Death of the Permanent Record

Columnist Bob Green of the Chicago Tribune has a theory about what's wrong with the world. He blames it on what he calls the "Death of The Permanent Record." He recalls that grade-school children once lived in fear of having their bad behavior noted on The Permanent Record. Because of this, people learned in their youth to stop before they did something deceitful or unethical. They didn't stop because they were so good but for fear of having their actions written down.

Today, according to Bob Green, people have come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a permanent record. In fact, they believe no one has a right to keep track. Green says that with today's emphasis on our rights to privacy, if a school child were ever threatened with something going on his permanent record, he would probably file suit under the Freedom of Information Act and gain possession of his files before recess.

Bob Greene is on target. The fear of consequence is still a valid deterrent to abhorrent behavior. I remind that you that God is keeping a permanent record. Your sin will find you out. The only way to expunge your record is through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus.

One of my favorite songs was written in 1865 by Elvina Hall, titled, “Jesus Paid it All.”

I hear the Savior say,

“Thy strength indeed is small;

Child of weakness, watch and pray,

Find in me thine all in all.”

For nothing good have I

Whereby Thy grace to claim;

I’ll wash my garments white

In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

And now complete in Him,

My robe, His righteousness,

Close sheltered ’neath His side,

I am divinely blest.

Lord, now indeed I find

Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,

Can change the leper’s spots

And melt the heart of stone.

When from my dying bed

My ransomed soul shall rise,

“Jesus died my soul to save,”

Shall rend the vaulted skies.

And when before the throne

I stand in Him complete,

I’ll lay my trophies down,

All down at Jesus’ feet.

Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe;

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.

Attempting to connect the dots…

Wayne
Romans 1:16

Quotable:
"Every choice carries a consequence. For better or for worse, each choice is the unavoidable consequence of its predecessor. There are no exceptions. If you can accpet that a bad choice carries the seed of its own punishment, why not accept the fact that a good choice yields desireable fruit?"”
~ Gary Ryan Blair