Today’s Post By: Rae Lynn DeAngelis
Driving through a busy metropolis is risky business for someone who’s directionally challenged like me. I’ve never been comfortable driving in the city, especially when it involves confusing thoroughfares and one-way streets.
When I was in my early twenties, I had a job interview with a company located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati. Talk about a stressful situation! I wasn’t sure which was more taxing—going on a job interview or driving the inner city.
I did not have access to GPS in the 80’s, so getting to my destination required that I follow a set of ambiguous directions provided by the person who set up the interview. Since I was not familiar with downtown, the directions were not particularly helpful.
At one point while cruising down a small connector street, a vehicle heading straight towards me blew its horn. As the car passed by, a man inside (gesturing a not so nice hand signal) hollered out his window … “ONE WAY!”
A rude awakening to be sure, but not the only time I’ve found myself barreling down a one-way street in the wrong direction.
Although I grew up in the church, somewhere along the way I came to believe that my ticket into heaven hinged on my obedience to a strict set of rules taught by the church.
Unfortunately, following the church’s code of conduct was an impossible task. I failed miserably, but at least took some comfort in knowing I wasn’t engaging in some of the “big” sins. Surely lying, cheating, and disobeying my parents would be considered misdemeanors in God’s eyes. (Or so I hoped.)
Whenever I missed the mark, I tried to tip the scales back in my favor with a good deed or penance, hoping to soften God’s impending judgment. Sadly, I never quite knew where I stood with God. I hoped all my offerings would appease Him, but I never knew for sure. The end result was a constant state of quandary, wondering if I had done enough good to outweigh the bad.
What a skewed perception of our Heavenly Father! I have since learned that God does not tally up our offences and atonements like entries in a checkbook. I can tell you with all certainty that trying to earn our salvation through good deeds and sacrifices is a one-way street in the wrong direction. We cannot possibly do enough good to undo the sin in our lives.
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
God knew from the very beginning that we could not keep His law perfectly. “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” (Romans 3:20)
Because we could never keep His law perfectly, the Father who loves us set into motion His ultimate plan of redemption.
Essentially, God was saying: You can’t do this but I can! God Himself would pay the penalty for our sin debt. Jesus was not plan B—Jesus was plan A.
From the very first sin in the Garden of Eden God knew that He Himself would be our Redeemer. He even gives us a glimpse of His ultimate plan of redemption after the very first sin. Genesis 3:21 says, “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. ”
Do you see what God did? From the very beginning God Himself provided the sacrifice that would cover our sin.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)
There is only one way into heaven. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
When we accept the covering that God Himself provided through His Son, our sins are forgiven, wiped clean by the precious blood of our Redeemer. We don’t have to wonder if we’re going to make it into heaven.
Why?
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (1 Corinthians 5:21)
“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” (Romans 4:7-8)
