Brett Petrillo called it “the best play of the game by far.”  I didn’t actually see the game, but I’m inclined to agree.

What Petrillo calls “the best play of the game” was when Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs’ first baseman, at his
2nd at bat, apologized to the Umpire, Angel Hernandez, for arguing with him about a call during his first at bat.

Rizzo told the umpire, "My fault on that."

Hernandez responded, "Your fault for what, brother?  Come on, you're good, bro.  You're awesome with us.  No, no worries.  You're competing.  I understand.  Don't worry.  You know what's best of it?  You come back and tell me that.  That's how good of a guy you are." *

That was a great “play,” wasn’t it?

There’s an application that we need to make to our own lives…

Due to our sins, we all have “strikes” against us.  We’ve not only argued with the Umpire (God), we’ve actually rebelled against His authority and broken His rules.

But God is a gracious and loving Umpire.  Oh, He calls “a strike, a strike” (a sin, a sin).  He doesn’t wink at or turn His head away from our sins.  And as a righteous Umpire, He must punish our sins.

But He also loves us.  And because He is loving and merciful, He provided a Way for us to be saved from our sins and sin’s wages (death).

God gave His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16).  Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross so that we might have forgiveness and receive the gift of eternal life (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 6:23).

In order to receive salvation and the gift of eternal life, we, like Rizzo, must acknowledge our sin.  We must humble ourselves before God and submit our wills to His.  Then, we must place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  Then, as we continue to walk in the light of His Word as a way of life, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from sin (1 John 1:7).

We’ve all “struck out.”  We’re all “out of the game” because of our sins.  But God is not only willing to forgive us; He has also gone to great lengths to provide salvation and eternal life through His Son.

The best “move” we can make is to humbly accept His offer on His terms.

Won’t YOU?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “The Best Play of the Game” by Brett Petrillo in Daily Bread, an email ministry of the Bear Valley church of Christ in Denver, CO.

David A. Sargent, Minister