WHATS YOUR EXCUSE

LORD, I have come for a pardon.

And who are you?

Me! Don’t you know me Lord? I am the best man in all of my hometown. I’ve been as honest and upright with all of my neighbors as is humanly possible.

And your name?

My, name Lord, is Mr. Morality.

Hmm, Mr. Morality, let me see. Most of these pardons read, “I am not come to call the righteous, but the sinner. (Matthew 9:13)
I don’t see a pardon made out for any Mr. Morality.

But, are you a sinner?

A common sinner! I should say not! There is not a single person who knows me who can charge me with a single wrong. Why, I would dare say that I am the most respected citizen in my town.
Well then, Mr. Morality perhaps this pardon will do.
It reads “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6) Are you ungodly, my friend?
No sir Lord, I have never been looked upon as being an ungodly man.

Possibly then, this is the one for you, Mr. Morality. It reads; “There is none righteous, no, not one!

Are you unrighteous?

I unrighteous, Lord! How could I ever be unrighteous, when the very essence of my name is Mr. Morality!

Well, then Mr. Morality, I’m sorry, very sorry, but I’m afraid that there is not a single pardon available for you.

Another steps forward and asks for a pardon.

Who are you friend?

Mr. Religionist, Lord.

And what claim have you to present for a pardon, Mr. Religionist?

“Lord, have I not been the most faithful worker of all in my home church?
Was I not a deacon and then an elder, not to mention the founder of the church.
Lord, I labored for the uplift of the people of my community, and gave thousands of dollars to the church.
Surely, for all of this, I deserve a pardon, Lord.”

“But are you a sinner, friend?”

“A sinner! Indeed I am not! I have been religious all my life. I never strayed from the fold. In fact I was brought up in church.”

“Well, Mr. Religionist, your claim of being religious I do not for a moment dispute.
You are certainly well named. But I am compelled to tell you that all these pardons are made out to sinners. I have none for you .”

“None for me! Me, the most faithful church member in the whole city! None for me! Don’t I deserve one?”

“Not on the grounds of being religious, my friend. But hold on, wait a minute. Here is one that reads; The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Do you realize Mr. Religionist that you are lost?”
“Lost, Lord! Why what do you mean? I have never been lost, never in my life. In fact, I’ve always been a Christian, Lord.”

“Perhaps so, friend, but I cannot recognize such claims as you present. My pardons are not for you.”
“Not for me, Lord! Not for me! But wait, I see one that might be for me. Please read what it says.”

“This one? Oh, yes, I see it. Well, here it is listen: “All are guilty before God!” Do you plead guilty? If so, this pardon is for you.”

“Not for one moment do I plead guilty, Lord. Mr. Religionist is proud to say that he has never been guilty, never!”

“Obviously, then, my friend it is not for you.”

Then walks up another.
He bows low as he approaches and humbly requests a pardon.
“And who are you my friend?”

“Me. Oh, I’m nobody at all, Lord. I’m just a poor sinful man.”

“Well upon what grounds do you expect to get a pardon?”

“Only on the ground of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have never done anything to merit or deserve it. I’m just a sinner. Lord. Is there a pardon for a sinner like me?”

“Indeed there is, friend, and an abundant one, at that. Here, take this one. It reads, ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’. I have plenty for sinners. You are pardoned.”

In the book of Ephesians chapter 2 we read “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;)
and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.” vs. 4-9
We receive our pardon only by means of redeeming faith, not in who we are nor in who someone else says that we are, but only through faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone.