Duly Certified

 

H

igh school graduations are a special time, especially for those students who have labored long and hard to earn their diplomas.  The event is also very special for family and friends who have supported and encouraged their sons and daughters to do their best, make good grades, and lay the foundations for the lives they will lead after high school. 

 

Several years ago, I had the privilege and the honor of attending a high school graduation.  I had received invitations several weeks earlier and the day finally arrived.   The festivities took place on the campus of Texas Christian University.  Inside the stadium, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends jockeyed for the best seats while on the floor of the arena, last minute preparations and final adjustments were being made. 

 

Finally, the band started playing the familiar strains of Pomp and Circumstance and everyone stood as the Class of 2005 entered.   While the graduates took their seats, those participating in the ceremonies took their places on the platform.  When the last senior found his seat, the band stopped playing, the crowd grew silent, and the program began. 

 

As with other graduations, there were speeches by various classmates, musical performances by both the band and students, and words of encouragement from faculty and administration.  Just before the awarding of the diplomas, however, the president of the local school board came to the podium to certify the diplomas.  In a very brief speech, he stated that based upon the word of the principal that the graduates before him had completed all necessary requirements; he accepted them and certified them to receive their diplomas. 

 

This part of the ceremony impressed me the most.  The school board president placed total faith and confidence in the graduates based on the word of the school’s principal.  Because of her integrity and based solely on her word, the graduates and their work were certified. 

 

What a picture this is of what Jesus did for us on Calvary’s cross.  The Apostle John reminds us of this in his first letter.  In 1 John 2:1-2 we read, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”   

 

What a wonderful promise this is.  Jesus is our advocate with God.  He stands for us and if we belong to him, he certifies that we are the children of God.  Our salvation is not based on anything we do; it is based solely on the blood of Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death on Calvary’s cross.  We can never work enough, attend enough church services, bake enough cookies for the church bazaar, serve on enough committees, or distribute enough literature to secure our salvation.  Neither our words, nor our honor, nor our integrity are good enough to guarantee our salvation.  Only by faith in Jesus Christ and by accepting God’s forgiveness can we ever hope to have salvation. 

 

Are you duly certified today? Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal savior?  Do you know the joy and the peace that come from being certified as a believer in Christ?