What is Left

In the fall of 1992, Michael Plant, a popular American yachtsman, set sail from the United States for a solo trans-Atlantic crossing to France. His vessel was a state-of-the-art sailboat called the Coyote. The Coyote was second to none in its equipment; its hull was made of the finest materials, and its sophisticated electronics included an emergency guidance and tracking system that was linked directly to a satellite. Michael Plant had everything he needed—the expertise, experience, and the equipment—for a successful voyage to France. But eleven days into the voyage, radio contact with the Coyote was lost. Initially the radio silence raised little alarm. Michael was known to be independent, and most people suspected that rough seas were consuming his time. Once the storms passed and the seas became calm again, everyone believed that Michael would radio in that all was well. But after a few more days passed with no word from him, a search party was launched. It was true that Michael had encountered rough seas and a severe storm, but when the Coyote was built, an eight-thousand-pound weight was bolted to its keel, making it almost impossible to capsize. Yet when the boat was finally found, it was floating upside down and there was no trace of its captain. Nobody knows how or why, but the eight-thousand-pound weight somehow broke loose, rendering the boat unstable, and one large wave was all it took. What a tragic irony. Millions of dollars in state-of-the-art equipment with the finest and most experienced sailor at the helm was all for nothing because of a simple problem that occurred below the surface—something all the satellites in the world couldn’t fix. In a similar way, a person’s faith can look legitimate on the outside—above the waterline —but if that very same faith is not bolted to the person and work of Jesus Christ, he will have no chance of completing the journey. Why? Because as the one and only God-man, Jesus alone is capable of taking the penalty for our sins and anchoring us to the Father through faith. Jesus Himself made this clear:

Atlantic crossing to France. His vessel was a state-of-the-art sailboat called the Coyote. The Coyote was second

to none in its equipment; its hull was made of the finest materials, and its sophisticated electronics included an

emergency guidance and tracking system that was linked directly to a satellite. Michael Plant had everything he

needed—the expertise, experience, and the equipment—for a successful voyage to France. But eleven days into

the voyage, radio contact with the Coyote was lost. Initially the radio silence raised little alarm. Michael was

known to be independent, and most people suspected that rough seas were consuming his time. Once the storms

passed and the seas became calm again, everyone believed that Michael would radio in that all was well. But

after a few more days passed with no word from him, a search party was launched. It was true that Michael had

encountered rough seas and a severe storm, but when the Coyote was built, an eight-thousand-pound weight was

bolted to its keel, making it almost impossible to capsize. Yet when the boat was finally found, it was floating

upside down and there was no trace of its captain. Nobody knows how or why, but the eight-thousand-pound

weight somehow broke loose, rendering the boat unstable, and one large wave was all it took. What a tragic

irony. Millions of dollars in state-of-the-art equipment with the finest and most experienced sailor at the helm

was all for nothing because of a simple problem that occurred below the surface—something all the satellites in

the world couldn’t fix. In a similar way, a person’s faith can look legitimate on the outside—above the waterline

—but if that very same faith is not bolted to the person and work of Jesus Christ, he will have no chance of

completing the journey. Why? Because as the one and only God-man, Jesus alone is capable of taking the

penalty for our sins and anchoring us to the Father through faith. Jesus Himself made this clear: