putting our trust in what Jesus did for us on the cross. If we try to add works to it, we are suggesting that His sacrifice was insufficient. I am going to talk about some works, and how they play a role in helping us stay close to Jesus, or “in the raft,” but I don't want there to be any confusion. The things that we do after we have a relationship with Jesus are all about keeping us close to him. The works that I will talk about help us to maintain our relationship with Jesus. Sometimes people make poor choices, believe the devil’s lies, and end up walking away from their faith. If they actually trusted in Christ then nothing can permanently separate them again. The works that we will discuss in the next couple chapters are all about helping us stay close to Jesus and resting in his protection and plan, not about earning salvation or “staying saved”. “Keep paddling,” the advice from our friend Eric, resonated with us for the rest of that day and even now. That is how you stay in the raft on the river, and that is how you keep your faith on the river of life. The blade of the paddle has two sides, and for the sake of this analogy pretend with me that one side of the blade says “The Bible” and the other side says “The Church.” These two things will represent the paddle. Just like the paddle is the key to successfully navigating the rapids of the river, these two elements will be equally important to us as we navigate the rapids of life. Without the paddle, it’s only a matter of time before a rapid big enough to toss you out of the raft will come. Likewise, regardless of where you are in your walk with Christ, if you stop going to church and reading the Bible it’s only a matter of time until something comes up that pushes you far away from Jesus. Thus, I want to take the next two chapters and show you what I mean, and encourage you to keep paddling.
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