Snatched From the Fire

And have mercy on some, who are doubting;
save others, snatching them out of the fire.
Jude 22-23

We just recently re-watched the movie Toy Story 3.  There is a particular scene where the toys are taking to the garbage dump and are on their way to the incinerator.  You can see it here.  This scene is extraordinarily biblical in so many ways.  First, Rex the dinosaur mistakenly thought the fire approaching was light.  Secondly, there was no way that the toys could earn their way out of their predicament.  They were doomed to the fire.  In fact the word for hell in the NT is “Gehenna”, which literally is a fiery trash heap.  As you fixate on this scene, something happens that is extraordinary.  A claw comes down and literally snatches them from the fire (it was those squeaky toys!).  What they could not do on their own was done for them. 

What a picture of Jesus who snatches us from the fires of hell.  He redeems our life from the pit (Psalm 40:2) and puts our feet on solid ground.  We need to remember that hell is a literal place and our sins have destined us to that place.  It is by God’s grace that we are snatched from the fire.  Jude tells us we need to provide others that opportunity by telling them of God’s saving grace.