I am amazed by the way God opens doors unexpectedly. Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with three senior chaplains in the NSW police force. For some time (off and on) I had been praying about how churches or myself could support and encourage our local police, and perhaps this meeting was a first step in God's answer to that question. As we concluded the meeting with prayer, exchanging details and shaking hands, I was given a Bible printed by the Bible Society Australia tailored for police. Within the pages (in addition to scripture) are topical articles and prayers.
When I looked closely at the cover, I noticed in the NSW Police Seal a motto written in Latin: "CULPAM POENA PREMIT COMES." Since I do not understand Latin I turned to Google for the translation which basically means, "Punishment swiftly follows crime." I had never considered what a good motto would be for a police force, but I suppose it is a good one because the ideal is biblical. The wheels of the justice system typically turn slower than victims or cops would like, but the importance of swiftly carrying out punishment on the wicked was not lost on King Solomon. He wrote of the dangers of ignoring or slowly dealing with wrongdoers in Ecclesiastes 8:11, "Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." Should wickedness go unpunished there is nothing to deter the wicked. The cliche goes, "If you do the crime you do the time" - but it seems the passage of time does little to change hearts. We need the transformation and cleansing only God can provide.
Solomon continued in Ecclesiastes 8:12-13, "Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God." People do evade the arm of the police and even "get away with murder," but this avoidance of detection, judgment, and punishment does not apply to God. He sees the countless times we have sinned and even committed crimes and He is longsuffering, not willing any should perish but desires all to come to repentance. The wicked man will not live out half his days, and many scriptures plainly say the way we live matters. The one who slinks in the shadows to cover his crimes will become as a shadow, one who will be exposed before God and lost forever. Hebrews 9:27 reads, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..." and the soul which sins will surely die. Good and bad cops are bundled in with the rest of humanity before a Holy and Just God before whom we have to do, and not one of us is without sin.
Praise the LORD for His love and patience toward us, and that He has opened a door to forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:27-28 says, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." Every mortal man will someday die, and as sure as this is observed and true Jesus Christ was offered to bear the sins of men. All who repent and trust in Jesus Christ will receive the atonement of His blood and the gift of salvation by His grace. Death can strike men most unexpectedly: at a party, driving to work, on the beat, while playing a game, or in our beds. The only way we can stand justified before a holy God is by trusting in Jesus because He is the One who took our punishment upon Himself. After death there is no escaping the swift and intense punishment of hell which will last forever should we die in our sins. How great is our God, that He would wash our sins away at His own expense and provide salvation for guilty sinners!
When I looked closely at the cover, I noticed in the NSW Police Seal a motto written in Latin: "CULPAM POENA PREMIT COMES." Since I do not understand Latin I turned to Google for the translation which basically means, "Punishment swiftly follows crime." I had never considered what a good motto would be for a police force, but I suppose it is a good one because the ideal is biblical. The wheels of the justice system typically turn slower than victims or cops would like, but the importance of swiftly carrying out punishment on the wicked was not lost on King Solomon. He wrote of the dangers of ignoring or slowly dealing with wrongdoers in Ecclesiastes 8:11, "Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." Should wickedness go unpunished there is nothing to deter the wicked. The cliche goes, "If you do the crime you do the time" - but it seems the passage of time does little to change hearts. We need the transformation and cleansing only God can provide.
Solomon continued in Ecclesiastes 8:12-13, "Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God." People do evade the arm of the police and even "get away with murder," but this avoidance of detection, judgment, and punishment does not apply to God. He sees the countless times we have sinned and even committed crimes and He is longsuffering, not willing any should perish but desires all to come to repentance. The wicked man will not live out half his days, and many scriptures plainly say the way we live matters. The one who slinks in the shadows to cover his crimes will become as a shadow, one who will be exposed before God and lost forever. Hebrews 9:27 reads, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..." and the soul which sins will surely die. Good and bad cops are bundled in with the rest of humanity before a Holy and Just God before whom we have to do, and not one of us is without sin.
Praise the LORD for His love and patience toward us, and that He has opened a door to forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:27-28 says, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." Every mortal man will someday die, and as sure as this is observed and true Jesus Christ was offered to bear the sins of men. All who repent and trust in Jesus Christ will receive the atonement of His blood and the gift of salvation by His grace. Death can strike men most unexpectedly: at a party, driving to work, on the beat, while playing a game, or in our beds. The only way we can stand justified before a holy God is by trusting in Jesus because He is the One who took our punishment upon Himself. After death there is no escaping the swift and intense punishment of hell which will last forever should we die in our sins. How great is our God, that He would wash our sins away at His own expense and provide salvation for guilty sinners!
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