One Sunday morning I was telling my Sunday school class of young children the story of Adam and Eve. During the lesson I asked, “Joel, have you ever gotten in trouble?”
“No,” he said very solemnly.
“You’ve never done anything wrong?” I asked.
“No,” he assured me.
I asked my neighbor, Michael, who I had seen get in trouble more than once. Then I asked Rhonda. Both of them said they had never gotten in trouble.
Next there was Tony, and he was six. Since he had lived six whole years, I was sure that he must have gotten in trouble. So I asked him the same question. But Tony was sure that he had never been naughty and had never gotten into trouble.
Several more of the children told me the same thing. Robby, my little grandson, was next. He was the second-to-last child to be asked. He was sitting there looking at me with his bright eyes. The class was very quiet. I asked, “Robby, have you ever gotten in trouble?” His answer was the same — he had never gotten in trouble. I said, “Robby, you’ve been at our house when I’ve seen your mommy take you into the other room when you’ve been naughty. What is going on in there, Robby?”
He didn’t seem to know. He just sat still and looked at me.
Now there was only Jason left. “Jason, have you ever gotten in trouble?” I asked.
Jason sat looking down at his hands that were fidgeting on his lap. And finally he said in a very small voice, “Yes.”
“Why did you get in trouble, Jason?”
“I was bad.”
How very hard it is for us to admit that we have been bad. But God tells us that we have all sinned — we have all done things that are wrong. “There is no difference: for all have sinned” (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)). “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him [God] a liar” (1 John 1:1010If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:10)). So, it’s important to admit that we have been bad and that we need to be saved from our sins.
The children wiggled around a bit when Jason told the truth and admitted that he had been naughty. I said, “Jason, how very nice that you’ve been able to tell the truth. I’m sure that everyone in this class has done wrong things and has gotten in trouble at some time.”
We sat in silence for just a moment. Then Joel spoke up. “Sometimes I tell the truth.” You know, we might as well always be honest with God, because He sees everything we do, He hears everything we say, and He even knows what we think. “All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him [God] with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:1313Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13)). But the wonderful part is that even though He knows how many wrong things we have done, He still loves us just the same. In fact, He loves us so much that He sent His own beloved Son to die on Calvary’s cross and to bear the punishment for all of our sins, to take them away forever. Won’t you admit to Him that you have sinned, and trust Him to wash your sins away? You’ll be very happy because then He will make you one of His children. And someday the Lord Jesus will take you, and all of us who believe on Him, to His heavenly home to live with Him there forever.
Messages of God’s Love 12/11/2022