Illustrations of Salvation: Rescue

Metaphor: Rescue- Jesus promises to rescue and keep us safe forever (Deut. 31:6; Heb. 13:5)


Positive: Saved-

• Jesus came to save the world: "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:17)
• Saves us from our sins: (Ephesians 2:1-9)
• Saves us from God's just wrath: "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!" (Romans 5:9)
• Saves us from death: "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Heb. 2:14-15)
• Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
• Jesus gives eternal life: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:28)

Negative: Perishing-

(Shows man's inability to bridge gap)

• God does not want anyone to perish: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
• Eternal Death: "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:14-15) (also-Matt. 25:41,46; Matt 7:13;)

• Gehenna (Garbage Dump): "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." (Luke 12:5) (also-Matt. 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43-47;)

Illustrations:

• Jesus speaks of the wicked perishing in "Gehenna."
• Gehenna is another word for hell, but it was also the garbage dump of the city of Jerusalem, where garbage was continually burning.
• Our sin had broken us and made us useless to God.
• We were ready for the garbage dump.
• Jesus came to rescue us from the never-ending trash pile.
• Jesus' cross stands as a bridge that leads us to eternal safety.

(Info taken from: http://www.rose-publishing.com/index.cfm)