There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:1
I am so thankful that Jesus has forgiven me of ALL my sins... from the least inconsequential to the most grievous, I have been acquitted. Still, I do not take lightly what my savior has done for me.
(The following story is one I heard many years ago. If memory serves... I believe it was a teenage boy who wrote the original! It was so inspiring... that I had it memorized at one point in my life... but age has faded the details... So I made the story my own... I think you would agree... we could all do that)
I have been to.... "THE ROOM!"
The state of my mind was between the moment of deep sleep and fluid dreaming... only to find myself in a room. A room that resembled a 'card catalog area' in a library, a room... where every wall was full of index card file boxes. The file boxes were spread out from floor to ceiling and seemed endless.
Drawn to the walls of files, I opened one of the boxes… and pulled out an index card… it was familiar in an eery sort of way. The first card read “People I Mis-treated.” I began to read and realized… these were people I had known… I instantly put the card back and shut the file. Without as much as a blink… I knew absolutely where I was.
This large room contained the crude files of my life. It consisted of each and every moment... not only of my thoughts but my actions as well… and all the details were noted in clarity and great accuracy.
In shock and curiosity… along with dread and fear… I began to haphazardly open the files and investigate their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I wondered if anyone else had seen them.
Titles ranged from the mundane to the detestable. “Pets I Adored,” “Good Deeds” “Books I Read,” “Jokes I Laughed at,” “Friends I Hurt,” “Things I did in Anger,” “Lies I have Told,” on and on it went.
I was not surprised… nor could I deny any of the content. There were more cards than I would have ever imagined… and in some file boxes… fewer than I would have taken satisfaction in. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of index cards... I withdrew.
My life of over 50 years held these thousands upon thousands of cards… and each card was written in my own handwriting and held my signature. Each card contained and confirmed the truth… that described all the actions… of all the moments that I had lived. The files had grown to accommodate their contents and were bundled so tightly… I couldn’t find their end.
I came to a file marked, “Blatant Sins,” I shuddered and a shiver went up my spine. Very slowly… I pulled out the index card chills ran through my body as I read it’s detailed content. I felt sick to think that such moments were recorded and memorialized.
Then it hit me… “No one can ever see these cards!! No one must ever come into this room! I have to destroy every card!” In a panicked and insane frenzy I began to pull out the cards and tried to tear them up… I was desperate to destroy the declarations of my life… but the cards were stronger than steel… there wasn’t anything for me to do.
Defeated, helpless and ashamed I put the cards back into their slots. I was feeling almost weak… when I leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh filled with self-pity. Just then my eyes caught site of a file box that almost had a shine and sparkle to it. I walked towards it… and the words on the card jumped out at me, “People I have Shared the Gospel With.” I pulled at its handle and saw the index cards… I could have counted them
on one hand.
That’s when the tears began to flow. I began to weep… and then I sobbed so intensely…I began to shake. I fell to my knees and trembled with the overwhelming shame of it all. This was my life… how could I have wasted so much of it?? The rows and rows of file shelves swirled around in my tear-filled eyes. What was I going to do? How could I keep this room hidden from everyone?
Just then… as I attempted to wipe away the tears… I saw Him. Oh no… not Him… not now… not here. Still, there he stood more radiant than I could have ever imagined… Jesus had entered the room.
I watched helplessly as my Lord began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn’t look him in the eye… for I felt a heartache and a sorrow… that was deeper than my own. It seemed he knew exactly where the worst files were. Oh, why did he have to read them all?
Almost immediately… I felt him look at me from across the room. He looked at me with a pity that held great sorrow and yet… I felt tremendous love… love that seem to cover me.
My head sunk and I covered my eyes and began to cry once more. Right then… He walked over and put his arms around me… and of all things he could have said… he just hugged me and cried with me.
He then got up and walked back to the walls of files. He started at one end of the room… a room that appeared to be without end, and began to pull the index cards out. One by one, he began to sign His name over mine on each and every card.
I hurriedly ran to him and cried, “No” and I pulled the cards away from him. His name shouldn’t be on these cards. But, here it was… written in such a rich red… so dark and alive. The name of JESUS had covered mine. It was written with His very own blood.
As he gently took the card back… He smiled a sad smile and continued to sign all the cards. I’m not sure how He did it all so quickly… but in the next instant… I heard Him close the last of the file boxes. He walked back to me and placed His hand on my shoulder, then He told me, “It is finished.”
Romans 8:1
I am so thankful that Jesus has forgiven me of ALL my sins... from the least inconsequential to the most grievous, I have been acquitted. Still, I do not take lightly what my savior has done for me.
(The following story is one I heard many years ago. If memory serves... I believe it was a teenage boy who wrote the original! It was so inspiring... that I had it memorized at one point in my life... but age has faded the details... So I made the story my own... I think you would agree... we could all do that)
I have been to.... "THE ROOM!"
