In the 1980 movie Superman 2, Superman and Lois Lane finally, after years of dancing around the issue, decide that they’re in love and want to marry. Because he wants a “normal marriage” with Lois, Superman chooses to give up his super powers to become just ordinary Clark Kent, knowing that if he surrenders his powers he can never have them back.

It doesn’t take long until three evil super–villains from Superman’s home planet of Krypton take control of the White House with plans to rule planet Earth. The world needs Superman ... but it’s too late! A dejected Clark Kent walks through the rubble of what was once Superman’s fortress of solitude and cries out, “Father, I have failed.”

Then the scene changes to Metropolis. The super–villains are wreaking havoc and terrorizing the townspeople. Just then ... that famous music starts playing. And suddenly, up in the sky ... it’s not a bird; it’s not a plane; it’s Superman! Somehow, someway, he regained his superpowers and is back protecting the people of the world. Superman defeats the villains and continues his fight for truth, justice and the American way.

But let’s look at what happened here. The writers of this screenplay established a rule that if Superman surrenders his powers he can never get them back. Then, he surrendered his superpowers. If the writers had stuck to the rule, Superman would be history. But the writers took some liberties that probably make literary purists cringe: they changed the rules in the middle of the story in order to get Superman off the hook.

That’s what God’s forgiveness does for us. It rewrites the rules. It allows God’s grace to rule over laws. Since we are unable to earn our salvation by the letter of the law, that is, through perfect obedience to God, God changed the rules. He sent Christ to die for our sins. God changed the rules in the middle of the story to get us off the hook.