Case of mistaken identity

Case of mistaken identity


I’ve been studying out God’s grace, hoping to dig deeper in my understanding. I prayed for God to help me to understand more.

I came across a news article recently about a family in Georgia who invited their 15 year old son’s friend to come live with them.

I can definitely picture this young boy excited to have his friend come live with him, “Please, please, please, can he come?! Please mom/dad?!”

Maybe he knew about his friend, or maybe he didn’t, but the friend had been involved in gang related activity. Whichever rival gang he was messing with, came into the house he was staying and gunned him down, but unfortunately, they had the wrong boy—mistaken identity. They shot and killed the son, not the friend.

I’m sure the young 15 yr old boy who the bullet was intended for felt so guilty; how can he possibly pay back anything for his friend’s life that was taken? He can’t.

This unfortunate event reminds me of Jesus.
 “Dad! Dad! Can Ashley come live with us? Please please please?!?!”
“Ok Jesus, Ashley can come, but you must know it will cost you everything.”

When Jesus died on the cross, he knew fully what it would mean for me to come live with God. It would cost him his life—and there would still be no guarantee that I would want to come follow him home. 

“Don’t come home Ashley, there’s a bullet with your name on it and I’m taking it.”
 He purposely allowed mistaken identity.

Every time I stole, lied, cheated, envied, gave into pleasures and much more, Jesus took my bullet of punishment. Everything I did was leading me to death. (Romans 6:23). Yet in his joy he endured the cross so that I could be set free from any punishments of my past, present, and future. Jesus not only saves us from our sin, but he takes away our haunting reputation. He is the only reason why we can change from the inside out.

I am a woman who is accustomed to paying for services. I pay my cell phone bill on time without fail. I understand how the phone aids my daily life. When I use my credit card, I pay it back and desperately try to get out of the debt I have rather than letting it burden me always reminding me of the financial decisions I made. With Jesus, my temptation is the same. I don’t want to have to owe Jesus. I want to be able to pay him back once and for all so I don’t have to be reminded of my decisions. Jesus is not worried about payment nor focused on holding my sin over my head. The Longer I focus on payment, the less I focus on his grace. There is NOTHING I can do to pay him back. Jesus isn’t looking for pay back-- He was looking for me to come live with his father. The way to his house is shown when I follow him.

“My father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2


Jesus’ love is so contrary to that of the world and even my own heart. His goal isn’t to push my face in my sin, but to lift my chin to see where I’m able go because he rescued me from death.

"For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

This is the love that compels me to follow him in my everyday life. This is the reason why I don't live for myself and my own pleasures or plans for my life anymore. He took my bullet and on top of that he leads me to live a life full of purpose and gratitude. 

Hope my digging into grace helps you, too. <3
-Ashley

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