Our little boy’s favorite TV program is Emergency. It is a series from the 1970’s that features two emergency rescue workers and their adventures helping others. The other day our 3 year old was laying in the back yard pretending that he was hurt and trapped in a hole. The 5 year old was tying the dog cable around him so that the 4 year old could hoist him out. I had to caution them not to hurt their little brother as they pulled while smiling under my stern admonition.
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Another one of their imaginary adventures involved a “bad guy.” I did not hear all of what was happening in their role play, but I listened long enough to hear our 4 year old say, “We should tell the bad guy about Jesus. He needs to know that Jesus loves him.” Some would have expected to hear, “We need to shoot the bad guy,” but instead my little man realized what the bad guy really needed.
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In a child’s mind, a bad guy is someone who steals, hurts, or kills, but according to the scriptures we are all bad guys. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23). Although the following list is by no means exhaustive, it gives some examples of the sort of things that prove we are all “bad guys” in God’s eyes. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (I Corinthians 6:9-10 NKJV)
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Some may look at that list and say, “Well, I’m not a drunk or a thief, so at least I’m all right.” But notice that even being covetous- wanting what someone else has- makes us unrighteous before God. No wonder Romans 3:10 says, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” As I look at my own life, I realize that I truly have sinned and come short of the glory of God. I also realize that the wages of sin is death. I realize that because of my unrighteousness, I do not deserve to be allowed into the kingdom of God. I realize that because of my sin, I am a bad guy.
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But I also realize the truth that my 4 year old shared. I understand that Jesus loves me. I understand that God loves me even though I am a sinner. “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8 NKJV)
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The consequences for my sin are serious, but because of my trust in Jesus Christ, I do not have to face those consequences. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) God’s gift is eternal life through believing on Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
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Remember that list of sins from I Corinthians 6? The Corinthians that the Apostle Paul was writing to in that letter were bad guys, but they had trusted Christ, therefore he is able to say in the very next verse: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (I Corinthians 6:11) If you have not yet trusted Christ, you can trust Him now and be washed as well.
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