How to Share Your Faith Using Paris Hilton's Jail Saga
Paris Hilton's alcohol-related jail sentence saga has spiraled into a full-blown media frenzy. With media helicopters in full pursuit, the L.A. County sheriff sent her home under 'house arrest' last week, after serving only 3 days of her 45 day sentence. But the judge in the case stepped in immediately to order Hilton's return to jail, ruling that her psychiatric condition could be dealt with through the jail's medical care system - just like any other more ordinary inmate.
If you reacted like the vast majority of Americans, you likely felt at least a twinge of indignation when it appeared Paris was going to walk away from her jail sentence. Something inside us cries out "That's not fair!" when it appears that fame, wealth and connections are pulling the strings necessary to spring someone like Paris from jail. We want justice to be served despite privilege, power or popularity.
As humans, part of the reason we want to see justice served is because we're made in the image of God - and the Bible tells us our God is a just God. In fact, at the very core of the Christian faith are the dual characteristics of God's justice and God's love. It was God's justice that demanded a penalty be paid for man's sin. While it was his love that moved God to send Jesus to pay that penalty through his death on the cross.
As Christians we realize that Jesus took the sentence for our sin upon himself so that we might go free. Sounds a little like Paris Hilton walking out of jail before her sentence was served, doesn't it? But there are at least two critical differences between our scenario and Paris'. First, the ground is level at the foot of the cross - no special favors are cut for wealth or fame. Jesus' gift of forgiveness and eternal life is freely available to all who choose to trust in him. Second, when we're 'released from our sentence' through trusting in Jesus for our salvation, no judge can overrule our release and send us back to pay the penalty for our sin. Jesus paid our penalty once and for all, forever!
With Paris in the news reaping the consequences of her previous 'poor choices', try using her jail saga to help your friends understand God's love and justice. Here are some ideas to help you get the conversation started:
- Ask your friends what their reaction was to Paris Hilton being sent home after serving only 3 days of her 45 day sentence?
- Do you believe all humans have an innate sense of right and wrong and fair and unfair? Where do you think this sense of justice comes from?
- Why do you think it's important that justice be served?
- Do you think God is like a judge?
- Do you think that after we die we'll be judged by God? Share what you believe and how Jesus' death on the cross paid the penalty for all our sins. For help explaining this, check out the "Paying the price for sin" section of the GOSPEL Journey.
We all deserve a guilty verdict in the spiritual realm, since we all fall short of God's standard of perfect holiness. The Good News is that Jesus has served our sentence for us and set us free to share that truth with others!
