And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
John 5:37-40
I read about a forest ranger named John Elliott who was stationed in the far northern Rocky Mountains in Alberta. He spent a day in the deep snow of mountain passes looking for signs of avalanches and danger. At the end of the day he reached a cabin for shelter. But in his exhausted and somewhat confused state he laid down instead of changing out of his wet clothing and lighting a fire. Without even realizing that he was in danger at all, he was freezing to death. Thankfully he had a St. Bernard with him who recognized the threat. The dog barked and nudged Elliott until he finally awakened. Later he said, “If that dog hadn’t been with me, I’d be dead today. When you’re freezing to death you actually feel warm all over, and don’t wake up because it feels too good.”
All around us there are people who are on the brink of eternal separation from God who have no idea of the danger they face. They may be not just comfortable but enjoying the pleasures of this life. Even though we know such comfort is only temporary, the fact that judgment has not yet come makes it easy for people to think that it never will. People who are self-confident in their standing with God apart from Jesus Christ simply miss the grave peril they are in. The offer of salvation is still open to them, but they will not respond to it unless someone awakens them from their slumber and offers them the hope of true salvation before it is too late.
