From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Christians believe God’s every word. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Who doesn’t want to be saved? Some years ago, a man’s plane crashed into the ocean. He survived the crash, but had blood on his forehead that attracted the sharks; he spent 10 hours kicking at the sharks to survive. Finally, he spotted an aircraft and waved his orange life vest. The pilot saw him, dropped a smoke canister, and radioed a Coast Guard cutter that was 12 minutes away, saying: “Hurry! There’s a man down there surrounded by sharks.” The Coast Guard swooped in and rescued him. The man did not need a new swimming technique in order to be saved; he needed outside intervention.

We all need outside intervention if we’re going to live eternally with God in Heaven someday. This is why God sent His Son on a rescue mission.

It isn’t narrow-minded to claim that there is only one way of salvation or that the Christian message leads to the right way. Do we fault a pilot for being narrow-minded when he or she follows the instrument panel while landing in a rainstorm? No, we want the pilot to remain narrowly focused! Millions of people today want salvation and the hope of Heaven, but on their own terms. Christians do not proclaim salvation in any other but Jesus Christ; “for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The Christian hope is that everyone will come to know Jesus as their Savior. The greatest act a Christian can perform is to tell others about Him.

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

Accept God’s offer to be saved and go to Heaven. Pray now.