When I was a kid, I often saw signs at amusement parks and carnivals stating you must be a certain height to go on the big kid rides. For tall kids like me, they were no big deal. For my husband, who was very tiny for his age, those restrictions were a real deterrent to fun because he always fell short of the mark on the sign.
Romans 3:23 tells us of a circumstance where everyone falls short-- all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And the consequences are far worse than missing out on a fun time. Romans 6:23 says our sins lead to death! And not just the stop-breathing, end-up-in-a-hole-in-the-ground kind of death. This is eternal separation from God, living in Hell, death.
But wait! Let’s get back to the amusement park. There WAS a way for my husband to ride those “big kid” rides! There was a caveat on those signs—UNLESS accompanied by an adult! If His dad or mom or big brother was with him, the ride operator didn’t even look at him! They saw the adult and waved them through the gate!
There is also a caveat to Romans 6:23. The second half of that verse says, “But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
There is a way for us to gain access to our holy God! Romans 5:8 shares the amazing truth that God Himself, out of His great love for us, opened the way for us to be saved from our sins, saved from Hell! God’s Son, Jesus, took our place and died on the cross to pay the price for our sinfulness! When we put our trust in Him to forgive our sins and make us holy, we no longer fall short. When we approach God, He no longer sees our shortcomings, failures, and wrongdoing! He sees that Jesus is with us and welcomes us into His presence!
I have heard my husband Dick share this illustration many times, but it still paints such a vivid picture of salvation for me! When we leave this life, if we have accepted that Jesus is our Savior, we will walk through the gates of Heaven with no hesitation. No matter how far short we have fallen in this life, God only looks at Who we are with—Jesus.
Be encouraged!
©2023 Pamela D. Williams.
