The Cake Plate

T

he metal container sitting on the counter told me all I needed to know about the up-coming Thanksgiving meal my mother was preparing.  I had seen the shiny metal object many times during my childhood.  Whenever the plate was sitting out, on the counter or on the table, it meant that mom was going to bake a cake.  It didn’t matter what type of cake it was, pound or German chocolate, the results would be the same, happy faces and full bellies!

On this particular occasion, the components for a Dream Sickle Cake (orange cake with coconut cream icing—three layers of it!) were awaiting assembly.  The metal cake plate sat on the counter, just a few feet from the assembly line where the cake would be made.  Once finished, mom would transfer he cake to the protective plate and place the whole thing in the refrigerator.  The cake had to remain covered and cool so it would not dry out before our Thanksgiving meal.

I took a few moments and looked that cake plate over.  It’s amazing what you notice when you take the time to really inspect something.   The cake plate was constructed of aluminum with a flat base and a domed top.  The top was held securely in place by a series of clips that were opened and closed by a lever in the base.  Once the cake was placed inside and the clips closed, it was safe.  The whole container could be moved without causing damage to the precious cargo inside.   At some point in the past, the cake plate had been hit and damaged.  A large dent near the top pointed to this fact. The interior, however, was intact and remained unaffected by the blow.  A cake was still safe and secure inside the cover.

A few days later as I was removing a piece of the cake from the cake plate, I thought of something I had never really considered before.  Our walk with Jesus directly parallels the relationship between the cake plate and the cake it contains.  As long as the cake remains inside its container, it is safe from exposure, it holds its shape, it does not dry out, and it safely goes wherever the plate is taken.  Any thing striking against the plate does not damage the cake inside.  The protective cover absorbs the blow and protects the cake from being marred or damaged.

This is exactly what the Apostle Paul was describing in Romans 8:1. In this passage Paul writes, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  Please notice the last three words of this verse. Paul wants us to understand that when we are in Christ, we are no longer found guilty of our sins.  The condition for being found not guilty, however, is that we must belong to Christ and be placed in him.  This means we accept his sacrifice on Calvary as the only way to salvation.

The words, “in Christ,” appear 92 times in the NIV version of the Epistles. Paul uses this image over and over again in his writings to underline our position as believers.  When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God places us in Christ.  We are not separate from him but we are placed in him.  His love, his grace, his mercy, his sacrifice, and his peace are all around us.  They protect us and shield us from the dangers of sin.  Christ does not take us out of the world but he protects us while we are in it.

Without Christ, our lives resemble an uncovered cake.  The elements dry us out, we fall apart, we have no sweetness in our lives, and we offer no enjoyment to those around us.  Moreover, we are exposed and vulnerable to all the bumps, and knocks that life throws at us.  At any moment we can be crushed, cut, flattened, or tossed aside.  I don’t know about you, but I have gained a deeper respect and appreciation for that metal cake plate.  Just think how much more precious we are to God and how much more he shields us and protects us because we have accepted the gift of salvation through his son, Jesus Christ.