|
|
Conscience
Who can rightfully say they aren’t guilty of breaking these commandments? That is what the Bible means when it says that “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God”. Can you see your predicament? You are guilty of sinning against God Himself and because you have a conscience (con=with and science=knowledge), you have sinned “with knowledge”. Isn’t it true that every time you lied, stole or lusted, etc. you “knew” it was wrong?
Isn’t it kind of scary, to know you have sinned against God, isn't it? It’s supposed to be. You’ve actually made Him angry. The Bible says that God’s wrath is on you and that by what you have done you are an enemy of God. Perhaps you think that because God is good He will overlook your sin. But if you knew of a human judge who overlooked the crimes of a guilty rapist, would he be a “good” judge? No, of course not; he would be a “corrupt” judge.
God could never be a corrupt judge. He will eternally punish all of the rapists, murders, and thieves. But He won’t stop there. He will eternally punish all of the liars, idolaters, adulterers, blasphemers, and the lustful. The place of this eternal punishment is Hell. 
God doesn’t want you to die. He has provided a pardon as a gift and all you have to do is accept it. You can’t earn it and you don’t deserve it but God is offering it to you as proof of His love.
Imagine this. Small Town, USA. It was kind of big news in this town because the judge had to face his own son in his own court. His son (who was 15 and had no job) apparently had stolen a car and several other serious offenses. He was guilty; there was no question about it. How it happened I don’t know but he had to be sentenced in front of his own dad.
Of course, that whole little town turned out to see what was going to go on in the court room. They were all kind of shocked because when the kid came in front of his dad to be sentenced, there was no mercy at all. He fined him the maximum penalty of the law. $100,000. It was that or prison. He fined him all this money and the people were shocked. They knew that the boy couldn’t pay the fine; how could his father allow him to go to prison?
Then before they could even catch their breath, the judge got up out of his seat, and walked over to the coat rack, took off his political robe and put it on the rack. He came over and stood beside his boy and put his arm around his son. Then he said, “Son as your judge I had to sentence you, but as your father, I will pay the penalty for you.”
As our judge, to be righteous, God has to deal with sin, but as our loving, heavenly Father, He sent His Son to die in our place. As judge, He had to sentence us, but as our Father He paid the penalty for us through His own Son. It is absolutely amazing how simple it is!
We broke the Law and Jesus paid our fine. The Bible says that even though we were sinners Christ died for us. Jesus knew what we were and what we did, but He paid the price anyway. |
|