SAVED!

Our venerable local mouthpiece of news dissemination, Dallas Morning News, reported on a little heroine the other day. For her quick thinking and life-saving tactics, she—proudly donning a Rangers jersey and her Brownie vest—got to throw the first pitch before a Rangers vs. Royals game at the Rangers Ballpark in the Metroplex. She also won the Girl Scout Lifesaving Award Medal of Honor for her alacrity and coolness in a time of crisis. She had saved a life!

A few months ago, Katherine, 8, was playing with her brother, Andrew, 5, when he began to choke on something he was chewing. The lassie yelled to her parents, but before they could get to the scene, this sharp witted one grabbed her brother and—believe it or not!—did the Heimlich maneuver on him. Apparently the enterprising young lady had seen it performed on TV. Anyhow, “I pulled as hard as I could,” she explained. Hard enough to make her “patient” cough it up. Ironically, the “it” was … Lifesavers. “Not a good name,” Katherine agreed. At least not for Andrew.

Of course, the 5-year-old’s response to all this was less than thankful. “She made me throw up,” were his complaining first words after the momentous event.

I wondered about Andrew’s reaction to his rescuer. While it is typical of a little brother, it also depicts the reaction of the world to the Savior given to us by God.

I am in need of help—I’m choking.
All mankind is lost in sin.

And you were dead
in your trespasses and sins.
Ephesians 2:1

My rescuer feels concern for me, at my dangerous plight.
God’s love for us moved Him to act.

For God so loved the world,
that He sent His only begotten Son ….
John 3:16

My deliverer is capable of meeting my need—i.e., knows how to perform the Heimlich.
God alone is capable of saving mankind from the plight of sin.

And there is salvation
in no one else;
for there is no other name under heaven
… by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12

I couldn’t help myself; I couldn’t do the maneuver on myself; self-help was impossible.
God had to help us, if we were to be saved from the consequences of sin.

For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God
is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

My rescuer saves me: the Heimlich maneuver is performed successfully.
God took action to save.

But God, being rich in mercy,
because of His great love
with which He loved us,
even when we were dead
in our transgressions,
made us alive together with Christ
(by grace you have been saved).
Ephesians 2:4–5

The work was performed gratis: my rescuer asked for nothing from me in payment, not that I could make a repayment for the life saved.
God gave us what we did not deserve, what we could not repay, for which we could not work.

He saved us,
not on the basis of deeds
which we have done in righteousness,
but according to His mercy.
Titus 3:5

Mercy and grace!

For the grace of God
has appeared,
bringing salvation to all men.
Titus 2:11

To all who believe in Christ and His payment for our sins on the cross.

For God so loved the world,
that He sent His only begotten Son
that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

We’re proud of Katherine. But, even more, we exult in our salvation in Christ—our LIFESAVER!