Spiritual Food: Sandpaper Gate, Repentance, and the Good news

As most of you'll know I'm a big Cricket fan. Over the Past couple of days, we've witnessed what is probably one of the saddest days in Cricketing history in recent memory. The Australian cricket team were caught for ball tampering (illegally changing the condition of the ball to gain an advantage) on Live TV and had nowhere to hide but own up. Yet in their first press conference Steve Smith (The Australian Captain) and Cameron Bancroft (the one who was caught in the act) didn't entirely tell the truth, there was no true remorse rather they gave an account that they thought they could get away with.

"Sticky tape and dirt" they initially said is what they used to scuff up the ball when later it was revealed that it was actually "sandpaper", this conspiracy was then dubbed "Sandpaper Gate". This led to the International Cricket Council (ICC) pressing moderate charges on Smith, David Warner (Vice-Captain) and Bancroft. However, Australia as a nation was enraged, bitterly angry and wanted severe penalties on the culprits which has eventually led to sanctions of one-year bans for Smith, Warner and a couple of months for Bancroft. Even the Prime Minister of Australia condemned the act as a disgrace to the nation.

The Rules of the game were broken, Judgement had to be passed and the consequences had to be borne. Recently the players returned home to Australia and I must say after watching their confessions of the truth, I was heartbroken. They broke down in tears, genuinely acknowledging their mistakes, their sin and begged for forgiveness from the nation for failing their country.

Just like Cricket, Life has its rules, but who sets these rules, these standards? Is it what we think is right? How do we say what is morally right and what is not? Why is murder a crime? Or why is adultery wrong? Is it ok for me to lie? What is the basis on what we believe? If there is a God who has created us what has he said, doesn't he set the rules as our creator? And if he has, are we following them?

The book of Romans says, for since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. The entire natural world bears witness to God through its beauty, complexity, design, and usefulness. without excuse. No one should complain that God has left insufficient evidence of his existence and character. So, we must ask then, has God spoken, if so, what has God said?

Jesus says in the gospel of Mark, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

What does "repent" mean? And why should we repent? Repent means a turning away from what separates us from God, our idols, ambitions, reputation, pride, self-righteousness, our sins. Jesus also says, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

"ALL" have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God the author of Romans says. We will never be holy enough on our own merits to come into God's presence. It's pretty clear that we all are defiled and hence just like the culprits in the Sandpaper gate deserve to be punished, we too deserve nothing more than condemnation for who we are and the things we have done. Justice is required.

Many worldviews would probably go like this, as long as my good outweighs my bad, God should be alright with me. Look at Steven Smith for example, he is considered the greatest batsmen in test cricket since the greatest of them all Sir Donald Bradman (at least by statistics), hasn't he done enough good to outweigh this one hiccup of failure in leadership? No, because Smith is not above the laws of Cricket.

Similarly, our good can never cover up any of our sins. The fact is, our sin separates us from God and by nature the Bible says that we are born in sin. David, the man after God’s own heart, wrote in the Psalms, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” Paul an apostle wrote that we all gratify “the cravings of our sinful nature”. That means there is something naturally inside us that pushes us toward sin.

We are sinners by deed as well as by nature. We are born in sin, but we continue to sin by our own volition. When we choose sin, we become guilty before God. We have broken God's law, failed his standards and it is to God that we must be reconciled to. We in no way can earn God's forgiveness as our righteousness are like filthy rags. If we could earn forgiveness then that would make us par with God without a clean heart. You can only receive forgiveness. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.

When Smith, Warner and Bancroft really did comprehend the consequences of their actions, they did repent and gave a heartfelt confession of their biggest mistake in their lives and hoped to earn the respect & trust of the country again someday. In a similar way we need to repent, to turn away from our sins and look and believe in Jesus.

To "believe", is to recognize that Jesus Christ has the right to control our life. We recognize that we are rebels against God and deserve to be punished and believe that Jesus Christ died for us on the Cross taking the punishment which our sins deserved. One who believes responds to God’s call to repent. They have turned from rebelling against Jesus and submitted to Him. This person knows that he or she has been forgiven. They know that God has made them a new person and that Jesus lives in their life. They know this because they see their changed desires, attitudes and behavior.

Unlike those cricketers though we cannot earn our forgiveness or our reputation, rather we must look to Jesus as he is sinless. The author of Hebrews says that Jesus was in every respect tempted as we are yet He was without sin. Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. That makes him the perfect sacrifice, the perfect atonement for those who trust in Him.

Do you trust Him? Very simply put Christ suffered for you! Christ bore your sins in his body on the cross. Christ's suffering was the agony of being nailed to the cross, being forsaken and dying there for your sins. And his suffering for you was his bearing your sins. It was a substitution. He bore them in death instead of you having to bear them in death. The perfect lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

This is tremendously good news for us sinners who believe! This is what the word "gospel" means, it is good news! That is why we celebrate Christ's death. Good Friday was the bitterest of all days, as Jesus endured the shame of the cross. Yet just as wine may bring us joy, the salvation He purchased makes Good Friday the most joyous of all days for God’s people. Let this sink in. You do not have to carry your sins or be burdened by them. You do not have to wake up with guilt or go to bed with guilt. You can bank your hope on the finished work of God in Jesus. "Christ bore our sins in his body on the cross."

It does not end in death though. Paul the apostle reminds us, "I remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel . . . For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures". Yes, indeed Christ was delivered up for our sins and raised for our justification. Had Jesus remained dead, we would still be in our sins. His death would have been no more significant than the death of any other person, for death has rightful claim only over sinners, and if Jesus had stayed dead, it would have indicated that He was a sinner and unable to atone for us. But because Jesus was perfectly righteous, death could not hold Him

The culprits of the sandpaper gate were condemned for their actions and banned from the game, so are we who don't trust in our God in this game of life. I urge you therefore to repent of your sins and believe in the Gospel. Whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

I hope to see Steve Smith, Dave Warner and Cameron Bancroft back on the field one day but I equally hope that you will consider the Gospel. Happy Easter! He is Risen indeed !!
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