A parable is told about man who fell into the water. It was obvious that the poor fellow couldn’t swim, as he thrashed about wildly. A man on the banks, a strong swimmer, watched until the wild struggles subsided. Then he dove in and pulled the man to safety. When the rescue was over, the rescuer explained his slowness to act. “If I had jumped in immediately, he would have been strong enough to drown us both. Only by waiting until he was too exhausted to try to save himself, could I save him.”

It seems to be all too easy for us to be like that drowning man. Our self-efforts can actually prevent us from being saved! Unfortunately, some people must reach the point of being too exhausted to continue trying to save themselves (by dealing with their own sin) before they become willing to trust in the Savior and accept his gift of salvation.