<TITLE>05. Par 17-20</TITLE>L-17 And now, he told me, said, "It'll take a lots of money to do it." And I didn't have but about seventy-five dollars, and he wanted forty thousand (See?) pay the attorney fees and the government. I said, "What have I done?" I went home.
I said to Meda, my wife, "Wash the kids' faces, get their clothes ready. I'll be a vagabond the rest of my life." I said, "I'll not do it. That's all there is to it. If I owed it, I'd sweat it out to pay it. But I don't owe it, and they can't say I owe it. They can't prove it. They've had five years to do it, and they still can't do it."
She's a very calm woman. She waited a little while, and she come put her arm on my shoulder. She said, "Now, just a minute." She said, "But remember, Bill. If they--if you run, that's a coward." And said, "They'd still hold it against you." And said, "There's only one thing; that's face it."
And I went in the den room and I said, "Lord, what must I do? Give me a Scripture."

L-18 Here's what come to me: One time they asked Him, "Is it right for us Jews who are free to pay tribute to Caesar?"
He picked up a penny and said, "Whose inscription's on it?"
He said, "Caesar's."
Said, "Then give Caesar what's Caesar's; God's, what's God."
Then I seen where one day He said to Peter, "Let's don't offend them. You know, you got a fish hook in your pocket you pack around at the time, just commemoration that you was once a fisherman. I've got a bank down there in a fish. (You know, He owns everything anyhow.)" So He said, "They just made a deposit awhile ago. Go down there and cast in the hook, and the first fish you bring up, open his mouth, and the bank will pay off. And take it down there and give it to them for Me and you, so we won't offend them."
I said, "God, You still got fish."
I don't know how I'm going to do it, but a brother setting right here, it went on my note. I went down and borrowed forty thousand dollars, with the understanding that I'd pay it back in ten years, four thousand a year. I don't know how to do it, but He's still got fish. And I--I... He's got... All of it belongs to Him.

L-19 I went home, and I wrote... After writing the check... And I put on there. "Paid in full for all back taxes." And I thought, "Would the government accept it like that." And just before coming down here, I thought I'd better call the bank.
I called the bank, and the teller went in and looked. He said, "Yes, they accepted it, Billy. You're free. You're pardoned." Oh, my. Something run over me. I run into the room and grabbed my wife around the neck. I said, "Honey, I'm pardoned. I'm free. The old account's been settled. I can go now wherever I want to, wherever the Lord leads me. I'm free. Oh, what a thing to be pardoned, something I couldn't help."

L-20 And also my sins was something I couldn't help. I was born with Adam's nature in me, but Somebody pardoned me. They rubbed the old account away one day, and I was free from that day on. I'm so glad.
When man sinned he crossed the great chasm, or chasm, rather, between him and God. He separated himself away from God, and there was no way left for him to ever get back. He was absolutely across the chasm from God with no way at all back. God, rich in mercy, wonderful in grace, accepted a substitute for him, let him make a substitute, an animal offering to take his place.
The blood was the only thing that could pay the price. There was nothing else could pay the price. Nothing else could do then, and nothing else has done since, and nothing else will do after: blood and blood alone.


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