"Pardon"

Grandpa was an outlaw man,

Convicted of a crime,

Killed a man he couldn’t stand,

But didn’t do his time.

The governor of Alabam,

I think Bibb was his name,

Granted pardon to my fam,

Relieved him of all blame.

The secret all my life was kept,

The tale I never knew,

But when Grandpa to glory stepped,

My mama said what’s true.

Grandpa said they stole his gun,

Then when that fellow died,

They tried to say he was the one,

But Grandpa said they lied.

I guess the truth we’ll never know,

But this much is sure,

We all have a debt to pay,

And Jesus is the cure.

Pardon, see, is what we need,

And what He died to give,

The only way we can be freed,

And eternal life to live.

Otherwise, we live with guilt,

And soon will pay the price,

God’s grace covers like a quilt,

And always will suffice.

To say not guilty anymore,

Jesus will plead our case,

He will open heaven’s door,

And gives amazing grace.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1, NIV)

John Wesley defined justification as “pardon for our sins.’ No doubt we are guilty, for the scriptures diagnose us by saying “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3::23) All means all, which means everyone needs to be punished or pardoned. Jesus makes it possible for us to experience that absolution. Someone has said that justification is just-as-if-I’d never sinned. Why? Because Jesus died to make it so! He is our eternal Advocate, and His blood buys our pardon.

Lord, help us to receive and share the pardon You so freely gave us, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mark Maggiori, used by permission. Thanks, Mark, and God bless you.