Everyone Makes Mistakes...

I was reading an article tonight on espn.com regarding the Barry Bonds saga. Bonds has been accused of using steroids during his MLB career, though as far as I know, never found guilty. At a recent hearing, the article stated that "Bonds was sentenced to two years of probation, 250 hours of community service, a $4,000 fine and 30 days of home confinement." Not for steroid use mind you, but for misleading the grand jury.


The thing that stuck out to me in the article is what one fan outside the courthouse said, "Whatever he did or didn't do, we all lie... We all make mistakes. But I don't think he should've gotten any kind of punishment at all."


No punishment... Yeah, makes sense. We all lie. So let him go. Free. Right?


Take that thinking to the extreme and you will have murderers being let off scot-free because, "we all make mistakes," and, "there have been others who have murdered before..." so no punishment is necessary.


Of course, that's absurd and and even horrifying. Justice must be done on the wrong-doer, we would reason.


So it is with God. The Bible says in Romans 3 that,


"None is righteous, no, not one;
 no one understands;
   no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
   no one does good,
   not even one."


And the prophet Isaiah states that "our righteousnesses are like filthy rags."


Regardless of what we think or feel, we are guilty before God. We may think we are not that bad because we compare ourselves with the people around us. But when we are matched up with the purity and holiness of God Almighty, our filthy rags are revealed. We are guilty. And our only necessary punishment is eternity in Hell.


We don't realize the weight of our sin, that we as a people have rejected God, killing His Son that He sent to earth in love, and have chosen to serve other gods, including ourselves. It's all about me syndrome.


Thankfully, the payment for our debt is found in Christ. He bore the punishment that was rightfully due us upon Himself.


We go free.


It's not that our sin wasn't sin. It's not like the thinking of the fan in the Barry Bonds situation who felt Bonds should go free because we all sin. No, we have all sinned, but God took the punishment. He paid the price. He took the penalty that was on my head upon Himself. He suffered in my place. And because the debt I owed, the sentence I deserved, was placed on and paid for by Him, I go free.


Yes, we all make mistakes. We all sin before God. But that is not the reason we should not be punished. Rather, that is why we should be punished.


Thankfully, our hope is in Christ for those who believe. In Christ is the only way I can go free. Thank you Jesus.