A tiny piece of plastic, about a third the size of a kernel of corn, snapped off a clamp holding the CPU of my sister’s computer. It was designed to keep the CPU pressed tightly to a heat sink. Without it the CPU retained its self-generated heat and triggered an almost instant shutdown when started. Being tightly connected to that heat sink was essential.
Being tightly connected to Jesus is essential. Without it our sin generated guilt will shut us down. If we expect to fully function we must transfer the fruit of our ignorance and stupidity to another. That’s why we scapegoat others. When a nation is failing it looks for a group, a political party, a neighbor nation. Somebody has to be blamed. It can never be our fault. It started in Eden. “Lord, the woman you gave me made me do it.” We as individuals and as groups have been doing it ever since. The problem is the blame game ends up destroying others and ourselves. It is a no-win scenario.
But Jesus is perfect. He says I’ll take care of it for you. While He cannot accept the blame, our sins are not His fault, He can do something better. Because of His sacrifice for all the sins of the world, He can blot out our sins and restore us. Unlike us, who forgive but remember, He forgives and forever treats us not as forgiven but as if we had never sinned at all. We do not have to grovel. We can come boldly to the throne of grace and receive the privileges of being God’s daughters and sons. Our sins and our guilt are removed. We have a sin sink.
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Written by Roger Bothwell on August 13, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
rogerbothwell.org