Wal-Mart recently changed their shoplifiting policy to not prosecute anybody that shoplifts something less than $25. So if you get caught walking out with a CD that you didn’t pay for then they just take it back and tell you not to do it. But if you walk out with two CDs then they call the cops.

Jesus won’t give us any leeway when it’s time to show account for our sins. When all of history has played out and each one of us has been given a life to live, we will all be judged according to our works. (Not to be confused with being saved by the blood.) All of the sins we committed in this life that we didn’t repent for we will have to give account for before the Great Judge. Big sins and little sins. Even those sins that we talked ourselves out of and justify as non-sins.

“I wasn’t slandering, I was venting.”

“I looked but I didn’t keep looking.”

“I’m not gossiping, I’m sharing a good story.”

When the fire of God’s judgment consumes our life we will have no say against what it consumes. We won’t be able to talk our way out of the little compromises that we held onto.

P.S. Mike Bickle has an amazing teaching on this topic called “Living Without Regret.” You can find it here for download. It is one of the most influencing teachings I have ever heard.