The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Romans 8:1-5, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

There’s an interesting old story that says it all. A young schoolteacher had come to the village with the responsibility of instructing the village children. He was a young teacher; yet, he knew there had to be rules in the classroom.

“What rules shall we have?” the teacher asked the young scholars.

“There shall be no lying,” said one. “We must always tell the truth.”
“There shall be no stealing, said another. “Each of us has a right to his own possessions.” And so it went until they had successfully crafted a set of rules.

“Now, what shall be the punishment, should someone break a rule?” the teacher asked. “Is lying more severe than theft –or is it the other way around?” Thus, the class commenced to reason out the rules as to their importance. Further, they assigned punishments accordingly– so many lashes for stealing, so many for
theft, until all the rules had been assigned a specific punishment.

All went well until Billy stole answers to a test by looking at another student’s paper. The agreed upon punishment had already been set at five lashes with a heavy leather strap! This was going to hurt. None of the students wanted Billy to be whipped, but what were they to do? They had established the rules, and Billy had broken one; he had to be punished.

Tears filled Billy’s eyes as he stripped off his shirt and the teacher took hold of the
thick leather strap.

“WAIT!” yelled young George! “Don’t whip Billy! Whip me! Yes, we agreed on the rules, but it was never stated who was to be punished. I want to take Billy’s place!” So George took Billy’s place and suffered for Billy, who broke the rules.

It’s a child-like story that tells how Jesus, who never sinned, too our place on the
cross for the sins we have committed. He took your place! He took my place.
Jesus paid it all.

Jesus paid it all;
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain;
He washed it white as snow.

Friend, you and I are the sinners. And the wages of sin is death. Yet, Jesus
took our place on the Cross and paid the penalty for our sin! How thankful we
should be that we serve a forgiving Savior! What can we do to say “Thank You”
to Him? We can yield our lives to the One who yielded His Life for us. Have you
done that? There is a day coming when we shall all give an account for our sins.
We can be ready by confessing our sins to Him today!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom