By Ken Murrell
Depew Church of Christ
In eastern Kentucky there’s a town which was built by corruption in the government, the police force, and apathetic citizenry.
In the 1920’s a young man who had grown up in that town was determined to put an end to the illegal gambling and liquor establishments. Of course, this came at a high cost to him and his family. He was severely beaten and left for dead in a downtown alley.
When the young man found an ally within the town’s legal system he was convinced to run for District Attorney. On Election Day, thugs were at the polls to “influence” voters to cast their ballot for the opposition. Those who refused were severely beaten. Some were hospitalized. In spite of all their heavy-handed criminal attacks and murderous attempts, the young man was elected. He immediately began going after corrupt officials.
Then came the explosion. It ripped through the District Attorney‘ s home. His teenage son was thrown through a window to the street.
One evening the DA left his downtown office later than he’d planned. As he approached his parked car in an adjacent alley, the young DA was brutally gunned down in the darkness.
His ally then stepped up to prosecute those connected to all the violence and vice in the small town. But he needed proof. It came one night when a competitor in the vice game entered one of the night spots controlled by his competing corruption bosses.
Within a few mInutes of his entering a gunshot blasted away his life. Only two men were present. The murdered man’s fleeing girlfriend saw who fired the fatal shot.
That girl disappeared before giving her testimony.The corrupt judge ruled her paper testimony invalid. Both men were acquitted. “WHAT?”Yes! But,in this freedom from deserved punishment is where our lesson is found.
Because all people sin (Romans 3:23), making us all in need of God’s healing forgiveness (1 John 1:9), we can see in this tale the concept of God’s grace. Grace is at the heart of the gospel (“good news!”).
Unlike the corrupt judge, God is a just God who desires that all repent of their sins and seek His mercy and grace (see 2 Peter 3:9).
Grace, in Scripture, goes beyond and even cancels the deserved punishment. In the case of your sinning against God, you need Him to demonstrate His marvelous grace (Ephesians 2:810). Please read these verses about God’s grace in your own Bible.
The good news is that you can experience God’s grace and the removal of all your sins. This is possible only through the death of Jesus on the cross. You are helpless to remove your own sins.
You can experience God’s grace today.