The Merchant Vessel Alta in October 2018 was on a voyage from Greece to Haiti. The ship’s engines failed in the Atlantic Ocean, leaving the crew stranded. The US Coast Guard rescued the crew 1,400 miles south-east of Bermuda. The MV Alta was abandoned and left adrift at sea.
The MV Alta was next sighted by HMS Protector in September 2019, near Bermuda. After this sighting, she continued to drift. On February 16, 2020, 16 months since it was abandoned, the vessel finally ran aground on the Irish Coast during a storm.
Christians, like sea vessels, can go adrift and eventual ship wreck. Scripture says, “… we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord..” [Hebrews 2:1-3]
In the oceans there are powerful currents which tug at every ship. These ocean currents can cause a ship to slowly and often unnoticedly drift away from the harbor if the vessel is not securely moored. As a ship slowly drifts, the safety of harbor is still visible in the distance. But with continued drifting, the harbor disappears.
In the same way spiritual drifting is slow and unrealized. Drifting away from our faith, from our commitment to the Lord, His church, and godly behavior, is a slow process. The safety of the Christian harbor still appears in sight. But as we continue to drift, soon the safety and security of our Christian harbor, disappears. Now we are spiritually adrift, spiritually lost, and heading for the rocks of lost faith.
For every believer who loses their faith from a direct onslaught from the devil, multitudes of believers slowly drift away from God’s truth, regular worship, a life of faith, and a godly life style. Therefore be diligent to give closer attention to being securely moored to the harbor of your Christian faith, so you do not drift away and shipwreck thus neglecting your great salvation. — Tom