By way of contrast, I’ve noticed how much easier it is to obey the law in the US than it is in China. Especially when it comes to the workplace. In the US, the typical employee has all the taxes and social security taken right out of their paycheck automatically. As far as I can tell, it’s usually done in most workplaces as prescribed by the law of the governing authorities. It’s not something most employees have to make much of a conscious decision about.

That hasn’t proven to be the case here in China.

From what I can tell, very seldom do employers and employees pay the government what is required by law. And what follows when companies and individuals decide not to act according to the law? Well, for one, they really don’t want to be audited. To be audited would be to have the truth revealed about what has really been happening. Things that were happening in the dark would suddenly be brought out into the light. And if you don’t want to be seen in this light, you stay as distant from the authorities as you can. You hide. You cover your tracks. The authorities become a threat to you. You may pay them homage, but you would not want to get too close and intimate with them. If you did, they might see you for who you really are versus who you pretend to be. According to the law, there would be a debt to pay. A punishment to be received. So it would seem in your best interest to just stay away from the authorities and pay them whatever lip service you think might keep them from looking too closely.

But doesn’t the thought of standing before the authorities with a perfect record spark some kind of hope in your heart? Wouldn’t that be amazing? To stand there in front of the auditors having no need to be afraid? And if the book of law was brought out, to know that even the law itself would be speaking on your behalf? Right-standing in every way. Records are clean. Nothing to hide. That would be living in freedom. Completely free from condemnation or the fear of it.

If you could somehow change the records by paying the debt you owe and taking the punishment upon yourself, then there would seemingly be hope. It may be a painful road full of loss to finally get there, but if it’s possible, you might be able to attain the free life after all.

But what if the debt is insurmountable? What if the punishment is death? Then it would seem that there is no hope. You could either turn yourself over to the authorities and be put to death now, or keep hiding and eventually die sometime in the future. But freedom and right-standing before the law and the authorities wouldn’t seem to be an option.

Unless…

Unless someone offered to pay your debt for you. Unless someone offered to take the punishment for you and be put to death instead of you. If this person could totally free you from the debt and punishment and set you free to be right-standing before the law and the authorities, what would be your reaction? You might wonder what the cost is to you. What do you have to do to pay back such a person? It would seem you’re in their debt now, and surely they’ll expect a lot from you. But this person is not a debt buyer whom you’ll have to pay back, he’s actually paying your debt for you. And he’s saying that he does it because he loves you and he thinks thats what love in action looks like.

To some that sounds like the best news ever! To some it sounds too humiliating to admit such neediness and receive such charity.

Am I willing to be loved like that?