August 2, 2018 (Thursday)
O.K. I’m not sure I got the details of this story right. So bear with me. If you know the original story, just send it to me and I’ll tell it right the next time.
Two politicians, Ike and Sam, hated each other. Neither ever saw anything good about the other. Sometimes their arguments grew so heated that onlookers were convinced that they were about to have a fist fight. But it didn’t come to that, until one day, the argument did not stop with words–it took the next step and Ike punched Sam in the face.
Sam reported Ike for battery and they went to court. The judge asked Ike, “How do you plead?” Ike replied, “Guilty.” The judge banged his gavel. “Ten dollars” he loudly said. . Ike paid the money and the two walked out of the courtroom into the hall, whereupon Ike punched Sam in the face again. Sam reported it to the judge and the two appeared in court together again. “How do you plead?” the judge asked Ike. “Guilty” was the reply. “Pay the fine,” said the judge. Ike immediately paid, smiling, “It was worth $10 to hit him again!”
The fine was too small. If it had been $1000, the first blow might never have been struck. Certainly not the second one for sure.
Have you ever read Romans 6:23, where it says “The wages of sin is..” Now if the wages of sin is $10, you will feel free to repeat the sin often. But if the fine is a large amount, then you will probably restrain yourself and refrain from sinning repeatedly.
Well, guess what? The fine is heavy. Let’s read it (Romans 6:23). “The wages of sin is..are you ready for this?..the wages of sin is..death! Yep, that’s what it says. Whoa, that’s a heavy fine! That means sin is serious, doesn’t it?
While you think that over, let’s read the rest of that verse. Here goes: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Wow. What a difference between the two. The choice is yours. Death or life?
Why would a person choose death rather than life? Does not make sense, does it? Choose life. Choose Jesus. “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved!” (Romans 10:9-10). Just think what is offered you. Today. Right now. Accept the gift.