Sinful Tickets

This morning when I woke up (to already made coffee) my pastor was excited to tell me about all of his new applications on his Galaxy. He tested my knowledge with a trivia game aimed at assessing your common sense and direction following. (I still haven’t passed the game) He taught me how to correctly spell Mediterranean Sea (I knew how to spell sea without his help) with a simple voice prompt. He told me the cheapest place to buy gas in this area and I should have listened since my gas light is currently on in my car. And he was almost successful in convincing me to buy a Galaxy when he explained a radar detector application. This specific application notifies you when there is a radar gun within so many miles. I know you are thinking, “Jay just go buy a radar detector.” And it is a legit thought but radar detectors are illegal in some states AND radar detectors don’t agree to pay your speeding ticket if you get one while using them. That’s right friends, there is an application on a handheld technological device willing to pay for a speeding ticket if you get one while using it. Way to much good news at 9:30 in the morning for someone who has a slight problem with obeying the speed limit. (And who has thousands of dollars in student loans)  

I won’t buy a Galaxy, an IPAD, or any other device capable of giving me an excuse and justification to ignore speed limits because it is just adding to one of my (very few) downfalls.  (I have tried but my foot will not accept 25 MPH) I am completely joking about having very few downfalls and unfortunately I need tickets to keep me accountable all the time. Not speeding tickets but tickets from God reminding me that my every action has a consequence. And when my actions reflect sin and the result is ultimately destruction and shame: God’s name is on the bottom of the silver clipboard where it says person responsible for fine. God isn’t responsible for my downfalls and He most definitely isn’t responsible for my sins but He is responsible for my payment. When He sent His son to die on a cross He agreed to pay for every single one of my downfalls. He agreed to pay the price for every choice I have made, for every one of my mistakes, and for every one of the messes I have created for myself. No matter how great the cost; God signs His name at the bottom of every one of my “sinful tickets”. Not only does God pay for every one of my “sinful tickets” He doesn’t change throughout the process. His payment isn’t accompanied with anger or disappointment; His payment is accompanied with love and forgiveness.  His payment relieves my fears, my bondage, my hurt, my shame, and most importantly my downfalls. Through His payments; I have been set free. I have been set free and won’t buy into Satan’s plans capable of giving me an excuse to ignore God by justifying the accumulation of “sinful tickets.” If you have a stack of yellow tickets that need paid for, put them in an envelope and send them heavenward. I promise you that you will get them pack with a stamp that reads: PAID IN FULL. He has agreed to pay for all of your downfalls too, friends. He has agreed be the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He has agreed to show you love and forgiveness no matter the extent of the cost.

When I was in undergrad, I would get warnings almost monthly during my commutes home. After a sigh of relief and a prayer of thanks; I would stuff my warning ticket in my glove box. One day when my dad was giving me my new car insurance card; he saw my collection of warning tickets for speeding. To say he wasn’t happy would be an understatement; he began lecturing instantly reminding me that when my insurance went up, he wasn’t going to help me pay for it. When I take my collection of tickets to my heavenly father, he doesn’t lecture; He gathers them in His arms (yes sometimes His hands aren’t enough) and pays for every last cent. If you want your insurance to remain in Christ all you have to do is download Him to your heart and believe that He has agreed to pay for every one of your sinful tickets.

Verse to remember: Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.