The following is a short two-part repeating operatic chorus that the Lord dropped into my heart this week [the first part is a declaration, the second part an affirmation and reply]:
The wages of sin is DEATH, they say,
The wages of SIN is death, they say,
The WAGES of sin is death, they say,
And the Lord doesn’t love you ANY more!
BUT! The gift of God is ETERNAL life,
Oh! The gift of God is eternal LIFE,
Yes! The GIFT of God is eternal life,
And my sins don’t matter any more….
I have heard this short melody in my heart for 5 days straight, and so far it has just not gone away. The comfort that flows into my soul when I hear it is like soothing oil being poured over an open wound. Why? Because, there is PEACE in knowing your true state.
Firstly, as Christians we live under the Lord’s blessing and umbrella. Jesus died, Jesus took care of all our burdens, and Jesus paid THE FULL PRICE for sins — past and present and future. The barrier between HUMANITY and DEITY has been erased; especially, to all that are in Christ. Whereas, we could only look forward to judgement from a righteous God who had been offended, we are now free to RUN into the arms of a rejoicing Father who is DESIRING TO EMBRACE US.
Yet, along the road, on either side, are the voices of the people of the world – who can not understand a LOVING God – and the voices of the religious who cannot fathom the DEPTHS of the mercy and the forgiveness of a wonderful Savior. The opponents (of GRACE) can only sing one part of the Scripture; the first part of this song. They see cause, and they see effect, but they cannot see THE LIFEBOAT. Yes we jumped, fell, or were pushed into the tumultuous waves of the ocean of sin and therefore seem doomed to drown; but God’s Son has come that we might sing a new song ABOARD HIS HEAVENLY YACHT!
The devil never brings up your sins unless he is trying to divide you from the Love of God. The self-righteous never bring up your sins unless they are trying to bring vengeance (which is God’s responsibility) in the name of justice. The world never brings up sins except to use it as a tool of manipulation or intimidation; control is the objective.
BUT GOD says, over and over, I want to WASH IT, and to SEPARATE IT, and TO FORGET IT, and to BURY IT, and to FORGIVE IT. Hereby we can tell the spirit of CHRIST from the spirits of Anti-Christ; GOD works to RESTORE but SATAN accuses and JUDGES. Hear God! Sing a new song! Sing the song of the REDEEMED.
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti Th.M., Th.M. 9/19/1999