He paid to save us from our sin.
If your heart is stirring and you desire forgiveness and a new beginning, you can pray something like this:
God, I ask You to forgive me for my sins. I know I have made a mess of my life, and I want to be changed from the inside out. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and I accept the free gift of salvation. I want Jesus to be Lord of my life. Help me grow in my new faith. Thank You for Your sacrifice and for saving me.
When you ask Jesus to save you, God’s Spirit comes to dwell within you. It is grace that saves you—not your effort, not your promises, not your performance. And choosing to get into the lifeboat will change you forever.
On the Boat
If you are already in the boat, I hope your heart feels a holy weight. Too often we downplay the danger of those who don’t yet know Christ. Fear keeps us quiet. Comfort keeps us seated. We hesitate to risk awkwardness, rejection, or misunderstanding.
But we weren’t rescued so we could just sip our poolside drink while soaking up the sun.
It wasn’t long ago that we were in those same waters—exhausted, surrounded by danger, unable to save ourselves. Our lives are not meant to be spiritual cruises filled with comfort and comparison. They are meant to be marked by gratitude and participation in the rescue mission.
When we truly grasp what Jesus has done for us, thankfulness overflows. We don’t share the gospel out of guilt; we share because love compels us.
The problem comes when we forget our own rescue story.
When we forget the fear.
When we forget the helplessness.
When we forget the moment grace pulled us out.
Never forget what it felt like to be in those waters.
Next Steps: Application
Spiritual Practices
Spend some time in prayer asking God to show you what He wants you to do in response to this.
If you are in the water: Do you want to surrender your life to Christ? If you have spiritual questions, find a Bible-believing church where you can ask your questions. Open your Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand. Here are some key verses about salvation:
- John 3:16
- Ephesians 2:8-9
- Romans 3:23
- Romans 5:8
- Romans 6:23
- Romans 10:9
- Titus 3:5
- John 14:6
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Galatians 2:20
- 1 John 5:11-12
If you are in the boat:
- Do you know how to share your faith?
- Have you written out your testimony?
- Do you know how to explain the path to salvation?
There are a lot of great resources such as the Four Spiritual Laws, The Bridge analogy, and Roman’s Road. Spend some time preparing yourself to be able to “give an answer.”
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” I Peter 3:15
Emotional and Mental Practices
Spend sometime journaling about your testimony and how the gospel impacts your life on a daily basis. What emotions are evoked as you are journaling?
Physical Practices
We can worship with our bodies.
In response to God’s grace, incorporate bodily posture and movement to worship the Lord.
Some ideas could be:
- Worshipping with your hands raised
- Praying prostrate
- Kneeling
Our posture and how we worship with our body communicates to ourselves and to God things like humility, openness, awe, and our heart’s posture.
Relational Practices
Ask God who He’s calling you to share the gospel with. Be intentional in prayer. We are called to be ambassadors for Christ to the people He puts in our path.
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