When all hope of our being saved is gradually abandoned (Acts 27:1-26)

 When all hope of our being saved is gradually abandoned

 

 

  

[Acts 27:1-26]

 

 

Chuck Colson, who was a counselor to President Nixon, wrote a book called "Born Again," focusing on his prison experience.  He observed three types of prisoners: the first type, those without hope, who would bang their heads against the wall and harm themselves; the second type, also without hope, who would sit huddled in their cells, motionless; and the third type, prisoners who, while waiting for their release, would go out to the yard and exercise whenever there was an opportunity.  Even though they were confined physically, they behaved as if they were free, anticipating the day they would leave.  Living with hope brings freedom, and those who embrace hope overflow with it.  Positive and proactive individuals seek light even in the midst of darkness, while pessimists see darkness even in the presence of light.  Looking at Jeremiah 29:11, God speaks about His thoughts towards us: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

 

However, in today's passage from Acts 27:20, we see people who have lost all hope of salvation.  This passage recounts a moment during Paul's journey to Rome as a prisoner, where the ship encounters a severe storm, and the passengers lose hope.  Out of the 276 people on board, aside from Paul, the remaining 275 had given up on life, realizing there was no hope for salvation.  At that time, while everyone else had abandoned hope and resigned themselves to death, Paul not only had hope for salvation but was also confident in it.  He believed that God would save the lives of everyone on board, not just his own (vv. 22-26).  When considering such contrasting reactions, we can pose two questions:

 

The first question is, ‘Why did the remaining 275 people on the ship, apart from the Apostle Paul, think there was no hope of salvation and give up on life?’

The reason the 275 people on the ship, apart from the Apostle Paul, lost hope of salvation and gave up on life is that they focused on the situation rather than looking to the true Savior, Jesus Christ.  In other words, they lost hope of salvation and gave up on life because they looked at the severe storm (v. 20) rather than fixing their gaze on the Almighty Creator, the Lord.  Just like Apostle Peter, who, while walking on water, looked at the situation instead of keeping his eyes on Jesus.  He was fine when he looked at Jesus but started sinking when he became afraid upon seeing the wind (Mt. 14:29-31).  Why did Paul and the others encounter such a severe storm?  The reason is that Julius, the centurion in charge of escorting Paul and other prisoners to Rome (v. 1), ignored Paul's advice (disregarded it) and followed the captain and owner of the ship, who insisted on proceeding with the voyage (vv. 11, 21).  Despite Paul's warning that it would be perilous to sail to Phoenix, a harbor in Crete, as they approached Miletus (v. 9), Julius did not heed Paul's counsel and chose to believe the captain and owner of the ship over Paul (v. 11).  Logically, Julius' decision seems correct.  From his perspective, would he listen to Paul or to the captain and shipowner?  Who is the expert, Paul or the captain and shipowner?  In this situation, it would have been better if Julius had listened to Paul's advice instead of the captain and shipowner.  Even Apostle Peter, when Jesus told him to put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch (Lk. 5:4), although the professional fishermen had toiled all night without catching anything, they caught a great number of fish when they obeyed Jesus' words (v. 5).  Ultimately, when Julius, along with many others, believed they made a wise decision as the gentle south wind started blowing, facilitating smooth sailing towards their destination (v. 13).  The reason was that the mild south wind was a favorable wind for sailing, making it possible to reach the destination smoothly (Yoo).  However, as they could not make much progress, the south wind turned into the feared and deadly northeaster (Euraquilo) (v. 14, Yoo).  As a result, the ship was at the mercy of the storm, being dragged here and there (v. 15).  Despite their efforts, following Paul's advice would have led them safely to their destination, the severe storm became so overpowering (v. 20).  Even though they threw the cargo overboard (v. 18) and later even the ship's tackle (v. 19), since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned (v. 20).  In the face of such a great storm, human efforts were futile.  People must have felt their own helplessness in the face of the powerful storm.  Despite all their exertion, they eventually gave up and resigned themselves.  At this point, when facing the overwhelming storm, even if they perceived the situation as hopeless, had they known and looked to Jesus, the Creator who could calm the storm, they would not have given up on life, no matter how bleak the circumstances seemed.

