One fall evening four neighbor children arrived at our house for a little fun on the trampoline. They were hoping to get in as many jumps as possible before going home to do schoolwork.
Neighbor children often visit our yard to use the trampoline. They are always welcome, but there are several rules they must follow for safety’s sake. Here are the rules:
1. Don’t chew gum or eat candy when jumping.
2. Never go under the trampoline.
3. Only 3 children may jump at one time (unless they are very small).
This last rule seemed to be hard for the children to obey. On this particular evening all four children wanted to jump together, and so they did. It was great fun for a while, with each child trying to jump higher than the others. But the weight of four children caused one of the springs on the trampoline to snap and fly off. Suddenly their fun was over.
The children realized then that disobeying the rule was going to have a consequence. The Bible tells us that disobeying is sin, and all sin, even what we call a “little sin,” has consequences. Many years ago, Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden. Because of their one sin of disobedience, God said they were going to die. The results are still the same today. The Bible warns that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). And we are all sinners: “There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-2322Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:22‑23)).
The four children now had a decision to make about the broken trampoline. Should they go to the house and confess they had broken the trampoline because they had disobeyed a rule, or should they make up a story of how it got broken? We were thankful that these four children decided to do what was right.
The four very timidly came to the door and gave a very soft knock. When the door was opened, they confessed that all four of them had been jumping on the trampoline together, and then they showed us the broken spring. They offered to pay to have it fixed.
We were glad these children were honest and came to us and confessed truthfully what they had done. We were happy to forgive them and told them they did not have to pay for the repair.
In our trampoline story someone had to pay for the broken spring, but it was not the children. God can now freely forgive all who confess to Him that they are sinners, because God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has paid the consequences for their sins. The Bible tells us that “He [the Lord Jesus] was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement [or punishment] of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:55But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)).
Have you ever confessed to God that you have sinned and accepted the forgiveness He is freely offering you through the price His Son paid on the cross? “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)).
ML-12/20/1998