Before the television, there was photography. Tin types give us a glimps of Billy the Kidd and President Abraham Lincoln as they looked, in black and white of course. Ansel Adams took some of the most breathtaking landscape photography which is still found in art galleries around the world. Even noted photographer Helmut Newton uses black and white photography to effect in some of his work. And how many people can forget Walt Disney’s first animated feature ‘Steamboat Willy’? Arguably the first glimps into what would later become ‘Mickey Mouse’.

If you were to take a piece of white paper and put one small black dot on it, that dot draws you to to it. If you keep placing dots on that paper, you get a chaotic pattern but that white paper is gone forever and replaced instead with a grey-toned paper.

God, the God of Abraham, the God spoken about in the Holy Bible views sin in much the same way. God does not distinguish between a little sin and a great sin. He does not view sins in grey-tones. You are born as a pure white piece of paper. And each sin you commit, is placed on that paper. Even one sin is a black mark that changes that sheet of paper from white to a shade of grey which is seen as black by God. Remember, He sees in black or white, no shades of grey.  So any shade of grey is of course seen as black.

Man is the animal that distinguished different shades of grey where sin is concerned. We instinctively say that a lie is less of a sin than murder, right? How many times have you thought that ‘my sin of stealing $10 is no where near as bad as your sin of stealing $1,000 or even $100. I only look and imagine having sex with my neighbors wife, not like you who actually committed adultery with your neighbors wife. Man makes distinctions in severity. Why else would we have prison terms like 5 years or 10 years or life? How can God, the creator make even one sin a punishment of the death penalty? He made us. He should have known we would sin, right?

James 2:13 gives us an answer to that.”For judgment is without mercy”.  But judgment of what?

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. So you see, even one sin creates a chasm which can not be crossed. So some would then justify that since they have sinned and have been given the death penalty from God himself, why bother. What can a person do to cheat this death penalty? There again, God himself gave an out. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting live”. OK, so God allowed His Son, Jesus Christ to be sacrificed so we all could be saved from the death penalty. Cool. So there is a way to avoid the death penalty. Whew! “I was worried there for a moment” you might think. Well, there is something you must do.

Romans 10:9 states “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. Did you catch that little bit? …confess with your mouth and believe in your heart…Well, you did not think that you could get a pass from the death penalty for free, did you? Well, actually it is free. You just have to accept it. I mean if I had a gold piece in my outstretched hand, in order for you to have that gold piece, you have to reach out and accept it. So If you so chose to accept the free gift, just simply repeat AND BELIEVE the following….

“Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and have displeased You in many ways. I believe You died for my sins and only through faith in Your death and resurrection can I be forgiven. I want to turn from my sin and ask You to com into my life as my Savior and Lord. From this day on, I will follow You by living a life that pleases You. Thank You, Lord for saving me. Amen”

This is only the beginning for you. If you read that prayer and meant it, I urge you to find a church and learn more. You are not perfect, but you are now forgiven.

And to those that only suspected before, yes, I am a Christian. Not perfect, far from it but forgiven.