There are people who don’t think they’re worth anything. In fact, they’ve done such terrible things, “I don’t even deserve to exist.” If that’s you, I have a secret: we’re all that way.
Some turn to faiths that deny the reality of “self.” They believe that at death they become part of an entity that encompasses all of reality. That comforts them because they’re filled with such self-loathing they don’t think they deserve to exist, and at death they don’t. Their “selfness” vanishes, so their loathing is gone.
As mentioned in a previous post, we all have the same value as everyone else. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of (now THERE is an understatement!) But to God we have the same value as every other person, living or dead.
Okay, back to my point.
The cross of Christ is where justice meets mercy. We all deserve the most horrible death imaginable. But Jesus paid that price so we don’t have to. He lived the life WE are supposed to be living, paid the price we deserve, so we can get the benefits HE deserves.
But wait! There’s more!
There’s a story about a George Wilson who robbed a bank with his partner, James Porter. After being caught, they were both sentenced to be hanged. Porter was executed on scheduled, but Wilson had powerful friends who managed to get the President of the United States to give him a pardon.
Thing is, Wilson refused the pardon. The Supreme Court ruled that a pardon was only effective if the person being pardoned accepted the benefits. Wilson didn’t accept, so he was executed.
Justice was meted out on the cross. Mercy and love made it possible for us to get pardoned, with Jesus paying the penalty.
We’re all sinners. None of us can claim any worth above another. We only have to accept the benefits of the pardon Jesus gave us.
Mercy and love gives us this chance. If we don’t accept it, we’ll go the route of George Wilson.
If you choose to take the benefits of your pardon you can join the rest of those those individuals who accepted and are with God in Heaven. Refuse, and you’ll be forever cut off from the only source of anything good.
Take the pardon.
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