"Full Pardon"

During the presidency of Andrew Jackson, George Wilson, a postal clerk, robbed a federal payroll from a train and in the process killed a guard.  The court convicted him and sentenced him to DEATH by hanging.  Because of public sentiment against capital punishment, however, a movement began to secure a presidential pardon for Wilson (first offense), and eventually Jackson intervened with a pardon.

Amazingly, Wilson refused it.

Since this had NEVER happened before, the Supreme Court was asked to rule on whether someone could indeed REFUSE a presidential pardon. Chief Justice John Marshall handed down the court's 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 has refused to accept the pardon.  We cannot conceive why he would do so, but he has. Therefore, George Wilson must die."  
And so, as punishment for his crime, George Wilson, on a day appointed by the court, was taken from his cell and hanged to satisfy the requirements of the law.  Pardon, declared the Supreme Court, must not only be GRANTED, it must be ACCEPTED.

You and I are in a similar condition today:  

We NEED pardon. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).  We are ALL guilty of sin, and deserve the punishment that awaits us on the appointed Day of Judgment.

Pardon has been OFFERED by God. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to ALL men" (Titus 2:11).  Jesus "is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice, the sin-bearer) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for THE WHOLE WORLD" (1 John 2:2).  Pardon has been OFFERED to ALL men – to the WHOLE WORLD!

God’s pardon must be ACCEPTED. The Bible teaches that we may ACCEPT God’s pardon through faith (Hebrews 11:6), repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10), confession of Christ (Romans 10:9-10) and baptism for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).  We  continue to receive God’s pardon for our sins by walking in the light as He is in the light, while the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from our sin (1 John 1:7).

A pardon is ONLY a pardon IF it is accepted.  

FULL PARDON has been GRANTED and is waiting......  

Will you ACCEPT God’s pardon on His terms?

 God bless you!  

David A. Sargent, Minister 

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

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