Bridging the Gap

One aspect of history that always captures my interest is the story of the Titanic. If there was ever an enduring picture of a disastrous end, it is the story of the Titanic. The Titanic had a great start. It was the greatest ship ever built and had all the latest security features. It was said of the Titanic that "God could not sink her!"  The whole world knew about this man-made wonder, and still do today, and yet she sailed for only 5 days. However, the Titanic was doomed as it left for New York. This is because normal shipping practices were disregarded and this eventually led to tragedy. All the warnings and words of wisdom were ignored.  Captain Edward John Smith, remembered for his stoicism and fortitude in the face of adversity, sadly is remembered more for his failure to reach the destination of New York"

One of the fads of 1970s America was the motorcycle jump. This trend reached its high (and low) point on September 8, 1974. Thousands of spectators gathered around the Snake River Canyon in Idaho to see if Evel Knievel could jump across the chasm in a specially designed “sky cycle.” In the end, however, it was unsuccessful. Knievel made it only part of the way across the gulf before his parachute deployed and he dropped to the canyon floor below. Some spectators asked, “How far across the canyon did he get?” But that wasn’t the point. He didn’t make it all the way across, so he fell short of his goal.

The sinking of the Titanic and Evil Knievel's failure to reach the other side of the canyon are good illustrations of sin. The Bible talks about sin and declares, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” God leaves no doubt about our condition. While we set our standards of right and wrong by society's values, God’s standard is His own holiness. How do we measure up? It is only fair that God demands holiness; that is how He first created mankind. We have rebelled against Him as a race and as individuals.

No one is capable of bridging the gap between God and ourselves by our own efforts, but the Saviour came to do just that on our behalf. Christ perfectly fulfilled God’s standards, then gave His life on the cross to pay for our failure and wrongdoing. Where we could only fall short, Christ’s work, offered in love, accomplished all that was needed. Our response should be to trust Him and receive this matchless gift of salvation.  The cross of Christ bridges the gap we could never cross on our own.

This is the challenge that each of us face. No matter what we’ve been through, no matter where we come from, unlike the Titanic and Evil Knievel, we can finish well. For the sake of God’s plan and purpose for your life. It is never too late. You can always pick up from where you are and take up the challenge and finish well.  For each of us there is a race that we need to run. It is a particular race just for us as individuals. It is not the same as anyone else’s race. And it is a race that you and I were meant to win!

Written by a Guest Blogger