Pardons

When? That moment!

"The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus, a pardon receives"!  (From the hymn, "To God be the Glory")

We are hearing a lot about presidential pardons right now. A presidential pardon is inviolable -- it cannot be overruled or overturned by any one -- not even a unanimous proclamation by the Supreme Court or Congressional action can prevent a pardon from being given. Only one thing can prevent a pardon from being received: it can be refused!

That does not happen very often, of course. But in 1830 President Andrew Jackson issued one for George Wilson, who was sentenced to death by hanging for certain crimes related to theft of government mail. President Jackson, and many of Wilson's friends, wanted him to be pardoned, and so President Jackson issued the pardon.

But Wilson refused it. We don't know why. So President Jackson contacted the prison and instructed them to cancel the hanging. That should solve the problem, right?

No. They couldn't legally cancel the sentence.

It went to the Supreme Court.

The decision? Wilson had faced trial, been found guilty, and sentenced to death. Without the pardon, he had no other recourse. The law had to be carried out! And so George Wilson was hung as the law required!

Isn't that like our position? We have disobeyed God's law -- we are guilty before the law -- and death is our sentence.

But God has given us a pardon, provided by the sacrifice of Jesus, who took our punishment and paid our sentence. We can walk away free -- free of guilt and punishment! No one can overturn or overrule God's pardon. But if I don't accept the pardon, then I stand guilty before the law and must  serve the sentence.  Without the pardon I must meet the demands of the law. Which is death.

But I have accepted my pardon!  Have you?