Editor’s note: Nancy Kennedy is on vacation this week. This is a column from 2019.
So, I had a sign from God the other day.
I had walked past a construction site and noticed a “Wet Paint Do Not Touch” sign taped to a freshly painted wall.
Normally, I wouldn’t even consider touching a wall that had just been painted because I don’t want to mess it (or me) up.
That said, just reading the sign made me want to touch it.
I actually stood there wanting nothing more than to put my finger on that paint to see if it really was wet.
I knew it was wet — the sign said so!
But what if the sign was old? Then the paint would be dry and, therefore, would not be harmed if I touched it.
Even if the paint was wet, I have little hands with tiny fingers, and really, how much damage could be done touching it super fast with just my tiny finger tip?
I looked around to see if anyone was nearby and started to touch the wall — and then stopped.
I almost got caught by a man with a paintbrush coming from around the side of the building.
He said hello. I said hello.
I told him that “Wet Paint Do Not Touch” signs always make me want to touch the paint just because the sign says not to.
I’m forever 12 years old.
He said I wouldn’t be the first to do so and that people touch his painted walls all the time.
I said, “Maybe if you don’t put up a sign no one would touch it.”
But he said someone might accidentally lean up against a wall or sit on a freshly painted bench and ruin their clothes.
“I have to warn people,” he said.
I nodded in agreement, said, “Have a nice day,” and went on my way — and didn’t touch the wet paint.
However, I really wanted to and maybe would have if he hadn’t been there.
That reminded me of a basic but difficult biblical truth about the purpose of God’s commandments.
God gave humanity the law, all the “Thou shalts” and “Thou shalt nots,” knowing that we could not obey them.
The apostle Paul said he didn’t even know he coveted until the law told him not to do it.
The law’s purpose is to show us how much we break it.
Oh, and the penalty for breaking even one commandment is eternal death.
It’s a paradox of the Christian faith: God gave us laws and commandments to follow, knowing that we can’t and wouldn’t even want to.
That doesn’t sound fair, but don’t worry — that’s only part of it.
In his great mercy and grace, the plan from before the world began was to send us Jesus, who followed every single commandment, suffered our death penalty — and did so willingly.
Not only that, God then allowed us, the lawbreakers, to get credit for Christ’s law keeping.
That’s what “saved by grace” means.
As for the law, it’s still for us to follow to keep us safe — to keep our hands clean.
Don’t lie, don’t steal. Forgive others. Love your enemies.
It’s kinda like a painter putting a “Wet Paint. Do Not Touch” sign on a freshly painted wall, isn’t it?
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