Scot-Free

"Scot" is an old Scandinavian word for taxes dating back to the 13th century.  The term is an abbreviation of 'scot and lot'.  Scot was the tax, and lot, or allotment, was the amount given to the poor.  The phrase 'Scot-Free' just refers to someone who got away without paying their taxes.

Benjamin Franklin said this, “In this world, nothing is certain, but death and taxes.” Some escape their taxes, but no one escapes death.  Death comes to all of us because of our sins against God.  The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death.  The soul that sinneth, it shall die.  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.  There is not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”

By nature, man prefers sin to purity.  Sin is your own choice, your own deliberate choice.  Man prefers the pleasures of sin, self-righteousness, and self-will to Christ’s way.  Your sin nature is hostile towards God and rebels continuously against His holy commandments.  You’re a sinner, and your sins (in thought, word, and deed) must be paid for.  Your sins must be dealt with, or they will damn your soul.  There is no way around this issue; you can't sidestep your sins against God.  Death and Judgment are before you.  Ye must be born again.  The self-righteous carnal mind hates the very mention of the free forgiveness of sins without any human merit.

For you Christ died and rose again from the dead.  Your sins, guilt and shame were laid on Him.  The Lord Jesus Christ bore your sins and gave His life to be a Substitute for you.  Christ's salvation may be yours "freely" now, without money and without price.  It is free for you, but it was not free for God.  God gave His All – He gave His precious Son to be crucified for you.  Jesus bled for your sins, so you could go 'Scot-Free' and escape the hell you deserve.  Only the Blood of Christ on your soul can cause God’s wrath to pass over you; your sin deserves God’s full vengeance.  Christ took your sin upon Himself by His Substitution.  Jesus loved you, and gave Himself for you.  
       
True saving faith is heart-trust in the living Christ’s Blood and Righteousness for personal forgiveness of sins and eternal life.  Religion cannot help save you from sin at all.  Your sin is so bad that it required a Sinless Person to be born, to live and die, and live again for you.  You cannot help save yourself, so stop trying, and trust in Christ alone.  Christ Jesus must get *all* the glory for your salvation, and you must get none, period.  Christ died for the ungodly, not the self-righteous.

The Gospel of God is the Good News that Christ died for your sins and rose again from the dead, and that whosoever trusts in Christ's Blood Atonement will receive eternal life as a free gift.  The moment you trust your soul and sins to Him, you are the immediate possessor of everlasting life by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by your own power.  Man is proud and wants to be his own savior by his own works.  He prefers himself before God, and wants to please himself before pleasing God.  Self-righteous man tries and tries to merit God's favor, but his best efforts are futile and fatal.  Christ’s Precious Blood alone provides safety from God's judgment.  The Gospel forever frees a soul from the bondage of sin, and provides the sinner confidence that the price for his sin is paid in full freely and that God's judgment can be avoided.

You have two choices:  You can choose to pay for your own sins in Hell, or you can simple let Jesus’ finished work (sinless blood atonement) pay for them freely, without your works.  If you just ignore your sin problem, Hell will be your eternal doom.  You cannot reject Christ, and get away with it.  To those who reject God’s Son, there will be no mercy.

If your heart is hungering for the forgiveness of sins, sinner friend, come now to Jesus Christ.  Your conscience is warning you that something is missing in your soul.  Trust right now, at once, in the ‘finished’ work of Jesus Christ, who as a Substitute was punished for your guilt.  Rely on Him totally, and your soul is safe forever.  Look away from yourself and your works; look totally to Christ’s blood and wounds.  Go to the Cross as a poor sinner and look to Christ alone and go Scot-Free.  God be merciful to me a sinner through the atoning blood of Christ, I receive your dear Son now!