"Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 2:38)

In July 1976, Israeli commandos made a daring raid at an airport in Entebbe, Uganda, in which 103 Jewish hostages were freed. In less than 15 minutes, the soldiers had killed all seven of the kidnappers and set the captives free.

As successful as the rescue was, however, three of the hostages were killed during the raid. As the commandos entered the terminal, they shouted in Hebrew, "Get down! Craw!" The Jewish hostages understood and lay down on the floor, while the guerrillas, who did not speak Hebrew, were left standing. Quickly the rescuers shot the upright kidnappers.

But two of the hostages - perhaps to see what was happening - and were also cut down. One young man was lying down and actually stood up when the commandos entered the airport. He, too, was shot with bullets meant for the enemy. Had these three heeded the soldiers' command, they would have been free with the rest of the captives. (From Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching, p. 168)

Salvation is open to all, but we must heed the Lord's command to repent and be baptized. If we do not humbly submit to His will, we will be destroyed by Him.