Quit - Before Pay Day

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 6:23)

Meditation

I started hearing this scripture when I was a small child in the church my grandparent took me to every Sunday until we moved away. It used to be the staple of many sermons way back then, many pulpits these days never talk about sin or its consequences anymore. I’m sure some preachers may not believe the harshness of this pronouncement doesn’t align with the “Jesus” they worship. I would call them, false teachers, and they will be held accountable on Judgment Day. There are probably others who don’t mention sin, so they don’t make their congregants feel guilty. I hate to tell them, that’s part of their job. Preachers of old had no problem making everyone squirm in their seats, on any given Sunday.

After we moved away from my grandparents, I turned my back on Jesus, and started down a path toward destruction. It was all due to my rebellious nature, and I lived to fulfill all my desires. It didn’t matter to me if I hurt someone. I told so many lies back then, I had trouble keeping up with them all. It didn’t matter if I was breaking the law, unless I got caught, of course, which I didn’t. It was all about me. I hate that I made that choice, but I’m thankful God was patient, and made it possible for me to turn my life around. The Holy Spirit pierced my stone-cold heart through the words of an evangelist one night when I was at my lowest.

I can’t tell you a single word the evangelist said, but whatever it was, by the end of his talk, I knew I had to submit to Jesus, or I was going to hell. I knew that Jesus died to save me. I knew he and the Father loved me like no one else ever has. I knew he didn’t want me to end up in hell, which is where I deserve to go. At first, and for some time after, I was filled with guilt over everything I’d done in the past. He taught me, as each instance would come to mind, I would ask him to forgive me and take away the guilt. I know he has forgiven me, but I still feel twinges of regret even these twenty years later. I guess that’s going to be part of a lifelong penance I’ll have to pay for my years of rebellion. I’m just thankful the Lord saw fit to save me. By human standards, I may not be the worst sinner to ever live, but I sure did try.

Prayer Time

Heavenly Father, how do we comprehend your righteous plan for mankind? We are a race that only deserves your scorn and destruction. Instead, you put on flesh and come down to live among us and die on the cross, knowing most of us would still reject you. Yet, you love us anyway and patiently wait for us to turn from our sins and come to you for forgiveness. Before we repent, we try to bargain with some unknown higher power, with the idea that we are not as bad as some other people. We think, if there is a heaven, we’re not so bad we won’t be allowed into heaven when we die. What Jesus came to teach us is, any sin is punishable by death. That means the little white lie will reap the same punishment as the murderer gets; an eternity in Hell. Thankfully, we don’t have to suffer for those or any sins we’ve committed because you’ve already paid the price on the cross. Your shed blood has washed us clean and makes us righteous to stand before you, Father. Help us to share that good news with everyone we meet. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!