Down to the Wire

 

Last night’s contest between Dallas and Philadelphia was a nail-biter.  With an interception and 46 yard return, the Cowboys were able to come from behind and win with just 2 minutes and 43 seconds remaining in the game.  This game, as with so many pro, college, high school and community sports events, came down to the wire. 

 

Another event also came down to the wire.  2^nd Corinthians 11:32 and 33 shows how Paul almost lost a ‘battle’.   In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.   But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.  Can you imagine the change in history if this one ‘simple’ event had not happened?.  What if Paul had been arrested at that point and had not had an opportunity to evangelize as he did?  Oh sure, Paul was arrested later, but that event of Paul’s escape occurred early on in his ministry – days after he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus. (Read Acts 9, verses 17 through 25).  If he had been stopped from traveling and preaching at that point in his life, the whole world could have been something completely different than it is now.  The millions of Christians of today, might not be.  YOU, might not be a Christian, either.  But, by the skin of his teeth, Paul escaped possible death, and in so doing, gave the world the Word of God.  This whole Christian ideal came down to the wire that one night.

 

However, Paul won that ‘contest’, so we now are able to share in his knowledge, and the knowledge of others who authored the New Testament.  But also, however, it is important to understand that our contest with the world can also come down to the wire.  Dallas was fortunate that Roy Williams intercepted that pass.  Paul was fortunate that friends enabled him to escape in the nick of time.  We, however, could be less fortunate if when our lives end, we lose our contest with Satan.  By constantly throwing bad passes in the form of making bad decisions, we endanger our point-lead over the devil.  We fumble a lot, but every time we need to recover that fumble.  And thanks to Jesus, He runs the block for us….but when we continue to do wrong, and suddenly our lives end, it could be a real nail-biter for us as well. 

 

Don’t let your life end with a close call, a fumble or an interception by Satan.  Like football players, wear the proper uniform, get (or stay) in shape, and don’t let the end of your life come down to the wire-----you might not like how the score reads at the final buzzer.

 

Mac