While We Were Yet Enemies
The Scripture: Romans 5:7-11 (KJV)
"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."
The Story: The Guard of the High Ridge
Elias was the Lead Ranger of a dangerous mountain pass. He spent his days keeping the trails safe and his nights warning travelers about the "Black Sector"—a part of the forest so dry that the grass felt like paper. He had signs posted everywhere: NO CAMPFIRES. EXTREME DANGER.
One afternoon, a group of young hikers arrived. They were loud and arrogant. When Elias warned them to stay on the main trail and follow the safety rules, they laughed. One of them stepped forward, grabbed Elias’s map right out of his hand, and tore it into pieces. He threw the scraps at Elias’s feet and sneered, "We don’t need an old man telling us how to have fun." They turned their backs on him and headed straight into the heart of the Black Sector.
