by Dr. Paul Chappell

"Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

Romans 5:14-18

When we couldn't pay our debt, Jesus covered the tab.

If you took American Literature in school, you remember reading stories by O.Henry. The American author is well-known for his twisted, unexpected endings to his lighthearted stories. But despite the good nature of his stories, O.Henry (William Sidney Porter) ran into trouble in his life. While working at the First National Bank of Austin, Porter's books didn't balance and he was accused of embezzlement. Denying the accusations, Porter's employment was terminated and he moved to Houston to work for the Post. While Porter was in Houston, the First National Bank of Austin was audited by the government, and found to be missing money. The bank officially pressed charges against Porter and sought his arrest. Porter ran to South America to escape arrest, but after his wife became deathly ill, he returned and turned himself into the authorities. Porter served three years in an Ohio state prison, during which time he wrote many of his short stories and newspaper entries. After he was released, Porter went on to enjoy some of his most successful years as a writer before dying in 1910.

On May 2, 1985, the Kansas City Times reported the efforts of two O.Henry fans who were seeking a pardon for O.Henry, claiming his innocence. While their campaign caught the attention of the media and some high-ranking officials, the judgement was passed that no pardon could be issued because Porter was not available to receive the pardon.

A pardon has been defined as "kind indulgence, as in forgiveness of an offense or discourtesy or in tolerance of a distraction or inconvenience" and more specifically relating to legal matter, "a release from the penalty of an offense; a remission of penalty, as by a governor." A pardon comes from an authority and covers the penalty of some crime.

In Romans 5, God gives us a Heavenly pardon for our crimes against Him. We've all committed some crime (lying, stealing, lusting, hating, envying) and therefore deserve punishment. God has set the punishment as eternal death, a just reward for our sins. Nothing will satisfy this debt save for a sinless sacrifice.

Yet not willing to allow us to suffer such a punishment, Jesus Christ offered to take our places-to take on human form, embody all our sins, and die on the Cross. With Him died our sins-past, present, and future. He paid the price and God's justice was satisfied.

The debt has been paid! What wonderful news. None of us could have paid the price so Christ stood in our place. That news alone is reason to rejoice and praise God for His loving mercy to give such a sacrifice. When we couldn't pay our debt, Jesus covered the tab.

But as we saw in the story of O.Henry, this pardon is only good if we accept it. Christ did the difficult part (dying on the Cross); now He asks us to do the easy part (accept His free gift of salvation). Just as with a pardon, there are no strings attached. No community service, time on probation, or extra service is required. All we must do is accept His pardon.

If you've never accepted God's pardon or have questions about what the Bible says about this free gift, read more about the subject on our website. We'd be happy to answer any questions you have. If you have accepted God's pardon, thank Christ for His sacrifice for without it, you would be lost in debt. Share the good news of God's pardon with those imprisoned by sin today.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Psalms 70-71 | Romans 8:22-39