Thought for the Week: The final step of putting your trust in Christ
A young Scottish sailor unexpectedly sailed into his home port. The stop was to be a very brief one and ordinarily in those circumstances no-one would be allowed to go ashore.
But because it had been a long time since the lad had been home to see his old mother the captain reluctantly gave permission for the young sailor to go and see her for a short time.
In his haste and excitement to go ashore he did not wait until the ship was secured to the quay before he disembarked.
In an attempt to save a few minutes of time he jumped from the ship as it backed into the dock. But his foot caught in the rope of his kit bag and, instead of landing on the quay, he fell into the water and was immediately caught in the propellers. The young man died instantly.
The awful task of informing the lad’s mother of his death fell to the ship's captain and the chaplain. When they arrived at his home his old, frail, widowed mother opened the door. As soon as she saw them she knew that something had happened to her boy. How difficult it was for them to tell her that he had lost his life.
The mother asked: “Tell me in what part of the world did he die?” When they informed her that he had just died earlier that day in his home port, after a few moments of thought she exclaimed: “Almost home but lost!”
The same is true of many people as far as salvation is concerned. They are almost home or almost saved but lost. After King Agrippa had heard the Apostle Paul give his testimony and tell the story of his conversion he declared: "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" (Acts 26:28).
He had been powerfully spoken to that day by Paul’s testimony, he knew he needed to experience God’s salvation, and he so near to putting his trust in Christ as his Saviour. But he went away without receiving Christ into his heart, and there is no record that he ever got saved. He was almost saved but lost.
P P Bliss, in his famous hymn, summed it up well when he said: "Almost, cannot avail; Almost is but to fail; Sad, sad, that bitter wail: Almost – but lost!"
What a clear and solemn warning. If today you are not far from the Kingdom, if you are close to receiving Christ as your Saviour. If that is your condition, then let me encourage you to take the final step of putting your trust in Christ right now. Or it will be said of you too, almost saved - but lost!