A Royal Adoption

The great doors to the throne room were covered with gold. I reached out and took hold of the large handle, then paused and listened. Beautiful music, sweeter than anything I had ever experienced, wafted through the doors. I had heard, though hardly able to believe it, that the King was willing to adopt anyone who would accept a gift from his Son. I held in my hand a copy of the decree that one of the King’s men had handed me on the street just this morning. I had never belonged to anyone and had always longed for a home. I had been eager to be the child of the King and had come immediately to the palace. Now, however, standing outside the door, I felt insignificant and unworthy. I had nothing to offer in return. Timidly, I turned the handle, and the massive door swung silently inward. Such beauty met my eyes that I was momentarily unable to move. Harpists on both sides of the doors continued the music I had heard. People in pure white robes mingled around with looks of complete peace and joy on their faces. I glanced down at my own ripped and soiled clothes and felt my cheeks flush. At the far end of the hall was a large platform. At the top of its  stairs were two thrones beyond description in their beauty. The King and his Son sat on them, and they shone with a light that was nearly blinding. I started to take a small step forward when I was startled to hear a voice hiss in my ear, “What do you think you are doing here? Look at them. You aren’t worthy to step one foot in there. Why, look at you. They would have you hung if they knew the things you’ve done!” The voice spat the final words in disdain. I spun around and saw a figure shrouded in a cape backing into the corner. I could feel his eyes on me and shivered involuntarily. I knew he was right. I had done so much wrong, and even my best acts couldn’t begin to compare with the purity I saw in this hall. A great yearning filled my heart. I wanted to belong here. I wanted to be like those I saw inside. The King has promised, I reminded myself. I only had to accept the invitation. I clutched the decree tighter in my hand, and tentatively took a small step forward. And then another. Those closest to me must have caught sight of my movement because they immediately parted and backed up near the walls. All down the hall the others followed, and soon two long lines of people stood on either side of the great room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the veiled figure duck through the door and slink behind the row of watchers along the wall. The music stopped, and I felt all eyes upon me. I looked behind me and saw the great doors had swung shut. There was nothing for me to do but continue forward. I gripped the decree tightly in my hand and took another step. “LIAR!” The same hissing voice yelled out. The people watching began to whisper among themselves. I took another step. “CHEATER!” Again, the voice taunted me. With every step I took, the cloaked figure’s voice filled the hall with my faults. He followed my progress, slinking along behind the white-clothed groups who began whispering louder as I grew nearer to the throne. My guilt grew with every accusation because I knew them to be true. My head bowed in shame. “THIEF!” Finally, I could take it no more. I started to turn, determined to flee this nightmare, but I froze when I heard another voice fill the hall. “Who is this that dares enter here?”  I tried to look up, but the light was blinding. I could only make out the King’s face turned away from me, as if the very sight of me repulsed Him. I opened my mouth, but only sobs escaped. How could I have believed such a tale? Of course, I could never belong here. That accuser in the crowd had pointed out to everyone my sinful past. Surely the King would have me executed. Instantly the crowds hushed. I looked up to see why and watched as the King’s Son slowly rose from his throne. His eyes were filled with a love I had never experienced. He descended the stairs, and his eyes held mine. I brushed at the tears streaming down my face. When he reached me, he knelt down on one knee and looked directly into my eyes. “Why have you come here?” His voice was kind but firm. I tried to speak, to tell him how my heart longed to be part of the scene that surrounded me, but my voice faltered. Tears continued to fall unbidden as I knew it was never to be. With a shaking hand I held up the decree. He smiled then, and I thought my soul would burst from the sheer beauty of it. He asked, “Do you wish to be adopted, then?” but I sensed he already knew. “It … it said any … anyone could … could come,” I stammered. “And so it is. But first you must accept my gift to you.” He spoke quietly, as if we were the only two in the hall. “What gift would you ever want to give to me? If only I had something to give you,” I lamented. He laid his hand on my shoulder. “And what could you ever give to deserve this?” he asked as he motioned around the room. I hung my head, knowing he spoke the truth. He lifted my chin until I looked into his eyes. “That is why you must receive the gift from me.” “But what is this gift?” I asked, confused. “Years ago my Father, the King, sent me to pay the debt for all of your wrongs. Yes,” he answered my startled expression. “We knew of them even then. We knew you would never be able to pay it yourself, and we so desperately wanted you to be a part of our family. It cost me much, but I have never regretted it. If you will only accept my payment on your behalf, we would love to welcome you into our royal family.”  