We have a fun family pet, but it isn’t your normal pet. We have a ferret. Her name is Pingpong. She loves to play and explore everything she sees. Pingpong is not allowed to bite anybody. If she does, we punish her so she learns not to bite people.
One day I was playing with Pingpong when she bit me on the face near my eye. I yelled loudly and dropped her on the couch. After she bit me, she knew what she had done was wrong. She ran as fast as she could and hid under a couch so I could not find her.
After I looked everywhere, I heard a sound coming from under the couch. I put my hand under there and grabbed her. I had to punish Pingpong for biting me. She couldn’t escape punishment by running away.
We are all children of God, and God hates sin. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). When we sin, God must punish us, and we cannot run away from Him. But for those of us who have accepted God’s Son, the Lord Jesus, as our Saviour, our sins have already been paid for. He is our Substitute. However, we still need to confess our sins to Him, and He will forgive us. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
But for any who are still strangers to the Lord Jesus, we want to tell you that when Jesus died on the cross, He was punished for the sins of everyone who will accept Him as their Saviour. If you try to run and hide from Him when you sin, like Pingpong tried to do, God can still see you, and you will face His punishment for your sins.
The Lord Jesus loves you very much, and He is waiting to wash you clean from every sin, if you will let Him. Come to Him today, confessing that you know you are a sinner and believing that He took the punishment in your place that you deserve for your sins. He says, “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12). That’s a promise!
ML-07/14/2013