What the judge did at the magistrate court was marvellous. At the trial, the judge found the young man guilty as charged. She sentenced him to the maximum fine prescribed by law or be jailed for one year. As the police led the convict out, the judge said, “Wait!” The police and everyone in court looked on. The judge took her hand bag and pulled out an envelope containing some money. Counting the exact amount of the fine, she handed it over to the court clerk. “I have paid the fine,” the judge said. “Set the convict free.” Immediately, the police released the young man. The man stood still and then bowed. Lifting up his head, he said, “My lord, what did I do to deserve your kindness, and what can I do to thank you?” “Just go,” the judge said, “go and live a new life.” Grace and mercy: A similar but higher grace and mercy took place many years ago. That is the story of Christianity. Before God the Almighty Judge, we are all guilty. We are guilty because we are all sinners. The Bible says, “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23). It sounds frightening, but we are all criminals before God! The dictionary meaning of the word criminal is offender, convict, prisoner, lawbreaker. We are all law-breakers. The Bible says, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Because sin is lawlessness, and lawlessness is a crime, we are all criminals! And the punishment for breaking God’s law is death. For “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This “death” means eternal separation from God, not just dying out of this world. The Bible calls it “the second death” or eternal death (Revelation 21:8). Amazing thing! But God, the great Judge, did an amazing thing. He paid for our sins so that we are not condemned to eternal death. The suffering Jesus went through, his death, and his resurrection were all for our sake, to save us. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). By dying for us, he paid the price or the wages for our sin. We read from Titus 2;14 that Christ gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness. Jesus paid for our salvation in full; therefore he bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). That price was high: his suffering and death. His blood, which he poured out for us when he died, cleanses us from our sins (1 John 1:7). We did nothing! The convicted young man, happy and free, asked the judge, “My lord, what did I do to deserve your kindness, and what can I do to thank you?” What did we do to deserve the salvation that God has given us through Jesus Christ? We did nothing! He paid the price because He loves us and gave us His only begotten Son (John 3:16). To be set free like the convict was, believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Repent from your sins and ask God to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all sins” (1 John 1;9). Then invite Jesus into your hearts as your personal Saviour. When you do this, you are set free. Just as the judge told the convict, “Go and live a new life.”
What the judge did at the magistrate court was marvellous. At the trial, the judge found the young man guilty as charged. She sentenced him to the maximum fine prescribed by law or be jailed for one year. As the police led the convict out, the judge said, “Wait!” The police and everyone in court looked on. The judge took her hand bag and pulled out an envelope containing some money. Counting the exact amount of the fine, she handed it over to the court clerk. “I have paid the fine,” the judge said. “Set the convict free.” Immediately, the police released the young man. The man stood still and then bowed. Lifting up his head, he said, “My lord, what did I do to deserve your kindness, and what can I do to thank you?” “Just go,” the judge said, “go and live a new life.” Grace and mercy: A similar but higher grace and mercy took place many years ago. That is the story of Christianity. Before God the Almighty Judge, we are all guilty. We are guilty because we are all sinners. The Bible says, “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23). It sounds frightening, but we are all criminals before God! The dictionary meaning of the word criminal is offender, convict, prisoner, lawbreaker. We are all law-breakers. The Bible says, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Because sin is lawlessness, and lawlessness is a crime, we are all criminals! And the punishment for breaking God’s law is death. For “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This “death” means eternal separation from God, not just dying out of this world. The Bible calls it “the second death” or eternal death (Revelation 21:8). Amazing thing! But God, the great Judge, did an amazing thing. He paid for our sins so that we are not condemned to eternal death. The suffering Jesus went through, his death, and his resurrection were all for our sake, to save us. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). By dying for us, he paid the price or the wages for our sin. We read from Titus 2;14 that Christ gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness. Jesus paid for our salvation in full; therefore he bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). That price was high: his suffering and death. His blood, which he poured out for us when he died, cleanses us from our sins (1 John 1:7). We did nothing! The convicted young man, happy and free, asked the judge, “My lord, what did I do to deserve your kindness, and what can I do to thank you?” What did we do to deserve the salvation that God has given us through Jesus Christ? We did nothing! He paid the price because He loves us and gave us His only begotten Son (John 3:16). To be set free like the convict was, believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Repent from your sins and ask God to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all sins” (1 John 1;9). Then invite Jesus into your hearts as your personal Saviour. When you do this, you are set free. Just as the judge told the convict, “Go and live a new life.”
