But a young teacher won over the boys by letting them write the rules for the school, as well as the punishment for breaking them.  They were to be very strictly enforced with a rod. For example, stealing would be punished with ten strokes of the rod. All strokes were to be given with the offender's coat off.

One day Tom's lunch was stolen. Jimmy, a frail little boy in hand-me-down clothes, admitted his guilt. When Jimmy was called before the class to be punished, he begged to leave his coat on. The pupils insisted Jimmy obey the rules and take off his coat.  As he did, there was a gasp of shock then silence settled over the room, for Jimmy had no shirt on and his emaciated body looked like skin stretched over bones.

Suddenly, big Tom strode up and stood between the teacher and Jimmy. “'I'll take it for him, Teacher. After all it was my lunch he stole,” he said, as he shrugged out of his coat.

Afterward, Jimmy laid his hand on big Tom's arm and through his tears said, “Thank you, Tom, it would have killed me."

We had broken the law, we had offended God!  The law demanded retribution.  But the one who had been wronged took the place of the wrongdoer. He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for out iniquities, He bore our sorrows! He died for us so we could be forgiven and given the gift of eternal life.

Jesus freely offered Himself for all mankind on Calvary. When He declared, “It is Finished” sin’s debt was paid in full!  He provided a free and complete pardon for us. But the pardon is of no use unless we accept it.

A criminal named George Wilson was sentenced to death for robbing a federal payroll from a train and killing a guard. Pressure was put on President Andrew Jackson to grant Wilson a pardon because of the cry against capital punishment at the time. Eventually the president did but George Wilson refused to accept it.

The Supreme Court had to rule whether a presidential pardon could be refused. Chief Justice John Marshall read from the decision: "A pardon is a parchment whose only value must be determined by the receiver of the pardon. It has no value apart from that which the receiver gives to it. George Wilson refused to accept the pardon. We cannot conceive why he would do so, but he has. Therefore, George Wilson must die."

It is not enough to believe that God loves us and died for us! No doubt George Wilson believed the pardon he was offered was real, but it did not save him because he refused it. We must accept God's pardon for it to be effective!  It is choice, not chance, that determines our destiny not only for this life, but also for the life to come.

John 3:18          He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

To refuse what Jesus did for us on the cross means certain death.  To believe is to be saved, to refuse is to be condemned. There is no way we can stand to bear our own punishment!  Jesus has already taken the whipping for you but you must let Him have it!  It is the only way!