bibleonly.org - Printer Friendly Article:The Road to Grace

25 May 2001

The Road to Grace

Tony was driving to a meeting when he suddenly approached slow moving cars caught up in traffic. As he was running late, after a short time, Tony began getting quite frustrated.

All of a sudden, as a bolt of lightning, the frustration and anger ignited and Tony began to become very forceful in his driving. He began to swerve and dodge the other cars and began to reach speeds of dangerous levels and was driving out of control. He must have broken every law in the book!

In a flash, an instant of an eye, Tony hit a little boy at a pedestrian crossing. The little boy had received a broken neck and had 4 ribs smashed, one piercing his heart. The little boy was screaming and crying and calling out for his mummy. He was in terrible agony and pain.

Tony in total shock ran to be by the boy’s side. He saw himself in the reflection from the boy’s tears. Tony yelled over and over, “please God forgive me, please. Oh God, what have I done? Tony said to the boy, “I am so sorry, please forgive me.” The little boy was writhing around in agony and looked deep into Tony’s eyes and said, “I’m so cold. Where is my mummy and daddy, I love them, and I forgive you Sir”.

Shortly after that the little boy took his last breath of blood and was dead.

The police arrived and Tony was arrested and taken to court. Tony was filled with grief. Never before had he ever felt such sadness, guilt and sorrow.

The judge entered the room, and to Tony’s surprise the judge was an old and loved school friend. “Tony, Tony, it’s you my old and dear friend. What have you done?”

The judge heard the whole story and began to weep. He said, “Tony, I have sensed your grief and sorrow. I tell you what I am going to do. I love you so much that I will take your penalty upon myself and extend the courts grace. You are free to go. I will go to prison on your behalf. That’s how much you mean to me.”

Tony was speechless and said “No, no, I am so sorry, please forgive me, can’t we just let it go this one time?” The judge said, “No Tony, the law is the law and cannot ever be changed. The debt has to be paid. But I will pay it on your behalf.”

The years went by, and Tony visited his old friend in prison at times. Then, one day, Tony heard how his friend had died in prison of a broken and lonely heart.

Out of total grief, he went to the police and said, “I was guilty, yet my friend has gone through hell and agony just for me, and now he is dead. I can’t stand it anymore, please lock me up and throw away the key, I’m such a sinner and selfish person and only live and care for myself’. The police said, “Sorry Sir, we can’t do that. The crime you committed has been paid for in full. The law says it cannot be paid for twice. We can’t touch you, you are free to go.”

Tony, weeping and sobbing, went out to his car. Started it up and drove away. Tony never, ever again broke the law. He kept the law out of pure and sincere love and gratitude for his friend who has suffered for him. Daily he drove down that road abiding by the law thinking about his friend and how much sorrow he had caused by breaking the law in the first place.

Reader, did you see how Tony loved and was loved. Please never mistake and confuse obedience for legalism, love is not legalism, love leads to obedience. Tony only kept the law because he was free to do so and out of pure love. Tony was already saved from prison and a lonely death, and was now totally free!

How silly would it sound to once again after being through what Tony went through, to jump in your car and once again break the law and speed down the highway and hurt someone else? How silly would it be then to be pulled over by a policeman and he says to you, “You have broken the law, you are under arrest.” And then you reply, “No police officer, you can’t arrest me, I am under the court’s grace. I can do whatever I want.”

Do you seriously think the police officer would let you go? No, the law stands, however, you can’t be saved by it because someone has already saved you from it and fulfilled it. However, the law still remains.

Jesus taught that obeying in order to be saved is the worst kind of legalism [trying to earn salvation by good works], but obeying because we are saved is the acid test of a true relationship experience with Jesus.

Obedience follows true faith just as surely as day follows night. The person who keeps the commandments because he doesn’t want to displease the God he loves is not a legalist at all.