What the judge did at the magistrate court was marvellous. At the trial, the judge found the young man guilty as charged. She sentenced him to the maximum fine prescribed by law or be jailed for one year. As the police led the convict out, the judge said, “Wait!” The police and everyone in court looked on. The judge took her hand bag and pulled out an envelope containing some money. Counting the exact amount of the fine, she handed it over to the court clerk. “I have paid the fine,” the judge said. “Set the convict free.” Immediately, the police released the young man. The man stood still and then bowed. Lifting up his head, he said, “My lord, what did I do to deserve your kindness, and what can I do to thank you?” “Just go,” the judge said, “go and live a new life.” Grace and mercy: A similar but higher grace and mercy took place many years ago. That is the story of Christianity. Before God the Almighty Judge, we are all guilty. We are guilty because we are all sinners. The Bible says, “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23). It sounds frightening, but we are all criminals before God! The dictionary meaning of the word criminal is offender, convict, prisoner, lawbreaker. We are all law-breakers. The Bible says, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Because sin is lawlessness, and lawlessness is a crime, we are all criminals! And the punishment for breaking God’s law is death. For “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This “death” means eternal separation from God, not just dying out of this world. The Bible calls it “the second death” or eternal death (Revelation 21:8). Amazing thing! But God, the great Judge, did an amazing thing. He paid for our sins so that we are not condemned to eternal death. The suffering Jesus went through, his death, and his resurrection were all for our sake, to save us. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). By dying for us, he paid the price or the wages for our sin. We read from Titus 2;14 that Christ gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness. Jesus paid for our salvation in full; therefore he bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). That price was high: his suffering and death. His blood, which he poured out for us when he died, cleanses us from our sins (1 John 1:7). We did nothing! The convicted young man, happy and free, asked the judge, “My lord, what did I do to deserve your kindness, and what can I do to thank you?” What did we do to deserve the salvation that God has given us through Jesus Christ? We did nothing! He paid the price because He loves us and gave us His only begotten Son (John 3:16). To be set free like the convict was, believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Repent from your sins and ask God to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all sins” (1 John 1;9). Then invite Jesus into your hearts as your personal Saviour. When you do this, you are set free. Just as the judge told the convict, “Go and live a new life.”
What the judge did at the magistrate court was marvellous. At the trial, the judge found the young man guilty as charged. She sentenced him to the maximum fine prescribed by law or be jailed for one year. As the police led the convict out, the judge said, “Wait!” The police and everyone in court looked on. The judge took her hand bag and pulled out an envelope containing some money. Counting the exact amount of the fine, she handed it over to the court clerk. “I have paid the fine,” the judge said. “Set the convict free.” Immediately, the police released the young man. The man stood still and then bowed. Lifting up his head, he said, “My lord, what did I do to deserve your kindness, and what can I do to thank you?” “Just go,” the judge said, “go and live a new life.” Grace and mercy: A similar but higher grace and mercy took place many years ago. That is the story of Christianity. Before God the Almighty Judge, we are all guilty. We are guilty because we are all sinners. The Bible says, “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23). It sounds frightening, but we are all criminals before God! The dictionary meaning of the word criminal is offender, convict, prisoner, lawbreaker. We are all law-breakers. The Bible says, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Because sin is lawlessness, and lawlessness is a crime, we are all criminals! And the punishment for breaking God’s law is death. For “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This “death” means eternal separation from God, not just dying out of this world. The Bible calls it “the second death” or eternal death (Revelation 21:8). Amazing thing! But God, the great Judge, did an amazing thing. He paid for our sins so that we are not condemned to eternal death. The suffering Jesus went through, his death, and his resurrection were all for our sake, to save us. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). By dying for us, he paid the price or the wages for our sin. We read from Titus 2;14 that Christ gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness. Jesus paid for our salvation in full; therefore he bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). That price was high: his suffering and death. His blood, which he poured out for us when he died, cleanses us from our sins (1 John 1:7). We did nothing! The convicted young man, happy and free, asked the judge, “My lord, what did I do to deserve your kindness, and what can I do to thank you?” What did we do to deserve the salvation that God has given us through Jesus Christ? We did nothing! He paid the price because He loves us and gave us His only begotten Son (John 3:16). To be set free like the convict was, believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Repent from your sins and ask God to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all sins” (1 John 1;9). Then invite Jesus into your hearts as your personal Saviour. When you do this, you are set free. Just as the judge told the convict, “Go and live a new life.”