God's Gracious Grace

 

About a month ago, I was meeting some friends for dinner in Sulphur Springs.  It was a little over an hour's drive from where I now live and I was, as usual, running late.  I got tangled in traffic and was frustrated that my friends were waiting on this habitually late friend named Liz. 

As I reached Sulphur Springs and a few blocks from the restaurant half an hour late, I look in my rear view mirror and see flashing lights behind me.  "Well dangit" I said...."just what I needed right now!"  The police officer walked up to my window where I had my information ready and waiting for him so as to hurry the process along, when he wanted to chit-chat about why I was in such a hurry.  I explained I was late to dinner with friends and apologized profusely  for my crime.  The scowl on his face indicated to me that there was no getting out of this ticket. 

As he returned a few minutes later with his ticket-pad in hand, he paused...looked at his pad...looked at me....and started scribbling something on the ticket.  He then shockingly said, "I made a mistake on your speed.  Slow down and have a nice evening" and started walking away.  What?  As he walked back to his squad car, I hung out the window and said, "What does this mean?"  He once again said, "I made a mistake. Slow down.  Have a nice evening."  As I pulled away, I remember I was still flinging these 60-year old arms out the window thanking him profusely for his forgiveness.

It reminded me a bit of Colossians 2:14: "He canceled the record of the charges against us (you and me) and took it away by nailing it to the cross."  Much like this police officer, God found a way to deal with my daily, often-times hourly, mistakes.  He couldn't overlook them; to do so would be unjust.  He can't pretend I didn't commit them; to do so would be a lie.  But here is what He did do: God found a person with a spotless past.  He had never broken a law.  Not one violation, not one trespass, not even a speeding ticket.  He volunteered to trade records with me....to put His own name on my record.  Even though I did wrong, He put my crime on Himself and gave me His spotless record.

The perfect record of God's Son, Jesus, was given to me, Liz Etheridge....and to YOU (place your name here).  And our imperfect record was given to Him.  And what did He do with my poor driving record?  He canceled my debt, which listed all the rules I failed to follow,  just like Mr. Police Officer took the blame for my speeding crime.

But God NAILED IT TO THE CROSS...and gave you His perfect record.

 

*Excerpt from Max Lucado book, "Grip of Grace"