Message in a Bottle

Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's judgment. For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God – all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God. (Romans 5:1-11 NLV).

It took about a year for Marissa Risman, age 9, to send a letter from Massachusetts to France. But don't blame the post office: the letter went 3,000 miles by sea! The year before Marissa and her third-grade classmates wrote letters that were put in bottles and thrown into the Atlantic Ocean. Marissa's bottle washed up on the French coast in February. A couple found it and gave it to the local school children. They wrote to Marissa, asking her to write back: "We are very excited to know you better." Says Marissa: "I forgot I even sent the letter!" God sent you such a message many centuries ago. The difference is that He hasn’t forgotten that it was sent. You’ve heard the saying “It's the thought that counts.” The Cross Company has turned that into their slogan: "It's Still the Thought That Counts. It's Just That Some Count More Than Others." In eternity past God thought of us. Indeed, He prepared for the temptation and fall of man. His only Son was marked out to be the Lamb of God. His sacrifice makes it possible for us to enjoy life instead of suffering death.

Many people have difficulty with the concept of grace. After hearing the gospel explained, people often say, "you mean there's nothing I can do to deserve it? That's too easy." It seems
natural for people to object to the idea that God's unmerited favor can be given so freely to unworthy sinners. Many find it difficult to trust a God who offers salvation as a free gift. Bible teacher G. Campbell Morgan told of a coal miner who came to him and said, "I would give anything to believe that God would forgive my sins, but I cannot believe that He will forgive them if I just ask Him. It is too cheap." Morgan said, "My dear friend, have you been working today?" "Yes, I was down in the mine." "How did you get out of the pit? Did you pay?" "Of course not. I just got into to cage and was pulled to the top." "Were you not afraid to entrust yourself to that cage? Was it not too cheap?" Morgan asked. "Oh no," said the miner, "it was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money to sink the shaft." Suddenly the truth struck him. What had not cost him anything, salvation, had not come cheap to God. This miner had never thought of the great price that God paid to send His Son so He could rescue fallen humanity. Now he realized that all anyone had to do was to "get into the cage" by faith. That’s the message sent to you centuries ago. It is not “love in a bottle,” but love on a Cross! Read His message and believe it today!