 

I'm reminded of the hymn “With Christ as My Pilot”, verses 2 and 3: (V. 2) Though tempests may threaten the craft and the crew, And wide gape the jaws of the deep for me, too, With Christ at the oar I am safe in His will, And Jesus my Savior is my Pilot still.  (V. 3) If Jesus but speak, in His voice of great pow'r,  The billows must sleep and be still from that hour, And I, at the brightness of dawning, shall be, With Jesus, my Pilot, safe over the sea.  (Chorus) I nothing can fear!  I nothing can dread!  For Jesus keeps watch here, and by Him I'm led.  My seas may be rough, but when voy'-ges are past, My haven of hope will be heaven at last.  Living in a world similar to this dark sea, we often face challenging situations and difficulties that seem like never-ending storms in our lives.  When confronted with such storms, if we focus only on the turbulence and fail to look to the Creator God, who can calm the storm, we may find ourselves helpless and resign to despair.  This week, I heard the news of the tragic suicide of the entertainer Mr. Ahn due to pressures of 4 billion won in debt.  While contemplating how difficult it must have been for him to take his own life, it is saddening to think that in the midst of such a great storm, he might have lost hope and not looked to the Lord while facing challenges.  Why do people go so far as to take their own lives?  It is because they lack hope.  Without even a thread of hope to hold on to, people give up on life.  Humans cannot live without hope.

 

The second question is, 'How did Paul have confidence in the hope of salvation even in a seemingly hopeless situation, unlike others?'

 

His confidence was based on the Word of God.  Look at Acts 27:23-24: "For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar.  And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.'”  Even in the midst of the great storm that seemed to eliminate any hope of salvation due to natural causes, God sent His message to Paul: "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar.  And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you."  This message was a guarantee that Paul would not die until God's will for him to stand before Caesar was fulfilled.  In other words, until God's will was accomplished, Paul would not die.  Therefore, God's message was an assurance that Paul would not die as long as God's will remained unfulfilled.  Hence, when God's will was accomplished, Paul's life was in danger due to the great risk he faced.  Not only did God promise to save Paul, but He also promised to save the remaining 275 people on the ship who sailed with him.  Therefore, Paul not only reassured the other 275 people in desperate situations, saying, "Take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you but only of the ship" (v. 22), but he also confidently declared, "I believe that God will be exactly as I have been told" (v. 25).  In the midst of despair, the voice of God assured Paul and the others of hope. God did not just promise to save Paul from imminent danger in the midst of crisis and despair but also promised to save the remaining 275 people who sailed with him.  Therefore, in the face of imminent danger, Paul not only received the assurance of his safety from God but also believed that God would save the others.

 

How contrasting is this with Jonah?  Disobedient Jonah endangered everyone on the ship with him, while obedient Paul, used as an instrument of the Lord, rescued 275 people in danger due to the disobedience of Commander Julius and the ship's officers.  I'm reminded of the third verse of the hymn "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less": His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood; When all around my soul gives way He then is all my hope and stay.  (Chorus) On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.  Even if everything we could ever trust in this world is shattered on that day, believers who dwell in hope through faith in the promises given by God are us.  True faith is like Abraham's, hoping against hope.  It is having hope even in situations where there seems to be no hope.  How is this possible?  How can we hope when there seems to be no hope in desperate situations?  It's because of the promises given by God.  The promise of His Word enables us to have hope even in the midst of despair.  True faith allows us to hope against hope.  The question then is, how can we hope when there seems to be no hope?  The answer lies in the promises of God's Word.  The promise of His Word assures us of hope even in desperate situations.  Our faithful Lord will fulfill the promises He has given us, regardless of the circumstances.  The promise, ‘I will build my church,’ given by our Lord, is being accomplished and will certainly be fulfilled.  Therefore, when we look at our church, even if it seems hopeless, even in times of despair, we must hope in faith in the promises of our Lord.  Our Lord is our joy, life, and hope.  Hence, we must hope in faith in the promises of God.

 

In Hosea 2:15, there is a promise from God to the Israelites and also to you and me.  The word is, "I will give her the valley of Achor as a door of hope."  The term "Achor" means "trouble," and God promises to turn the valley of trouble into a door of hope . It is a promise that He will transform the place of suffering and death caused by sin into the starting point of true hope.  We are living in a world like the valley of trouble, filled with worries, anxieties, and pains.  What is our true hope?  What enables each of us to live each day?  Our true hope is none other than Jesus.  Only in Jesus can we find our true hope.  By believing in Jesus, we can receive salvation.  And those who receive salvation, even though they live in a world with much suffering, are moving toward the door of hope for eternal heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even in situations where hope seems absent, in the midst of despair, desiring to look to the Lord,

 

 

 

 

 

James Kim

(Trusting in the promise of God's salvation)