Felix Hernandez a 26 old pitcher for the Seattle Mariners pitched a perfect game on August 15, 2012. Pitching a perfect game in the major league baseball has only happened 23 times. Congratulations to Felix on quite an accomplishment.
A perfect game in baseball happens when the pitcher faces 27 batters (all nine innings) and not a single batter makes it to first base. Every batter makes an out. It is very rare indeed. So what would a perfect game look like in terms of our salvation? What would it take to be perfect before God?
Well in baseball terms it would be the equivalent of pitching a perfect game each and every game that you played your whole life. From little league on up through the majors. In addition to that, it would also entail getting a hit each and every time you went to bat – from little league on up. Please keep in mind that players who hit over .300 are considered great batters. This scenario means that the batter would have to get a hit each and every time he batted, with no walks, no strike outs and never getting hit with a pitch. Plus you could never make an error in the field.
Do you see how unrealistic that would be? That’s also how unrealistic it is when people think that they can please God or get to Heaven by their good works. Most people think that they are good (Proverbs 21:2). We hear this all the time when we are out street witnessing. But being good won’t get you to Heaven.
God requires absolute perfection because He is absolutely perfect. Because of his righteous, Holy and just nature, He cannot tolerate sin. That’s right. Not one single little white lie. (And if he can’t tolerate one lie, just imagine what stealing, lusting and using His name as a curse word does for you). None of us can measure up to God’s perfection and He gave us the 10 Commandments so we can see for ourselves that we don’t measure up (Gal. 3:24).
So How does a Holy and righteous yet loving and merciful God reconcile this dilemma? He is loving yet at the same time his perfect nature requires justice, so a penalty has to be paid. The Bible tells us that is exactly what happens! If you die in your sins (without your sins being forgiven), then you will pay the ultimate penalty – eternity in Hell (Matt. 13:41-42). This is very serious. Please don’t die without the one and only Savior and face the worst possible punishment forever.
God in His great goodness and mercy offers us an alternative. Even though we deserve to go to Hell when we die, God has made another way for us to get back in a right relationship with Him. Our loving Father sent His Son – Jesus to walk this earth over 2,000 years ago. Jesus never sinned in thought, word or deed. He was always 100% obedient to God the Father. He did the equivalent of always pitching the perfect game and always getting a hit and never committing an error while fielding in baseball terms. He did what you and I could never do.
Then He suffered horribly at the hands of the Romans and died an unimaginable death on the torturous cross, where He hung in agony for six long hours. After Jesus died on that cross He was buried and after three days He rose from the dead. Jesus defeated sin, death and Satan. Through Jesus Christ alone can we receive forgiveness for our sins (Acts 10:43).
So how does that help you? If this is just head knowledge to you then it doesn’t help you one bit. Believing that Jesus was the perfect sinless one who suffered, died and rose from the grave does you no good; unless you turn away from your sins and put your trust in Him to save you (Acts 20:21). Don’t trust in your own good works which can never measure up to God’s standard. Plus, any good that you or I have in us will never undo the bad things we’ve done. No amount of good works can ever erase our sins.
Salvation is found in the only perfect One – Jesus the Christ. Please cry out to God to save you. Repent from your sins and put your faith in Jesus. Then God will grant you everlasting life. When you die, God will no longer hold you accountable for your sins. Your sins will be forgiven and forgotten. But that only happens if you surrender your life fully to Jesus. Ask Jesus to lead your life from this day forward. Give up your sins, deny your selfish desires and do the will of God by obeying His commandments and trusting Jesus to save you. Do this today while you still have time.
The baseball analogy is from the book Becoming a Contagious Christian.