The Bridge of Salvation

When it was completed in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge became the longest suspension bridge in the world, with a main span of 4,200 feet. Since then several other bridges have surpassed that distance—and new projects are being planned which will push the limits of engineering even further.

While we briefly look at some of the special features of the Golden Gate Bridge, I would like to take the opportunity to tell you about another bridge—the Bridge of Salvation.

A Dangerous Divide: The San Francisco Bay is extremely large, and the Golden Gate strait is home to dense fog, frequent winds, and fierce currents. Each of these things made construction of the Golden Gate Bridge more difficult and dangerous. The Bridge of Salvation also crosses a dangerous divide, and was only accomplished through great suffering and death. Sin has caused a “barrier” between God and man—“Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you” (Isaiah 59:2). The divide between sinful man and Holy God is so wide that no person has ever been able to cross it in their own wisdom or power. However, in order to “bridge” that gap, God, in His great love, designed and constructed a tremendous bridge at a cost beyond computation.

Funding The Project: The Golden Gate Bridge was funded during the Great Depression by home-owners and business people who were willing to lay all that they had on the line to see the project move forward. The price paid for the building of the Bridge of Salvation was the life of the eternal Son of God, infinite in value, and willingly laid down in death at Calvary and taken up in the power of resurrection. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Paying the Toll: The Golden Gate Bridge was the first major bridge in the world to implement a one-way toll. Payment must be made to travel in one direction, but going the other way is free of charge. The passage across the Bridge of Salvation also has a one-way toll: Jesus paid the toll when He came to earth and offered Himself for us (2 Corinthians 8:9); now everyone who comes to Christ in repentance and faith pays nothing for their entrance into Heaven. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

An Enduring Monument: Though it isn’t the longest bridge in the world anymore, the Golden Gate Bridge still stands as a remarkable feat of engineering and a beautiful example of architecture. It has withstood the test of time, too. Even the fiercest of storms have not been able to topple the bridge—though it has been closed several times for safety’s sake during high winds. Even better, the Bridge of Salvation, built on the solid pillars of the finished work of Christ and God’s unchangeable Word, cannot be moved. The traveler to Heaven is as secure as the living Christ Himself in the glory, held by the omnipotent cables of His love and power
(1 Peter 1:5). The Golden Gate Bridge requires continuous maintenance and touch-ups to ensure its safety and durability. However, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our sins is a finished work—“Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 10:10-17).

Crossing Over: Won’t you, dear reader, as a traveler to eternity, place yourself in faith upon this Bridge of Salvation now? Claim the free passage offered to you in the Saviour’s words, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).