The state of my mind was between the moment of deep sleep and fluid dreaming... only to find myself in a room. A room that resembled a 'card catalog area' in a library, a room... where every wall was full of index card file boxes. The file boxes were spread out from floor to ceiling and seemed endless.
Drawn to the walls of files, I opened one of the boxes… and pulled out an index card… it was familiar in an eery sort of way. The first card read “People I Mis-treated.” I began to read and realized… these were people I had known… I instantly put the card back and shut the file. Without as much as a blink… I knew absolutely where I was.
This large room contained the crude files of my life. It consisted of each and every moment... not only of my thoughts but my actions as well… and all the details were noted in clarity and great accuracy.
In shock and curiosity… along with dread and fear… I began to haphazardly open the files and investigate their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I wondered if anyone else had seen them.
Titles ranged from the mundane to the detestable. “Pets I Adored,” “Good Deeds” “Books I Read,” “Jokes I Laughed at,” “Friends I Hurt,” “Things I did in Anger,” “Lies I have Told,” on and on it went.
I was not surprised… nor could I deny any of the content. There were more cards than I would have ever imagined… and in some file boxes… fewer than I would have taken satisfaction in. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of index cards... I withdrew.
My life of over 50 years held these thousands upon thousands of cards… and each card was written in my own handwriting and held my signature. Each card contained and confirmed the truth… that described all the actions… of all the moments that I had lived. The files had grown to accommodate their contents and were bundled so tightly… I couldn’t find their end.
I came to a file marked, “Blatant Sins,” I shuddered and a shiver went up my spine. Very slowly… I pulled out the index card chills ran through my body as I read it’s detailed content. I felt sick to think that such moments were recorded and memorialized.
Then it hit me… “No one can ever see these cards!! No one must ever come into this room! I have to destroy every card!” In a panicked and insane frenzy I began to pull out the cards and tried to tear them up… I was desperate to destroy the declarations of my life… but the cards were stronger than steel… there wasn’t anything for me to do.
Defeated, helpless and ashamed I put the cards back into their slots. I was feeling almost weak… when I leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh filled with self-pity. Just then my eyes caught site of a file box that almost had a shine and sparkle to it. I walked towards it… and the words on the card jumped out at me, “People I have Shared the Gospel With.” I pulled at its handle and saw the index cards… I could have counted them
on one hand.
That’s when the tears began to flow. I began to weep… and then I sobbed so intensely…I began to shake. I fell to my knees and trembled with the overwhelming shame of it all. This was my life… how could I have wasted so much of it?? The rows and rows of file shelves swirled around in my tear-filled eyes. What was I going to do? How could I keep this room hidden from everyone?
Just then… as I attempted to wipe away the tears… I saw Him. Oh no… not Him… not now… not here. Still, there he stood more radiant than I could have ever imagined… Jesus had entered the room.
I watched helplessly as my Lord began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn’t look him in the eye… for I felt a heartache and a sorrow… that was deeper than my own. It seemed he knew exactly where the worst files were. Oh, why did he have to read them all?
Almost immediately… I felt him look at me from across the room. He looked at me with a pity that held great sorrow and yet… I felt tremendous love… love that seem to cover me.
My head sunk and I covered my eyes and began to cry once more. Right then… He walked over and put his arms around me… and of all things he could have said… he just hugged me and cried with me.
He then got up and walked back to the walls of files. He started at one end of the room… a room that appeared to be without end, and began to pull the index cards out. One by one, he began to sign His name over mine on each and every card.
I hurriedly ran to him and cried, “No” and I pulled the cards away from him. His name shouldn’t be on these cards. But, here it was… written in such a rich red… so dark and alive. The name of JESUS had covered mine. It was written with His very own blood.
As he gently took the card back… He smiled a sad smile and continued to sign all the cards. I’m not sure how He did it all so quickly… but in the next instant… I heard Him close the last of the file boxes. He walked back to me and placed His hand on my shoulder, then He told me, “It is finished.”
He took me by the hand and we left “the room.” There was no lock on the door… I was just about to panic again... when I rolled over in my bed… I seemed to hear Him in the distance say... “My child, there are still more cards to be written”… my eyes opened… I sat up in bed... I was wide awake.
It only took one dream to carry me away to "the room"... and I have never been back to it. Yet the memories of my visit stay with me... they are bittersweet. Bitter, because I have seen the
"real me" and I know I am one of the reasons... Jesus died on a cross... sweet because...
Jesus knew me... and He loved me enough to die on that cross!
It only took one dream to carry me away to "the room"... and I have never been back to it. Yet the memories of my visit stay with me... they are bittersweet. Bitter, because I have seen the
"real me" and I know I am one of the reasons... Jesus died on a cross... sweet because...
Jesus knew me... and He loved me enough to die on that cross!
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