Rescue the Perishing: Throw Out the Life Line of Hope
As Christians, one of the evidences that we are true believers in the saving power of Jesus is to minister words and deeds of hope to those who find themselves in distress or hopeless situations. More than 40 years ago, someone literally acted on the lyrics of the hymn quoted above, and his deeds of love rescued my soul from sin, giving me hope for living.
As I write this piece, I recall that at the age of six—after my parents divorced—I became a victim of the intense hostility that followed their broken union; My early teenage years I had to live here and there, as if I was an orphan. I recall the pain of working on different cocoa plantations even as a 13-year-old farmhand in order to make a living.
There were frequent days of hunger, lack of clothes, and many years walking barefoot to school without a school uniform, unlike my fellow students. I am reminded of a terrible accident resulting in a compound fracture of my foot, which forced me to drop out of school so I could resort to herbs for treatment. Going through all those life experiences (and many more as a teenager), I thought it was not only my parents who abandoned me, but God as well.
I was like a lamb that fell into a pit. I had no hope of ever getting out of life’s pit of hopelessness. But I would discover later that God had not abandoned me, and neither will He forsake me.
While I was recuperating from that near-death accident, the rescuing hand of the Lord (through a gentleman from the Church of Christ) reached out to me and hoisted me out of the quagmire of my suffering and sin. Space would not permit me to narrate the details, but suffice it say that though I was a complete stranger, that Christian gentleman and his wife wouldn’t stop inviting me to their home for food after he discovered my predicament.
They drove me in their car to the hospital for medical treatment, and opened not just their home but their hearts to me—a wretched-looking young man. Immediately from that point, I would join them to attend church services day or night. Later on, I obeyed the Gospel and was baptized into Christ. That marked the turning point of my restoration to living a life of hope and purpose.
Today, through God’s unfathomable grace and faith in the life-transforming power God’s Word, I serve as the founding president of a budding Christian college in Ghana (having served previously for 22 years as a minister).
I am privileged to train scores of young men as ministers of the Gospel across the continent of Africa. I also assist many other young men and women with opportunities to study in a Christ-centered college where they can acquire entrepreneurial skills (in addition to accredited diplomas to make a living).
Forgive me if you find such personal information unwelcoming. I share it mainly because it is a real-life testimony of God’s faithfulness; His Word and promises are sure to all who surrender their lives to Christ. Though God may sometimes appear absent when we are neck-deep in despair and suffering, He is not unaware nor unconcerned. He is with us.
God often works behind the scenes, orchestrating it all for the ultimate good of those who do not give up on Him. What we need most in circumstances of adversity is hope in God. The Scriptures say in Hebrews 6:18-19:
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls…
From the beginning to the very end of the Bible, God’s Word assures all humanity that hope is found in hopeless situations when we trust in His Word and promises.
In Romans 5:1-11, the inspired apostle Paul emphasizes that we experience enduring hope when we are in a relationship with Jesus Christ:
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
In summary, Paul’s point in the above passage is that in the midst of disappointment, hardship, adversity, and suffering, we can experience a lasting peace, grace, and hope once we’ve placed our faith in Christ.
From the story Jesus tells in Luke 15:11-30, we observe that in life, some people become victims as a result of their own bad choices. And from the other story (that Jesus narrates in Luke 10 regarding the man who fell a victim to thieves on the Jericho road), we learn further that in life there are also situations when people become victim—not as a consequence of their own wrong choices—as a result of the evil machinations of other individuals.
In both cases, the overarching lesson Jesus teaches His followers is that regardless of who or what the cause of someone’s suffering, people who suffer adversities or hopelessness need Christians to minister to them. This gesture portrays the Christ-like attribute of care-giving and hope.
There are many different ways by which you can give the hope of Christ to others. For example, you can invite them to join you in a small-group Bible study (or church service in case they are not Christians).
Depending on their need, you can minister the hope of Christ to others by doing simple—yet important—acts of care and love such as praying with them or for them in their critical moments of apprehension. You can visit the sick and offer to cook or clean for them—including sending them flowers, words of encouragement via phone call, email/text message, etc.
And, if you’re capable, you can give the hope of Christ to others by providing them advocacy, shelter, education, healthcare, vocational, or career skills if their life circumstances so demands any of such deeds of love and care.
Right now, as many individuals in our communities, workplaces, congregations wrestle with the devastating effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, the time to share the hope of Christ couldn’t be more urgent than now. Jesus is merciful and ready to save, but can He count on you to lift up the fallen or care for the dying?