Expunged Record
Bible Reading: Romans 3:21-26
Author: Thomas Buice (Tennessee, US)
Author: Thomas Buice (Tennessee, US)
Friday 26 April 2024 © The Upper Room.
Our state recently passed a law that will expunge certain criminal records. Applicants who are approved may leave court with a clean slate.
As a probation officer, I once went through my files to see which offenders qualified to have some of their rights restored. I was given a checklist of requirements on which to base my judgment.
Once I came to a disqualifying factor, I put the file back in the drawer. The process was cut and dried.
I am glad that God doesn’t have a list of disqualifying factors before expunging our records. He doesn’t say, ‘Sorry, your sin is too awful’, or ‘Look, you did this more than once. Your whole life is marked with a pattern of wrongdoing.’
There is no record that God cannot expunge. There is no life so messed up that he cannot restore it. And once our record is expunged, we can maintain a clean record with confession and forgiveness.
Prayer: Dear Lord, we are eternally grateful for your forgiveness. We were without hope. Thank you, Jesus. Amen
