GUILTY! But Still Loved

Your sin makes you guilty, but God’s Love makes you FREE!!!!

“There was once a young man who was pulled over for speeding. This was definitely not his first or only offense. He was given a ticket and told he had to appear in court because of his many tickets. When the young man arrived in court, he saw that his father was the judge. His father had a reputation for being just and fair! He had never let a guilty man go unpunished, and had never let an innocent man be punished.

The young man thought, “Surely my father who loves me will not punish me. Even though he is just, surely in his love, he will spare me.”
The case is brought against him, and his father asks him, “The officer says you broke the law. So are you guilty or innocent?” His response has to be... “I’m guilty.”  So his father looks at his son and says... “Guilty as charged. That will be $500 or a week in jail.”
The young man doesn’t have the money, so they start to take him to jail. The judge says, “Wait a minute!” And He takes off his robe and comes down to his son and hands him a check for $500. The young man has a choice. Will he will accept it or not.”
(From cru.org)

This is a great example of our God. When we sin, we are guilty and we absolutely deserve punishment. The punishment we deserve is... DEATH! And even though God loves you, He is and always will be just! We can’t keep sinning and expect blessings. The wages of sin is death. And we’ve all sinned. We are not deserving of freedom. We are guilty. 

But God, in His great and everlasting love, is offering us freedom and grace. He was willing to pay the price. He was willing to DIE! He was willing to receive the punishment we deserved, so that we could live. Not because you deserved it, but because He simply LOVES YOU!!!! 

We don’t deserve grace or mercy when we sin. We just serve a God who is absolutely in love with us and is willing to do whatever it takes to give us life to it’s fullest! HE IS LOVE!!!! So don’t be too proud to receive His free gift. Embrace Him and receive His great love. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friend.” My God laid down His life for us! My God loves you with an everlasting love! My God is Love! That’s my God!!!!

• Pastor Max Campfield