Late one Sunday night, around 10:00pm, I dropped into Coles on the way home to pickup some milk. I was only to be there for a couple minutes. When I arrived, the darkened 400 car parking lot was empty, except for maybe 1 or 2 other cars. Coles had only one door open for entry and exit (night time security), so I parked in the bay right in front of them, got out and went inside.
When I came out, there were two Policemen writing me a ticket for parking in a disable parking spot! As if that wasn’t upsetting enough, one young constable then proceeded to lecture me about why I shouldn’t park in these spots and why they were created and…blah, blah, blah. It took 15 minutes! Whenever I tried to protest, he held up his hand and silenced me while he had his say. Fine, I copped it on the chin. But you know what really upset me was the fact that they had parked in the other disabled bay so they could get out and book me!
That night I was so angry. Yes, I had broken the Law. But was it fair the way I was treated?
After some time I realised that this is no different to us, as God’s creation, a people who have turned our back on God. Turning away from God is called sin. And the Law states that the penalty for sin is death. And at the end of my life when I face the Judgment Seat, I would have found out that I was guilty of turning away from God and I would not get to spend eternity in Heaven!
Like most, that would make me angry. Yes, I have broken the Law. But is it fair the way I am to be treated?
But God is a God of not only Justice, but of Grace and Mercy:
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17
God has given me a way to know I have I have turned my back on Him and letting me know that the penalty of this, is death. He did this by revealing the Law through Moses.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23
Then, by His Grace, He sent His Son Jesus to reveal this truth to me and the whole world. Not only that, His Son Jesus then paid that penalty for me in full! He died on the Cross at Calvery for my sin. And by accepting what Jesus has done for me, I now can pass into heaven and live for eternity with my Creator. Now that’s Grace, that’s Mercy.
As the young Police Constable pointed out to me, The Law is the Law and ignorance of it, or ignoring it, is no defense. He was right and he was not Jesus…Grace & Mercy did not prevail here and I had to pay the penalty.
It is a stark reminder of how it will be for so many who arrive at the Judgment Seat and find out that they had sinned and either chose to ignore the Law and God’s gift of Jesus, or were simply ignorant of it. If you haven’t accepted God’s Gift of Jesus personally, you can do so today – Click HERE.
As I recall my anger, the unfairness, the indignity I experienced that night, I am compelled to share the Good News about Jesus to as many people as I can. Not only that, don’t park in Disabled Parking Bays!