There are no second chances.

Published: Nov. 13, 2016, 10 a.m.

Are you a sinner or a saint? It’s easy to think it’s a multiple choice question. We assume we can only be one or the other. As our Christian Year draws to a close, we remember the fact that God sees our sin even more than we are able to. And yet, in Christ, we have been given the status of saint. Christ has turned an either/or into a both/and. This week we consider how God sees us at the time of our judgment. Since we sin daily, it’s easy to think as though that sin must be atoned for daily as well. But Jesus offered his life as a once-for-all payment for sins. The verdict we receive from God doesn’t depend on whether we manage to seek forgiveness for every last sin we commit before we die. His judgment will be on the basis of Jesus’ complete and perfect work for us.