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Themes Sin and God's Standards THE DRIVING TEST Tom could not wait to do the driving test for his driver's license. After all, he was an experienced driver of equipment and machinery in his father yard. He was very sure of himself going into the Driver Examination office. He was so sure, he never looked at the Driver's Handbook. "This will be a breeze," he thought. Soon, he and the driving examiner were comfortably seated, with a note pad sitting neatly on the examiner's knee. Tom cockily started the car. "This is a cinch," he thought, as he cruised out of the parking lot to the first stop sign. Following instructions, he did various turns, stops, etc. He even parallel parked the car with little problem. Soon, he motored back into the parking lot of the test center. Tom hopped out and swaggered inside to wait for the examiner's decision. Sitting beside his mother, he had no doubt he had passed the test. Finally, the examiner called him up to the counter. "I'm sorry, Tom. You will have to retake the test." Tom was shocked! Crestfallen, the normally talkative Tom, was lost for words. "Someone so good as I, could hardly flunk," he murmured to himself. "What'd I do wrong?" he asked. Naming the mistakes, the man showed Tom the different driving rules he had broken. Tom sat in the passenger seat, while his mom drove home. He seethed with anger and embarrassment. "Why, that crazy examiner flunked me over just two or three little mistakes," he told himself. However, the next time Tom studied hard, re-did the driving test and passed perfectly. He realized that the examiner would decide what was good enough rather than Tom. Sometimes, we think we are good. We are proud of ourselves, our accomplishments, our good looks, our many friends. We might even think we are pretty smart, smarter than other kids in our class. We may think we are better than others of our friends, family or neighbors. God's word says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). That means you flunked the test. You cannot re-write this one either. You cannot get into Heaven the way you are. You might be mad, humiliated, and upset. Like Peter, you might want to argue, because you figure you know more than God. Tom thought he should have passed because he only broke a few rules. Did you know you only have to break one of God's 'rules of the road' to fail the test? "Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all" (James 2:10). To repent is to admit before the Lord, as Peter did, "I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8). The only person who never broke God's law was His Son, the Lord Jesus. However, He died on the cross for sinners. Because the Lord Jesus suffered and shed His blood for our sins, God says, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins" (Isaiah 43:25). Has He removed your sins? Has He made you fit for Heaven?
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Jim Batterton
