Dublin crowd erupts as Premier League dart player throws first perfect 9-dart leg in 3 years

A Nine-Darter

The headline read: "Dublin crowd erupts as Premier League dart player throws
first perfect 9-dart leg in 3 years." Last Thursday in a darts competition
in Dublin, Ireland, Michael Smith became the first Premier League player in
three years to throw a nine-dart leg.

What is a nine-dart leg?

According to an entry in Wikipedia, "A nine-dart finish, also known as a
nine-darter, is a perfect leg in the sport of darts, using only nine darts,
the fewest possible, to check out from 501. It is difficult to achieve, even
for the game's top professionals, and is considered the highest single-game
achievement in the sport, similar to .a 300-point game in bowling."

Nick Schwartz explains: "If you're not familiar with darts, a nine-darter is
the peak of perfection. In each 'leg' of the match, players try to reduce
their total from 501 to zero in as few turns as possible. A perfect leg
requires nine darts in total - but it's incredibly rare to see a nine-darter
occur in a televised major tournament.

Smith made it look easy. After ripping off a pair of 180s, Smith hit his
triple-20, triple-19, double-12 combination so quickly that it took the
crowd a moment to realize what had just happened."

There has only been one person who has ever achieved a nine-darter when it
comes to living a perfectly righteous life: Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

No one else has ever hit a "nine-darter" spiritual speaking, and no one ever
will. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans
3:23). We have all "missed the mark" - the literal meaning of the word
"sinned" in Romans 3:23.

Because we have sinned, we are disqualified. We can't go to heaven. We're
destined for hell.

But Jesus entered the scene. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His
only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal
life" (John 3:16 ESV).

In terms of darts, Jesus hit the "nine-darter." He's the only one that
could. Then He went to the cross and died for OUR sins so that we can be
saved and receive the gift of eternal life.

The Apostle Paul put it this way: "God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be
sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2
Corinthians 5:21 NIV).

To be found "in Him," we must place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts
16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before
men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the
forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Then, as we continue to walk in the light
of His Word, His atoning blood continues to wash us from our sins (1 John
1:7-9).

Christ hit the only "nine-darter" spiritually speaking and then He died for
all who could never win, so that we can share in His victory.

Won't YOU accept His offer?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "Dublin crowd erupts as Premier League dart
player throws first perfect 9-dart leg in 3 years" by Brie Stimson,
www.foxnews.com, "Darts crowd, announcers explode over first Premier League
9-darter since 2017" by Nick Schwartz, www.usatoday.com, and entry for
"Nine-dart Finish" in www.wikipedia.org.