Tales from PRISON

There’s a story of a prisoner sentenced to death by hanging. The prisoner had in his rage killed a person and was terribly remorseful about his outburst and the dire consequence for the person and now for himself. He had thrown himself into a self-imposed solitary confinement of depression, waiting only for the day of his hanging.

Someone had, however, taken his case to the governor of the city requesting an executive pardon be granted him for the dangerous mistake he had made. The Governor after reading the case file, and noting the history of the man and his penitent state decided to give the prisoner this rare executive pardon which could only be given once in his office. You see the law of that state permitted the governor to give such a pardon once and in-person to the recipient.

So, this Governor drove down to the prison and waited in the visiting room according to the rules, with the executive pardon in hand.

The announcement was made over the speakers that this particular prisoner should come to the visiting room and meet his visitor. His cell doors were unlocked but in his cell he remained sulking in sadness, refusing to see anyone. Multiple calls were made but in his prison cell, he remained, refusing to see anyone and wishing only to be left in his misery.

After several hours of waiting in vain, the Governor stood up and left the prison with his executive pardon still in hand. The next week, according to the sentence, the prisoner was hanged.

The question then becomes; did the prisoner die because of his crime or did he die because he ignored the executive pardon?

As heart-wrenching as the story, it’s still happening today. For you see, you my dear are that prisoner!

All have sinned. all have broken the Divine law and the consequence of sin is a grievous and eternal death. The date of the sentence is the day one dies physically.

We’ve committed the crime now we must face the eternal time😖.

And there’s no penance, good work or religious act we can do to bail ourselves out. But!

There is a real executive pardon:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life —John 3:16.

Nobody goes to hell today because of a sin they commit, people go to hell because they ignore/reject the free offer of salvation found only in Jesus! Jesus is the Executive Pardon! He already paid the price once, you don’t need to do it again.

Please don’t ignore the voice calling your name. God’s love is forever but our time is limited.

Believe and be saved 🙏

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