When Sin Threatens to Drown Us
By Dawn Tolbert
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:2
Swimming terrifies me. Each time I wade into a pool, I’m reminded of when chlorinated water burned my nose and mouth when I ventured too far into the deep end as a child. It wasn’t a near-drowning, but it was scary enough to make me grateful for the man who pulled me to safety. He did something I couldn’t do for myself.
Today’s verse tells us God is strong enough to save us from the depths of sin. In our natural state, darkness threatens to swallow us whole. We might try to fight against the strong undercurrent of sin and disobedience only to realize we’re too weak to free ourselves. Spiritually, we choke on gulp after gulp water instead of breathing sweet air. We feel hopeless and afraid.
In Matthew 19:23-24, Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples asked the Teacher, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus’ answer, recorded in today’s verse, provided the best life preserver—the promise that our salvation isn’t up to us. We don’t have to rely on our strength.
Instead, God does the rescuing. He pulls us from the waters of sin that threaten to drown us. He makes the way. Salvation is possible because God did the work for us through Jesus Christ. We need only to release our grip on whatever we’ve replaced our security in apart from God, the weight that threatens to pull us under. When we forsake them and trust Jesus, He does what is impossible for us. He saves us from sin.
Dawn Tolbert is a contributor to Wholly Loved Ministries Daily Devotional, a Christ-follower who writes to honor God, thank Him for His goodness, and encourage readers by sharing her faith journey. She works in higher education public relations and is writing her first novel and her first book-length Bible study. She has earned a B.A. in Communication Studies and English (Gardner-Webb College), a M.A. in Professional Writing (Kennesaw State University), and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership (Union University). She and her husband, Larry, live in Cedartown, Georgia, and serve actively in their church. Dawn blogs at dawntolbert.com.
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