The Gospel and David Letterman

I realize I'm running a little behind here, but I have been mulling this over in my head for a few days now.

In case you hadn't heard, David Letterman was the victim of an extortion plot whereby a person that works at CBS gathered evidence against him regarding affairs he had been having with women that work for him at the studio, and put it all in a box, and threatened to reveal everything through a screenplay and a book if Letterman didn't give him $2,000,000.

The video of his confession can be found here. Knowing what was coming, I was uncomfortable watching as he told the story piece by piece, and the audience, expecting to be entertained, kept laughing at stuff that I didn't feel like laughing at. It was a pretty uncomfortable thing for me to watch.

At one point, he told of having to stand before a Grand Jury and tell all of the "terrible, terrible" things that he had done, that this man was threatening to expose him for. He was embarrassed by that; it was a hard thing to do to stand there and speak about those things.

I couldn't help but think of the fact that one day, we will all stand before the Judge. He will know all of our thoughts and deeds from the day we were born until the day we died. What was done in secret will be laid out for examination. All the terrible, terrible things we have done and thought will be exposed, and all the good we should have done but didn't will be exposed as well.

We will be seen for how we really are, and all of us have a list of things that would be difficult to stand in front of the Judge and recount. After all, He is a perfect Judge, and He requires perfection of us. And which one of us is perfect?

David Letterman has experienced some human consequences for his actions. The eternal consequences still remain for him.

When David Letterman stands before God, this sequence of events will be only one of the many things that God will hand down a sentence for. Every instance of God's law being broken carries with it a sentence. A sentence that will be carried out in hell, in eternal torment.

This is where the gospel comes in.

If David Letterman were to turn to Christ and away from his sin, trusting God's provision of a sacrifice for him personally, then that courtroom scene would look a little different.

Instead of David Letterman standing before the Judge, being accountable for all he's ever done and thought, Jesus would be standing there, taking responsibility for it all.

Jesus stands before the Judge, with compassion, and lovingly accepts the punishment for the crimes we've committed.

Do you get it? Do you see?

We will all stand there one day, on the Day of Judgment, and someone will be declared Guilty.

God has made provision for our guilt through Christ. Jesus came to live a life free of sin so that He could pay our penalty. All that's required of us is faith. Faith in Jesus, taking Him at His word, that we are guilty (and you know, even if you are a good person by the world's standards...you have not lived up to God's standard...you know that...), and that His payment is sufficient for us.

Stand before God on the Day of Judgment and be declared Innocent. It is possible.

But only through Christ.