Penalties and the Gospel

Amidst all the attention on college football players and coaches openly expressing their faith, let’s talk about a PENALTY.

TreVeyon Henderson, an outspoken Christian and leader in Ohio State football’s Bible studies and baptism services, is an example of faith in action.
During OSU’s semi-final game against Texas, he wore Romans 3:22 eye black—a bold display of his beliefs—while also receiving a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty.

While I don’t condone penalties or unnecessary aggression, this serves as a powerful reminder:

1. Christians aren’t perfect. Even as followers of Jesus, we still make mistakes. We’re going to commit some “penalties” in life. That’s the essence of the Gospel—we need God’s grace and forgiveness every single day.
2. Failure doesn’t disqualify your witness. Mistakes are inevitable; it’s not a matter of “if” but “when.” The real question is, how will you respond when you fall short?
3. The Gospel is for every moment. No matter how influential our platform may be or how God uses us for His glory, we never outgrow our need for the Gospel. True maturity comes not from moving past it, but growing deeper in it. Every day, we need Jesus to increase in our lives as we decrease.

Ultimately, this is the beauty of the cross: Jesus bore all our PENALTIES so we could share in His VICTORY.

Original article, which appeared on Facebook, courtesy of Shane Pruitt