Suppose I was driving 50 miles per hour through a residential area that has a 25 miles per hour speed limit. A policeman clocked my speed with a radar gun and as a result gave me a traffic ticket. I appeared in court and said to the judge, "I never speed on that street, and you should give me a reward!" The judge looks at me and says, "You may have never sped on that street until last week, but when the policeman clocked you, you were going 50 miles per hour. You are guilty of breaking the law and must pay the fine." How many of God's laws do we have to break before we become lawbreakers? How many lies does it take to make a person a liar? How many sins does it take to make a person a sinner? Just one!

Suppose the judge was a friend of my family. I would go into court thinking, "I know I'm going to get this ticket dismissed because he's a friend of the family." As the judge greets me, he asks about my family. He then makes this very sobering statement. "I'd like to show you mercy, I would like to show you grace, but I cannot, in order to be a just judge." He heard the evidence and found me guilty as charged. The sentence was one day in jail or $100. Not having the $100, I was prepared to go to jail. At this point the judge does an amazing thing. He takes off his robe that distinguishes him as a judge, steps down from his stand, reaches into his pocket, and hands me $100. Because he was a just judge, he sentenced me (guilty as charged). In his mercy and grace, he paid my debt.

That's what God did for us in Christ. Because He is a just and holy God, He sentenced us (the wages of our sin is death — to perish; Romans 6:23), but in His mercy and love He paid our debt. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God..." (1 Peter 3:18).

If we can help you, please contact us.