I am a criminal and I deserve hell.
I have broken the God’s Law. I have lied many times in my life, I have also stolen, even if they were small things; I have done it. I have also used God’s name in vain. God has given me life and everything that is dear to me but I took his name and used as a curse word. I have also looked at women with lust and Jesus said it is considered as adultery on my heart. Finally, I have also hated a couple of people and Jesus equated hatred with murder.
These are only 5 of the 10 Commandments, but I have anyway broken them all!
God has prepared a place called hell for my punishment. I am guilty and cannot escape from the Judge. If I say I am sorry, he will say that I should be sorry because what I did is wrong. If I say that I won’t do it again, he will say that I am right in not wanting to do it again but it doesn’t remove my deserved punishment.
I am a sinner and I am going to hell.
But God loves me so much, that he has prepared a way so that I don’t need to go to hell. He sent his Son, Jesus to suffer and die on the cross as a payment for my sin! In other words, Jesus took the punishment I deserved so that the Judge can set me free: I broke God’s Law but Jesus paid my fine! Now my case can be legally dismissed because of Jesus’ sacrifice that justifies me before God.
God is giving me the free gift of justification and eternal life but I need to truly repent from my sins, turn from them and trust in Jesus as the only way to be justified before the Father.
I am a sinner and I should go to hell, but Jesus suffered and died for me to pay my deserved punishment with his life’s blood.
I am a criminal–but I’ve been justified.
What about you?
