By David A. Sargent
When I first read
the title of the article, I thought to myself, “I’d sure hate to pay that
fine.” The title of the article is: “Library book returned after 110 years in
Idaho.”
110 years
overdue. How much was the fine? When the book – the “New Chronicles of
Rebecca” by Kate Douglas Wiggin – was last checked out of the public library in
1911, in Boise, Idaho, the fine for overdue books was 2 cents per day. “With a fine of two cents per day for 110
years, whoever checked out this book would owe $803,” reported Boise’s Carnegie
Public Library in a social media announcement.
The report continued: “Thank goodness the Boise Public Libraries are now
fine free!”
The book by Wiggin
was a sequel to her first fictional novel “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.” Both books were published in the early 20th
century (1903 and 1907) and followed the life of Rebecca Rowena Randall, who
grows up in rural Maine.
The person who
returned the book has not yet identified himself or herself. But the library is overjoyed to have received
the old book. *
Our sins put us in
debt to God (cf. Matthew 6:12). The
“fine” (penalty) for our sins is overdue: “for the wages of sin is death”
(Romans 6:23).
Our “fine” cannot
just be dismissed. The penalty must be
paid; justice demands it.
God loves us and
desires to save us. But the “fine” must
be paid. None of us has the resources to
pay the fine for our sins. So, God paid
the fine for us. That is grace –
glorious grace.
“For He [God] made
Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we [you and me] might become
the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
“He paid a debt He did not owe
I owed a debt I could not pay
I needed someone to wash my sins away;
And now I sing a brand new song, “Amazing Grace”
Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.”
God will pay the
debt of sin and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in
Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31),
confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into
Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
The blood that Jesus shed for our sins will continue to cleanse from sin
those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).
My sin has incurred an incredible debt before
God. I can’t afford to pay it. Thank God, I don’t have to. Jesus paid the debt for my sin with His own
blood. He will pay yours, too, if you
will only submit your life to Him.
Won’t YOU?
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