"Rescued"
“… no flesh can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the holy Messiah, Who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, That he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. Wherefore, he is the first fruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; And they that believe in him, shall be saved. And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; …”
— 2 Nephi 1:73-78
On a warm summer afternoon quite some years ago, I headed out on my bike for what I had intended to be a long ride. Thirty miles or more if I remember correctly. I recall that I was headed toward Oak Grove which is 15 plus miles from our home. But on highway H just south of Levasy my ride came to an abrupt end. I was headed into a stiff wind and had tucked myself into my aero bars to try and gain some advantage over its buffeting. It won. In the blink of an eye, I had somehow managed to go off the side of the road and before I could react my bike hit a rut and stopped suddenly which propelled me over the handlebars. My bike followed and slammed into the ground as hard as I had.
I laid in a heap and had searing pain in my left shoulder. My bike was badly broken and could not be ridden. Initially I just sat there for about 15 minutes trying to collect myself, assess my situation and think through “now what?” It seemed that even simple movements exacerbated the pain. I did not have a cell phone with me. How was I going to get home? I needed to be rescued from my dilemma. But how?
Feeling helpless I did the only thing I could think of doing. I prayed. On my knees I simply asked God to either give me the strength to walk the ten miles home or please send help. I then struggled to my feet and somehow managed to pick up my bike, hoisting it upon my good shoulder and started walking. I had not walked five steps when I heard a vehicle coming toward me from behind and it was slowing down. I looked over and a man and a woman in a pickup truck had stopped next to me. He rolled down the window and asked if I needed help. I, of course, said yes.
God answered my prayer and had sent a rescuer. He took my bike and put it in the bed of their truck and in a few more minutes, I was home. As we traveled home, I learned that they attended the Oak Grove restoration branch. Their route that day was already going to take them right by our home. I had a very particular need that day and God sent exactly what I needed.
When Adam fell, mankind crashed at the side of the road. Sin had entered in, and mankind was broken and no longer able to covey themselves home. Because of God’s justice a “terrible gulf” separates us, and it is too great for us to cross. (see 1 Nephi 3:127)
Separated from God, rescue is needed. But what kind of rescue? The world will teach that all we need more than anything else is just to be at peace with ourselves. So, what we need is therapy. We just need to learn how to deal with the world and be at peace. There are those that would argue that all we need is social justice. We need the scales to be balanced and somehow that will make everything right. Others will argue that we really just need to be educated. What we need is more information and certification because after all, that is the key to answering all our problems. And even others will teach that if we just force equality at all levels then all will be good that ails us. In other words, the world will teach us that all that troubles mankind is well within our own means to fix.
When we try to fix ourselves, it diminishes the work of God on our behalf. When we determine that man’s greatest need is something other than the rescue that we find in the person and work of Jesus it even changes how we look at God. He becomes distant, unattached and unneeded. But our dilemma is well beyond our means. We cannot rescue ourselves. Amulek says it well, “there can be nothing, which is short of an infinite atonement, which will suffice for the sins of the world.” (Alma 16:213)
The couple that picked me up had started their journey well before I needed them, and our omniscient God set in motion a plan for mankind’s rescue even before the transgression in the garden. Our rescue comes “through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world, for all mankind, which ever were, ever since the fall of Adam, or who are or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world.” (Mosiah 2:11) Jesus is our rescuer and He says of Himself, “Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son.” (Ether 1:77)
I could have turned down the offer for help that day many years ago and tried to make it home under my own strength. What would have become of my efforts? Would I have succeeded? Not likely. The distance was too great and I too broken. I am grateful that God heard my plea for help and I’m grateful that He sent that day, exactly what I needed perhaps even preparing what was necessary in advance of my need.
God knew that without rescue we would forever be estranged from Him, the gulf between us and Him too great. Try as we might to find our way home, we would be incapable of doing so because we are too broken and battered by sin. So, He offers all rescue through His Son who intercedes on our behalf. Say yes to the rescue He offers because “they that believe in him, shall be saved. And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; …” (2 Nephi 1:76-77)