Sentenced to Life

 

O

n Friday afternoon, rush hour was living up to its name! Everywhere I looked there was bumper-to-bumper traffic and no one was in the mood to be a boy scout!  People were fighting for every inch of asphalt and jealously guarding it as if they owned the last piece of real estate in the free world. What a mess! 

 

As I sat in this swarm of angry engines and choking exhaust, I realized I had only one decision to make. Either I could join with the other drivers, growing more frustrated and angrier by the moment as traffic came to a standstill, or I could sit back, turn on the radio, find some soothing music, and enjoy the ride. As I looked over at a woman who was visibly upset at the man who had just squeezed into traffic in front of her, I chose the second option.  At least there would be one sane person on the highway. Hey, I love being the underdog!

 

I turned on the radio and began looking for music that would bring peace and serenity to my drive home. While searching, I stumbled across the five o’clock news and decided to catch up on the events of the day. The main story centered on a man recently arrested in charge of several heinous murders, as if a murder could be anything other than heinous! This man agreed to a plea bargain, receiving life in prison without parole in exchange for his admission of guilt. At first, a flood of shock, disbelief, and anger poured over me. Here was a man who, by his own admission, had committed several murders and by simply admitting guilt received life! Something about this picture just didn’t seem right. And that’s when God stepped in and gave me something to think about! 

 

John 5:24 conveys one of the most beautiful statements Jesus ever made, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." Look at the last eight words of Jesus’ claim and let them sink in.  Do you hear the gavel falling? Do you see the look of an overly anxious judge? Do you see the hangman tying the last knot in his noose? No, you don’t and if you are a Christian, you will never hear or see those things because you belong to Christ. 

 

So, what is the parallel you may be asking? What does John 5:24 have to do with a man who committed murder and is allowed to live? The answer is everything! The scriptures tell us very plainly that the penalty for sin is death Romans 6:23 and they also tell us that all of us have sinned and are guilty before a holy God, Romans 3:23.  But God did not leave us without hope; He made a way for us to literally cross over from sin’s penalty and experience and possess life in Him. We do this in the same way as the man above, by confessing our sin, admitting our guilt, and pleading the blood of Jesus Christ for our salvation, Romans 10:9-11. 

 

What I listened to on the radio was a wonderful picture of God’s grace and salvation for mankind.  Under the law, the man’s punishment for his crime was death but by pleading and admitting his guilt, he was given the chance to live.  In the same way, when we come to God, we must confess our sins and admit our guilt.  Spiritual death, which is what Paul is speaking of in Romans 6:23 above, is eternal separation from God.  Yet God tells us that He doesn’t want anyone to be separated from Him but that all would come to the saving knowledge of repentance, 2 Peter 3:9. 

 

When the commentator finished this story, I turned off the radio. The traffic, the angry drivers, the noise of the freeway, the blaring horns, and the screeching brakes faded into the background. There was indeed peace and serenity in my car as the truth of God’s salvation, grace, mercy, and love filled my heart. What a wonderful reminder indeed of how much God loves me! Admitting the guilt of my sin and pleading the blood of Jesus for my salvation brought me eternal life. And God goes one step further!  The man received a life sentence in prison. When I became a Christian, I received a life sentence free from prison. Jesus reminds us of this truth in John 8:36. Have you been sentenced to life? I trust you have!