His eyes searched mine as I tried to absorb all that I had heard. I looked around the room and saw the crowd of people watching us. “They … they don’t want me here,” I reasoned, shaking my head. “I could hear them whispering as I walked. They got louder the closer I came to your throne.” “Oh, my child …” He threw his arms around me then. “Don’t you know? The whispers you heard were their prayers for you to have the courage to continue. They grew louder and more fervent the closer you came because the accuser was becoming more vicious in his accusations. You see, they have all stood where you do right now, and they knew the same fear you felt, but they accepted my payment on their behalf and were beseeching the King to give you the courage to do the same.”  He held me out at arm’s length then and smiled, “So, I’ve already paid for your crimes, will you accept the payment on your behalf?” Relief washed over me like a cleansing rain as I nodded. Tears of joy filled my eyes as the Son stood and turned to his Father. With one hand he shielded me behind his back and with the other he reached out to the King. It was then that I looked down at his hand holding me and saw the scar on his palm with my name written across it. The magnitude of the price he had paid threatened to overwhelm me, but his strong arm held me fast. “This child is one of mine!” his voice rang out triumphantly. “NO!”  I turned to see the accuser storm out of the hall and slam the door behind him. “Come, my child. Welcome into my family. Forever now, you are mine—adopted this day by royal decree.”  The King’s voice filled the hall and my soul. I felt the Son tugging on my arm, and as I stepped out from behind him, I glanced down at my clothes and was startled to see them shining as pure and white as the robes of those around me. Without thinking, I ran forward until I reached the King. “My dear Father, thank you!” A spontaneous cheer rose from the great crowd, and the music began once again. I looked around and smiled. I was home. Dear reader, as you read “The Royal Adoption” above, I wonder if you saw yourself in the story. You see, the king is God, and He has sent out a royal decree, His Word the Bible, to invite us all to become his children and spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Of course, Satan, that old accuser, tries to lure us away from accepting God’s gift—either by pride or guilt—but the Son, Jesus Christ, stands ready to welcome us. In the Bible we read “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” 1 So Satan is right; we do not deserve heaven. If we are honest with ourselves, we know we have sinned. In fact, the Bible says that if we say we haven’t done anything wrong, we’re just deceiving ourselves. If you don’t believe me, just ask anyone who knows you well. We have all failed to live up to God’s standard. We lie, we cheat, we steal, we lust, we get jealous, we criticize, we get angry, and so on. The list is long, and the truth is that God is pure and holy, and He cannot allow anything impure or unholy into Heaven, or else it would cease to be heavenly.  The Bible also tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” 2 Wages are something we’ve earned. It’s what’s due us. You earn a paycheck based on the work you’ve done. You earn points on your credit card because of how much you spend. You earn points in a game because of what you accomplish. We have all earned death and separation from God in Hell for eternity because of the wrong we’ve done, which was never God’s design. God created man to have fellowship with Him, but man turned his back on God and chose to go his own way, and so that fellowship was broken. In the greatest act of love, the creator of heaven and earth refused to give up on His creation. He sent His Son to earth in the form of a man to make the payment for the sins of all mankind. “But God commendeth [demonstrated] his love to us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” 3 Jesus came to earth, lived a sinless life, and died on the cross in our place. As He hung on that cross, He was there for you. He endured it all because He loved you so deeply. Even while mankind turned their back on Him, he made a way for us to be forgiven. “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 4 Jesus took our payment (death), so that we would be able to accept His gift (life). He offers it freely to every man, woman, and child. No strings attached. When we recognize that we are a sinner and that we can do nothing in our own power to escape the consequences and then look to Him and accept His gift of forgiveness, the Bible says that God “is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 5 Have you ever bought a gift for someone, and they refused to take it? Maybe they threw it on the floor and walked away or just quietly said “No, thank you.” The same is true with this gift from God. He offers it freely to everyone. He is “not willing that any should perish,” 6 But He will not force it upon you. A gift is free, but it must be received if it is going to do the recipient any good.  If you have never accepted Christ’s gift of forgiveness, won’t you trust in Him today? It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or how “bad” you think you are. Remember, He’s already taken the payment. You only need to accept it. Will you refuse his love and face the payment of your sins alone, or will you accept His love and gift of eternal life and restored fellowship with God? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 7 And the crowd in white robes? Well, that’s me and millions of others who have stood where you do and made the choice to accept God’s forgiveness. May I tell you, without reservation, it is the best decision I have ever made. Am I perfect now? Far from it, but God’s grace continues to work in me, molding me to be more and more like Him. Is life all roses now? Not this side of eternity, but I have a friend who walks beside me every step of the way, and I can lean on Him for strength. I know others would say the same. As you make your choice, know that I am praying for you. Satan will do all he can to distract you, but I pray your heart will be sensitive to what you’ve read and that you, too, will choose to ask God for His forgiveness and become a child of the King.