“N-o-o-o-o-o-o!” My response was not audible, but the word was screaming in my brain.

How did this happen? you might ask. Let me tell you.

Last Saturday, our men’s ministry had our annual “Beast Feast” — a celebration of “manliness” (totally not “toxic manhood” for the women reading this). I had invited a friend who doesn’t attend our church, and he asked if he could bring a ministry partner whom he was picking up from the airport just before our event. I said sure. During the dinner, I asked my new friend where he had flown in from, and he replied “Chattanooga, Tennessee,” which is where my twin brother Roger lives.

One of the many highlights of the night was the raffle with numerous prizes. The next item to be raffled was a Henry lever action .22 caliber rifle. I’ve wanted one of those ever since I was a kid watching Western movies. The announcer called out the ticket number: 10072. My new Chattanooga friend stood up, waving the ticket.

We were all clapping when my mind started to process this. “He flew in on a plane and he’ll be going home on a plane. There’s no way he can take a rifle back with him. The most logical thing to do is to give it to the person who bought the ticket.” He goes to the front, takes hold of the rifle, then hands it back in exchange for one of our men’s ministry ball caps!

Cue the silent scream!

Thankfully, everyone’s focus was on the stage, so no one could see the look of total disbelief on my face. My response was based on faulty logic — I assumed that because I had paid for the ticket, the raffle item should be mine, when in fact I gave him the ticket and any benefit attached to it as a gift.

As Christians, we often apply faulty logic in many of our expectations of God. I can develop the mindset of thinking my salvation experience was like a raffle ticket and that I deserve some spectacular “prize” from God. The reality is that King Jesus paid the price for my “ticket” to Heaven and eternity.

Scripture tells us what we deserve. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Roman believers, goes to great lengths to describe the status of those individuals who were alienated from God. He summarizes it by saying, “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:32, ESV).

That was me, and because I could not afford the price of salvation, King Jesus paid the price for me by dying on the cross. God’s justice demanded my death, but His grace, extended to me through Jesus my King, gave me mercy instead.

There are several Greek words translated “mercy” in the New Testament, but the common denominator is that we didn’t receive the judgment we deserved because of our sin. That would be “justice” (something we always want when others sin against us). Instead, we became the recipients of God’s mercy, and His expectation of us is to be merciful as well.

When I attempt to be logical about earthly matters, I forget that “the wisdom of this world is folly [‘foolishness,’ KJV] with God” (1 Corinthians 3:19, ESV). Through Isaiah, God reminds us of this principle. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Lord Jesus, help me to not try to think logically about the things of this world, but rather look to Jesus my King, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3, ESV). Please forgive me for my faulty logic.

What say ye, Man of Valor?
Semper Fidelis!