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A diver plunges deep into the ocean, chasing a glimmering object. The pressure mounts. Oxygen fades. Panic sets in. Just as the diver blacks out, a hand breaks through the water—pulling him upward. He awakens on the surface, gasping, surrounded by light and air.
This is not a story of self-rescue. It’s a story of divine intervention.
What was the glimmering object? Why was the diver risking so much to get it? In life, we often chase after things we do not need—things that distract us from pursuing what is good, or even harmful things. We’re drawn to illusions of clarity, success, or fulfillment, diving deeper into confusion while believing we’re getting closer to what we need.
We think we’re pursuing something valuable, but often we’re simply descending into pressure and panic. The deeper we go, the more disoriented we become. And yet, we rarely stop. We seldom ask whether the object we’re chasing is worth the cost.
But what we need most is freely available from God. It doesn’t require risky behavior or heroic effort. It requires connecting with God’s life, love, and truth. God rescues people from the depths of their trouble because they cannot find safety. He doesn’t wait for us to reach the surface because it would be too late. He meets us in the depths.
In Secure in Christ, I explore how assurance begins not with our grasp of God, but with His grip on us. The diver didn’t choose the rescue. He didn’t signal for help. He was unconscious—incapable of saving himself. And yet, he was saved. When God saves us by His strength, He also keeps us saved the same way. The rescue is not dependent on our awareness, our effort, or our ability to hold on. It’s rooted in His initiative and sustained by His power.
God’s Rescue Is Not Transactional
We often imagine salvation as a mutual agreement—our decision, our prayer, our moment of clarity. But Scripture paints a more radical picture:
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:8 NLT
God doesn’t wait for permission. He intervenes at the brink. His rescue precedes our awareness. His love reaches into our darkness before we even understand we’re lost. And once awakened, we know the truth of it—we’ve been pulled from death to life.
This is the wonder of grace: that God acts first. He rescues not the strong, but the helpless. He doesn’t negotiate terms—He resurrects people from the dead. And once He gives life, He doesn’t revoke it. His rescue is not a temporary fix—it’s a permanent transformation.
God’s Rescue Is Robust
The diver awakens to light and air. He doesn’t need to be convinced that he was drowning. He knows. And he knows he’s been saved.
That’s the essence of assurance:
- Not a feeling we conjure, but a reality we awaken to.
- Not a fragile hope, but a firm foundation.
- Not a transaction, but a transformation.
Assurance isn’t about maintaining a spiritual performance. It’s about recognizing the permanence of God’s work. It’s about breathing freely in the light of His grace, knowing that the rescue was real—and that it holds.
Connecting the Story to Your Journey
If you’ve ever felt like you’re sinking—chasing something that promised relief but delivered confusion—my book Secure in Christ is your invitation to stop striving and start breathing: to recognize that the hand of God has already reached into your chaos and pulled you into His light.
People cannot rescue themselves. As a believer, you don’t have to prove your worth. You don’t need to reach for rescue—you need only awaken to it.
Learn more about safety and God’s rescue.
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