Lessons in the Bright Lights (Part 2)

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Luke 5:20

If you didn't read yesterday's blog you may want to do so quickly because today is a continuation.

Yesterday we talked about our natural bent to justify our sin. We also looked at the peace we could have if we only admitted our mistakes to the Lord right away rather than trying to hide and justify ourselves. The blessing in being honest with God is that we can truly say, "It is well with my soul." 

And now the rest of the story…

Well, as the police officer made his way back to our car, my friend had stopped trying to justify his sin and resigned himself to the fact that he was speeding and deserved a ticket. He was sure that the ticket would carry a heavy fine and possibly be considered reckless driving. He admitted his mistake and was ready to accept the consequences.

The officer approached and handed my friend a verbal warning, told him to slow down, and offered a friendly, "Enjoy the rest of your day." Keeping his excitement contained, my friend thanked the officer. At this point I'm covering my mouth so I don't laugh out loud. Why? Because the song on the radio had changed, and now I sat listening to "Oh, happy day. Jesus washed, yes, Jesus washed, he washed my sins away."

That's it! It is so easy. Jesus did the hard work on the cross, and we get to reap the benefits of his obedience. We sin, we admit it, we ask forgiveness, and we are set free. And Oh that is all the reason why we sing, "Oh happy day!" 

Dear Lord, we can't thank you enough for what you did on the cross. You bore the weight of our sin, and in its place, we have grace and forgiveness. Lord, grow us in our ability to be honest with you and ourselves. Teach our hearts to freely sing, "Oh happy day. Jesus washed, yes, Jesus washed, he washed my sins away!" 

Amen