Will I get away with it?

Some make a game of it. Some do it in a rush or out of fear. Some do it on purpose, out of malice. Most of us do it every now and then, we do it all the time or by accident. We try not to get caught doing something that we know is not right.

This is especially clear when driving a car. Will I be able to escape if I overtake this truck on the wrong side? Will I be able to escape if I do not stop completely at Stop or still drive at Yellow? Will I be able to escape if I exceed the speed - I'm in a hurry, after all?

Sometimes I try not to get caught while cooking or sewing. Nobody will notice if I use another spice or that I sewed a piece crookedly. Or I try to eat an extra piece of chocolate unobserved or hope that my lame excuse not to practice is not discovered.

Are we ever trying to escape spiritual things in the hope that God will not notice or overlook them? Obviously, God sees everything, so we know that we can not get away with anything like that. Does not his grace cover everything?

Nevertheless we still try it. We could argue well: I'm getting away from not praying today. Or: I'm getting away with saying that little gossip or looking at this dubious web site. But are we really getting away with these things?

Christ's blood covers the sins of a Christian, the past, present and future. Does that mean that we can do anything we want? Some have asked this question after learning that grace is not the observance of the law of everything necessary to be able to stand before God.

Paul answers with a resounding no in Romans 6,1-2:
"What shall we say now? Shall we continue in sin that grace may be full? Far be it!” Grace is not a license to sin. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us: "All things are revealed and laid bare in the sight of him to whom we are accountable" (4,13). If our sins are as far removed from God's memory as the east is from the west, and grace covers all, why should we still have to give an account of ourselves? The answer to that question is something I remember hearing a lot at Ambassador College: "attitude."

"How much can I take and get away with?" is not an attitude that pleases God. It wasn't his attitude when he made his plan to save mankind. It wasn't Jesus' attitude when he went to the cross. God gave and continues to give - everything. He doesn't look for shortcuts, the bare minimum, or whatever just crosses his path. Does he expect anything less from us?

God wants us to see a giving attitude that is generous, loving, and abundant, more than what is needed. If we go through life and try to escape with all sorts of things, because grace covers everything, then we will have to give a lot of explanations.

by Tammy Tkach


pdfWill I get away with it?