“That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sin against them.” (2 Corinthians 5:19 NIV)

One Christmas my brother and I received a new game: Monopoly. We played that game, with our best friend Michael, for many, many years thereafter. It was a game which I found uninteresting and a real bore. In fact, I still do. Back then however, nearby friends were limited, so I was stuck with my brother and Michael who always chose to play Monopoly, so I did too.

There was one good thing about the game however. The best thing ever really. Which was the card, if you were lucky enough to draw it, which read: Get Out of Jail Free. This card was a lifesaver, for if you landed on a space that sent you directly to jail, you couldn’t collect $200 for passing Go and you either had to pay $50 to get out jail or roll doubles on your next turn. You had three different turns to try and roll doubles but then had to pay $50 if you didn’t, something which often made the difference between winning or losing, depending on just how much money you had.

Thinking back, and having a laugh over these memories also made me think of another Get Out of Jail Free card, so to speak, that God offers to each and every person, not only at Christmas, but all year round.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NIV)

Christ came into the world to pay the penalty for our sin. A penalty that sentences man to eternal separation from God, who is Light, into the eternal darkness of the jail of hell for eternity. God, in His mercy and love however chose to offer man a Get Out of Jail Free Card through the work that Christ did on the cross where He bore our sins in His own body that by grace we may be saved, not by our own works but through faith in His.

Therefore, because of Jesus and the free gift of salvation He offers, to one and all, no one ever needs to be separated from God and bear the consequences of his sin, the penalty of death and the darkness of hell, unless he so chooses to do so.

What do you choose this Christmas? The Go directly to Jail Card of life, or The Best Thing Ever, that Jesus freely offers to all who choose to trust in His name, repent of their sins and accept the grace of His forgiveness and salvation forever. The choice is up to you. But if you stop and think about it, I think you will agree, that there’s really only one choice worth making.

Prayer: Father God thank You so much for Jesus and the free gift of eternal life He offers to all, right now, here today. Please open the hearts of mankind, worldwide, to make the only real choice worth making. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Lynne Phipps
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada