16: Caught Red-handed

When my son was a little boy, I walked in on him watching a television program that would fall in the category of what we referred to as a “bad show.” It was a “teenager” show where the kids were disrespectful, and the adults were portrayed as fools. As I approached my son, the screen flickered, and it was obvious that he had changed the channel. The remote control was gripped tightly in his guilty palm. Instead of giving him the riot act that he was expecting, I took him in my arms and set him on my lap. He seemed uncomfortable at first. What he really wanted to do was bolt!

I said, “Son, did you know that God forgave you for watching that show? And He has already forgiven you for every bad show you’ll ever watch in your entire life? Did you know that there is nothing you could ever do that would make God mad at you or not love you? That’s what Jesus did for you and me when He died on the cross and took our sins away.” All of a sudden he started weeping. I was a little surprised at his reaction and I asked him, “What’s the matter? Does that upset you?”

With big crocodile tears running down his red cheeks, he said, “No, mom. I’m not upset. Jesus just loves me so much!!”

After hugging him for a minute or two and telling him more about the love of Jesus for us, I thought I’d ask him a question, “Does this make you want to go and watch a bad show?”

His answer: “No, I don’t want to anymore.”

Like my son wanting to bolt through the door when I caught him red-handed watching that program, the natural result of guilt is the feeling that we should run from God. Is it possible that God would want us to “climb in His lap” even when sin?

(from pages 55-56 of Unveiling Jesus)

Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!

Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.

---

Shop Unveiling Jesus Products