The Lifeline of Christ: God’s Will, Man’s Choice, and Satan’s Opportunities

The Word declares in Luke 19:10 that the Son of Man, Christ Jesus, came to seek and save that which was lost. Every man and woman is born swimming in a pool of death. There is no other lifeline by which we may be saved except Christ. The world may try to prop up other ways—false paths, false hopes—but the truth remains: there is only one way, and His name is Jesus. If you have made Him Lord, He bears witness within you of this truth and of His love.

In this article, I want to share three points revealed in John 5: God’s Will, Man’s Choice, and Satan’s Opportunities.

1. God’s Will

John 5 opens with this picture:

“Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, He asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’” (John 5:2–6)

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, He could have gone anywhere. Yet He was led by the Spirit to the place where desperate people were exercising faith. That is God’s will—to reveal Himself where there is hunger, to meet us in our brokenness, and to lift us up when we cannot lift ourselves.

God has always delighted in revealing Himself to those who seek Him. Through the prophet Jeremiah He declared: “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13). He sees the longing heart. He hears the cry of the desperate. He comes to the place where people are looking up.

Sometimes God allows us to hit rock bottom so that we finally look up—to Him. Before the foundation of the world, He knew man would be lost, separated by sin in the garden, in need of a Savior. So He sent His only Son. Jesus left the comforts of heaven to pay the ultimate price, stirring the waters of both the natural and spiritual realms. Through Him, those who look up find not only eternal life but also real life.

As John 3:16 declares: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God threw mankind a lifeline.

2. Man’s Choice

But here is the reality: God will not force us to take hold of His lifeline. Every person must choose. Life, at its core, is a battle of worship—who or what will receive our devotion.

Jesus asked the lame man a simple question: “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). His reply revealed both his frustration and his longing. Yet when Jesus spoke, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” the man chose to respond. Immediately, he was healed.

God gives us the power of choice. Joshua declared, “Choose this day whom you will serve” (Josh. 24:15). Even the demonized man of the Gadarenes ran to Jesus and bowed before Him—choosing freedom over bondage.

Religion focuses on rules. Relationship focuses on surrender. Religion says, “Follow the steps and maybe God will notice you.” Relationship says, “Choose Him, and He will walk with you.” When we choose Christ, we find that He has already chosen us.

As Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” When we choose Him, everything else we need flows from that choice.

3. Satan’s Opportunities

While God offers us life and we are given the power to choose, Satan looks for opportunities to exploit our weakness. Ephesians 6 reminds us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against rulers and powers of darkness.

After the man was healed, John records:

“Afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, ‘Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.’” (John 5:14)

Here Jesus gives us insight into the enemy’s strategy. Sin opens the door. Sin leaves the windows of the soul unlocked, giving Satan legal access to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). That is why Scripture warns us not to give the devil a foothold (Eph. 4:27).

The enemy’s tactics are often subtle, but his fruit is consistent. He entices, harasses, enslaves, deceives, and attacks. He looks for entry points—unforgiveness, addiction, generational bondage, poor stewardship, or willful sin. Each of these becomes an unlocked window for the thief.

But the good news is this: God has given us a lifeline. When we humble ourselves, repent, and turn back to Him, those windows are shut and locked by the blood of Jesus. Repentance is both a turning of the heart and a declaration with our mouth. It is renouncing the enemy’s claim and grabbing hold of Christ’s lifeline by way of the Cross.

Conclusion

We are all born swimming in a pool of death. But God, in His mercy, has thrown us a lifeline—Jesus Christ. The choice is ours. Will we ignore Him, or will we take hold and live?

Like the man at Bethesda, we hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Do you want to get well?” May our answer be yes—choosing His will, closing the doors to the enemy, and walking forward in the life that only He can give.