This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15 KJV

We go every week to church on Sunday morning, take communion and spend time worshipping with our brothers and sisters, but I confess that on Sunday night I love to watch a show with the questionable title; “Highway Through Hell!” In spite of how it sounds, this program is not about sinful lifestyles with sketchy scenes, but rather about a hardy bunch of Canadian tow-truck operators. I especially enjoy the watching these guys go out into the worst possible winter weather to rescue tractor trailers tipped over and stuck in several feet of snow. After working out in similar conditions for years cutting trees, I can really identify with these guys. I can still feel my own frozen hands when I see them hook up their cables working hard, to get these big rigs back on the road. One of my favorite highlights of the show is their catchphrase, “on the highway through hell – closure is NOT an option!” My wife rolls her eyes every time they say this with me chiming in at the beginning of each episode!

While I do not watch these rescues for their spiritual content; they do remind me of God’s work in our lives. In today’s scripture the Apostle Paul responds to critics of his past sinful lifestyle, by agreeing wholeheartedly with them. He tells them that yes he was indeed a sinner and in fact the worst sinner of all. But then he goes on to point out that God sent Jesus to the cross because He was in the business of rescuing sinners. Just like many of us, Paul had veered off life’s road and gotten jammed up in the snow drifts of sin. But then He remind us that we can have hope – no matter how big a wreck we have made in our lives – because Jesus went out into the worst possible conditions to die on the cross for our sins. Today, the power of the blood of Jesus is far greater than any heavy equipment on my favorite show, because He not only pulls us to safety but He completely restores smashed up lives and sets us upright on our wheels, headed in the right direction. By God’s amazing mercy, we are no longer on a Highway through Hell but on His Highway that leads to Heaven. Now with Jesus behind the wheel of our life it is more true than ever that “Closure is not an option!”