Verses:

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Ephesians 1:7 says, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.”

1 Peter 2:27 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

Reading:

At the date of this writing (2021), only once has the World Series been won on a sac fly. In 1912, Larry Gardner of the Boston Red Sox hit a fly ball off a pitch from the New York Giants’ Christy Mathewson. Steve Yerkes tagged up and scored from third base to win game 8 in the tenth inning and take the series for the Red Sox.

Without God, like we have previously talked about, we are outcasts. We are separated from God and are nowhere close to getting back home. We have to legally be allowed to get back to home plate some way and are stranded on third base like Steve Yerkes. 

God stepped up to the plate when we needed it. God did something we couldn’t do. He put on human flesh and became a man. He was born as a man into the world. He lived the life we couldn’t live – a perfect life actually. There is a lot of theology and detail to how this came to be, but just know that God got dirty in the same way that he had to take showers (he was a real human being) but his heart never decayed and was always pure from the time he was born into the world because he was God!

Then, he did something amazing! He became the ultimate sacrifice, enabling us to run to home plate - back home to him. He took the out for you and me. Our good works weren’t good enough, but God’s always is! By his grace, the way God did that about 2,000 years ago, was going to die on a wooden cross for our sins. This was the way he took the out. His perfect life and blood was a payment that washed us clean before God – a God that could see all of our imperfections. God had to have someone take the punishment that we deserve – and he did it for you. Thank him that he didn’t give up on us, didn’t punish us right away, or start over with the world. He loved us by dying for us!

This man has a name that was sacrificed for you. His name is Jesus!

Prayer Prompt:

God, this is awesome news! I understand my inadequacy and imperfection. I needed saving so badly. Thank you so much for taking the out for me! That is amazing that you would die for me. That is grace! I could never be thankful enough for what you did for my sinful heart. I now see that you are a good God and you have loved me from the beginning – even through exile because of my sinful heart. I can place my faith in you because you have done the impossible! You have done what I couldn’t do and let me come home to you. I want to trust you now and I will start running home.

Reflection Question:

What is the cost of your sin? What did Jesus do for you?

Response:

Have a conversation with a Christian. Ask them about the gospel. Also, ask them to tell you their testimony - about how they came to know Jesus Christ and what God is teaching them today.