Looking for a Loophole?

I love the story about W.C. Fields. He was on his deathbed reading a bible, which was highly out of character since Fields was an athiest, or at least an agnostic. A friend asked him what he was doing and he famously said, "I'm looking for loopholes". The good news for W.C. Fields was there is a loophole in the bible. I sure hope he found it.

Maybe you are looking for a loophole too. Life has a way of reminding us that we don't measure up. We spend too many days in the dumps because of a failure or guilt that has built up like sludge in an engine. In those rare moments of honesty in personal reflection, most of us realize we fall short on many levels. The news reminds us daily that we are not the only ones. Humanity is falling short. There's a big problem. Any sense of justice says the time will come to pay up for the moral and spiritual failures of life, and make no mistake, we all make regular contributions.

The bible does concur with this. Those debts must be paid. Aging, death and dying are powerful object lessons that the debt collector is coming. Justice demands it, but loopholes are also legal as well, and God has given us a big one. Romans reminds us that we all fall short. We know that in our hearts and souls. But Romans also says, "now a righteousness [or a loophole] has been made known... through faith in Jesus Christ" (Romans 3:21-22). The loophole is made legally binding through faith. In other words, trust God more than you trust yourself. Trust God's promise more than you trust the world's doubts and false self-confidence. This Easter when you look at the cross, remember God's justice, but also your loophole
through Christ.