What do you say when you make a really big mistake? “Opps”… “My bad”… “I blew it”…and some might even dare to say a few choice curse words.
I’ve got a better solution. School is starting any day now and many students will fill their backpacks with school supplies. The ‘Big Eraser” should be a must-have tool at your desk. When you make a grammatical error, just get rid of it with one swipe of the Big Eraser. When you miscalculate a math problem, that’s no problem at all. Just whip out the Big Eraser and make the correction to your math mistake.
Certainly, you have seen the Big Eraser. This giant 5 inch eraser will last you several school years and countless mistakes. If I were in charge, I would market this tool for parents and adults too. Parents could use it in the office or even at home. When bad inattentive drivers cross you and the wrong word comes out… or when somebody gets on your last nerve and you wish you could slap them – or maybe you do – and you wish you could take the reaction back. No problem, just pull out the Big Eraser and say “My Bad”.
Don’t we wish life would offer such simple solutions? When we make really big mistakes… like a Marriage that fails because of our infidelity or our addiction… or when our Children run away… or when we break our best friends heart through a betrayal… or when we turn our backs on God and stop going to church (when we know that really need the Lord’s help and guidance)… or when we sin and mess up with God.
Truth is, sin hurts God’s heart. Sin hurts others. People are affected because they love us and we are all connectedness by humanity and mutual consequences. Sin hurts ourselves too. If we continue to sin, then we can become callous and won’t be able to feel our conscience. As a result, our hearts becomes hardened and we don’t care how we make other people feel. Too bad we can’t use this Big Eraser for those types of mistakes. It seems they are permanent marks and mistakes for the rest of our lives. What help do we have then?
In Romans 7-8, the apostle Paul asked the same question: “Who will deliver me from this situation I am stuck in?”
The answer is Jesus Christ.
25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:25)
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
This is great news. Jesus is the Big Eraser for our sins. That is a reason to praise God! No wonder David the psalmist sang Psalm 103.
1
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
11
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
Jesus told a story about a Father who had a prodigal son who ran away from home (Luke 15). This son finally hit rock bottom as a result of his sinful lifestyle and decided to return back home. I love what happened next. The father pulled out His heavenly eraser and forgave the son. He erased the memory and penalty of the son’s sins. He erased his poverty and the fact that he didn’t have any shoes on. He erased his poor and stinky dress and gave him a new robe to put on. He erased his separation and gave him a ring identifying him again as a son and heir of the family. He erased his hunger and killed a fattened calf. He erased his shame and embarrassment and celebrated his new life and return back home by hosting a celebration!!!
Let’s sing and rejoice because Jesus is God’s heavenly eraser. It doesn’t matter how big our mistakes are. Jesus can erase them.