Without Strength | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jul 24, 1879

"Without Strength."

An exceedingly interesting incident took place in a certain seaport not long ago. A number of people were congregated on one of the wharves to witness something or to enjoy the breeze from the water; and during the time one of the number accidently fell over the wharf into the water beneath. Of course in a moment the people were in a great excitement, some crying for help, and others seeming fixed to the spot while they with horror beheld the struggles of the drowning man, but no one dared to jump in to rescue him.

Amongst the number stood a strong, able-bodied sailor, who they knew could swim. He, too, seemed as if he were nailed to the wharf, while he calmly watched the struggles of the man in the water.

The crowd said, Why does he not jump in and save the man? The sailor still stood with folded arms calmly watching the vain struggles of the poor man in the water, but no movement on his part to save him. As the people saw the drowning man, and the seeming indifference of the sailor, their indignity knew no bounds, and they said, Wretch! why does he not jump in and save the man? Still the sailor stood erect, and with folded arms, gazed upon the water, and the object before him struggling for life. The man had sunk once and risen to the surface, and had gone down the second time and risen again, and as he was about to give up and throw up his arms to sink to rise no more, to the utter astonishment of all present, the sailor plunged into the water under the sinking man, bore him to the surface and brought him to shore.

Now the people, who were so enraged at the sailor’s apparent indifference could understand the wisdom of his entire course. He waited until the man had no strength even to struggle, and then plunged in and saved him.

Now, this affords a striking illustration of God's way in saving a sinner. God's way is to wait, not with indifference surely, until the sinner finds out that he has no strength to save or help to save himself. All the while he supposes he can do ought to save himself he is "without strength." God will wait until he comes to this, and with some it is a long, dreary experience. Their early religious training and preconceived ideas,—all, all against them. So for weeks and months, yea, often for years, they are left to their strugglings, and strivings, and doings, until they in heart bow down to the stated fact, that they are "without strength."

It is one thing to own one's self a sinner, and quite another to confess that one is without strength to save himself. But such is the ruin of man, and such his impotency, that though he struggles and strives, works and weeps, he can no more save himself from hell than the drowning man could from the watery grave that was inevitable, but for the strong arm of the brave and wise sailor. It is this that the word of God states so distinctly, and clearly, and constantly.

In Luke 19: 10, we read, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Hence the sinner is seen to be so lost that but for a Saviour outside of himself altogether there is no hope for him. The Son of man is that Saviour; for he came to seek and to save that which was lost. Mark: not to help him to save himself, but to seek and to save the lost.

Again, in Rom. 5: 6, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." In God's due time Christ died for the ungodly, when the awful fact had been fully demonstrated, that man was not only a sinner, but "lost" and "without strength" to save or help to save himself.

"Without strength" is the divine statement as to man. This leaves the ground clear for Christ to come in and be a perfect and entire Saviour. And as the sailor saved the man when he had given up, so does God, through Christ, and his precious atoning death, save every one that comes to this conclusion, that he is not only a sinner and ungodly, but also without strength. Such one will readily appreciate the strong arm and saving grace of the Saviour of sinners, and allow him, in every sense of the word, to be the Saviour, and give him all the glory for saving him. "By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."—Glad Tidings.