Guilty

 

A few years ago, I was coming back home from a trip to my daughter’s house in Springfield, Tennessee.  I had done some work for her, and I had stayed a little too late.  You know how that goes; you just want to do one more thing.  We had eaten a late supper and I had a three-hour trip home.  But not to worry, the speed limit on the Tennessee interstate is 70 MPH.  So, I was moving along at 75 MPH (the state troopers will give you five MPH over the posted speed limit).  I had to slow a little going up Mont Eagle, but when I got to the top, I got my speed back up.  However, the speed limit up and down Mont Eagle (and on the plateau) is 55 MPH.  Suddenly, I saw the blue lights behind me, and I knew immediately what I had done.  By the time the state trooper caught up with me, I was already stopped on the side of the road with my insurance card, registration, and driver’s license out.  The trooper eased up to my window with his flashlight and said, “It’s awfully late to be driving so fast.  What’s your hurry?”  I sighed with my most pitiful look and said, “I’m sorry officer.  I’ve been at my daughter’s house in Springfield working and I’m just trying to get home to Ringgold, Georgia.”  The officer thought for a moment and said, “I tell you what I’m going to do.  If you promise to go the speed limit the rest of the way home, I’m going to let you go.”  I promised HIM that I would, he handed me back my documents, he left, and I left.  I drove exactly 70 MPH the rest of the trip home.  Hey, that’s exactly how we stand before a holy God.  We are guilty as charged with no excuses that will work.  But Jesus has taken the punishment for us, so the holiness and justice of God the Father has been satisfied.  We can go free because of what Jesus has done!  We are guilty, but when God the Father looks at us, He sees the perfection of Jesus Christ, and God lets us go.  And finally, God says, “Live the rest of your life like a forgiven Christian.”  And I say, “Yes sir, I will.”  Paul said in II Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”  Jesus paid our debt so that we could go free … and we owe Jesus a tremendous debt of gratitude!  Just like I was grateful to that officer who let me go free, we owe Jesus Christ.  We owe Him big time!  Hey, let’s live for Jesus; it’s the least that we can do!