The story is told of a young woman was arrested for breaking the law. She knew she’d been caught red-handed and she couldn’t deny her guilt. Later stood in front of the judge’s bench she admitted what she had done. The man wearing the robe was a kind man, but he was also a just judge, and knew he couldn’t let her off the hook. She had broken the law. So he gave her the penalty prescribed by the law, which meant the girl was required to pay a steep fine – one that she couldn’t afford – or else end up in jail.

But then the man did an amazing thing. He stood up, took off his judge’s robe, walked around to the front of the bench where the girl was standing, pulled out his wallet, and lovingly looked in her eyes as he handed her all the money she needed to pay her fine.

Why did he do this? Because the woman was his own daughter! Being a good judge, he had to honour the law and impose the penalty. But being a loving father, he was willing to come to her side, to pay the price on her behalf.

But now the woman had a choice to make. Would she let go of her pride, and humbly reach out to receive her father’s generous offer? Or would she insist on trying to prove she didn’t need help from him or anyone else, and end up going to jail?

This story illustrates the situation between God and us. God is the holy and just judge who said, “You’ve broken my laws and sinned against me, and the penalty is death.” But he is also the loving father, who said, “I love you and will come down and pay the penalty myself,” and so He took off his heavenly robe, came to earth in the person of Christ, and paid for our sins by dying on the cross.

Now we, too, have a choice to make: to humbly receive his payment – forgiveness and restoration – or reject this sacrifice and spend the rest of our lives, and eternities, trying to pay a debt we can never fully repay.

Source: Mark Mittelberg, Lee Strobel & Bill Hybels, Becoming A Contagious Christian: Participant’s Guide, 2007, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, p.74-75

The story is told of a young woman was arrested for breaking the law. She knew she’d been caught red-handed and she couldn’t deny her guilt. Later stood in front of the judge’s bench she admitted what she had done. The man wearing the robe was a kind man, but he was also a just judge, and knew he couldn’t let her off the hook. She had broken the law. So he gave her the penalty prescribed by the law, which meant the girl was required to pay a steep fine – one that she couldn’t afford – or else end up in jail.

But then the man did an amazing thing. He stood up, took off his judge’s robe, walked around to the front of the bench where the girl was standing, pulled out his wallet, and lovingly looked in her eyes as he handed her all the money she needed to pay her fine.

Why did he do this? Because the woman was his own daughter! Being a good judge, he had to honour the law and impose the penalty. But being a loving father, he was willing to come to her side, to pay the price on her behalf.

But now the woman had a choice to make. Would she let go of her pride, and humbly reach out to receive her father’s generous offer? Or would she insist on trying to prove she didn’t need help from him or anyone else, and end up going to jail?

This story illustrates the situation between God and us. God is the holy and just judge who said, “You’ve broken my laws and sinned against me, and the penalty is death.” But he is also the loving father, who said, “I love you and will come down and pay the penalty myself,” and so He took off his heavenly robe, came to earth in the person of Christ, and paid for our sins by dying on the cross.

Now we, too, have a choice to make: to humbly receive his payment – forgiveness and restoration – or reject this sacrifice and spend the rest of our lives, and eternities, trying to pay a debt we can never fully repay.

Source: Mark Mittelberg, Lee Strobel & Bill Hybels, Becoming A Contagious Christian: Participant’s Guide, 2007, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, p.74-75