An allegory is a story in which the characters and events symbolize a deeper underlying meaning. With that being said, here is one I heard over ten years ago and the deeper underlying meaning really connected with my understanding of the grace of God.
It was about a king who declared a complete pardon for all prostitutes. Total forgiveness was granted to all and their past record was stricken from the books. Now that would be good news if you were a prostitute. To make this reconciliation even better, the king legalized prostitution, totally releasing them from the law. Again, that would be great news if you were a prostitute.
However, what would be her motivation to stop living her life in the streets? Probably very little. But then let’s say, the king asks the prostitute to be his bride. She would then become a queen able to live a life of royalty. What are the odds that she would choose to live her life in the streets again as opposed to living her life in a castle? She would have to be out of her mind to choose the streets. Wouldn’t you agree?
Life Lesson: Now, it doesn’t matter what someone’s sin is. We have all been forgiven and released from the law and given a complete pardon in Christ Jesus, our king. But what if we don’t know about the wedding and the wedding gift? Would there be any change in our life style without this information? Probably not. Wouldn’t you agree?
Oh, to be sure, we would be thankful that we are forgiven and would not be judged for our sins any more. But again, would we have any significant motivation to change our behavior.
Key Point: In the Bible the church is called the bride of Christ. The gospel message is in effect a marriage proposal. Our Lord Jesus is the bridegroom, and we Christians are betrothed to Him. When we come to understand that we are royalty, the bride of Christ, children of God; our actions will change to correspond to our new identity. We were once darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. Hallelujah!
Romans 5:17 reads, “…how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”
II Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us so that we would receive the righteousness of God.”
So you see, His righteousness is our wedding gift. Well, amen!
Jesus Christ gave His life for us, to give His life to us, to live His life through us. We are literally the bride and body of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Let your hearts and minds mediate on this truth for a while. Praise be to God!
We love and appreciate you very much and thank you for your continued prayers and support. May this New Year be the greatest ever for the body of Christ our Lord, Savior, and our very lives.
Growing in His Grace