From the Pulpit: Our debt has been paid

How good does it feel when you know that a debt has been paid? Whether it’s a car, a house, or you’ve just finished paying back a friend, it feels good to pay back a debt. To feel that sense of freedom. How much cooler is it when someone pays a debt for you? I’ve had people unexpectedly pay things off for me that I never would have imagined and let me tell you, that feels even better. When you realize that someone loved you enough to give of their own resources so that you wouldn’t have to, it is one of the greatest feelings.

Did you know that you owe a debt? Maybe you are amazing with your money, debt-free since ‘93, you pride yourself on not having debt. You still owe a debt. If that makes you squirm in your seat, pay attention. I owe a debt ,too. Without even knowing you, I can tell you this; you and I owe a debt that we could never repay in 10,000 lifetimes if we tried. What debt might I be referring to? Our sin debt. You and I have broken the law of God, thereby separating ourselves from Him (Romans 3:23). And we are told that the wage of that sin is death (Romans 6:23), this isn’t looking too good for us. We’ve all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, and the payment for our sin is death. If you’re tracking, we all deserve death.

Thank goodness Paul continues to write in Romans 6…though the wage of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. Although we owe an insurmountable debt, God has chosen to give us a gift and like any gift, we can choose to accept or receive. We don’t have to accept this gift but our lives both now and for eternity will be much better if we do. This gift is life through Jesus.

You might be wondering, ‘How is this possible?’ I’m glad you asked! ‘When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15).

Did you catch that? Our legal debt has been canceled, paid, taken away, nailed to the cross. 2 Corinthians 5 tells us that Jesus became sin for us so that we could become the righteousness of God. This is called ‘imputed righteousness’, Jesus has given us His righteousness and He took on our sin on the cross, forever paying the debt we owe. If we choose to surrender to Jesus as the Lord of our lives, God no longer sees our sin, He sees His Son. Think about that, God doesn’ see your past mistakes; all the words you wish you could take back. The actions you wish you never partook in. He doesn’t see that. He sees the righteousness of His Son washed over you.

One of the last words Jesus said on the cross was a Greek word ‘tetelestai’ which simply means, ‘it is finished.’ This word was stamped on the bottom of receipts in Jesus’ day to indicate a debt had been fully paid. Friend, when Jesus shouted ‘tetelestai’ 2,000 years ago, He was letting you know that your debt has been paid. Walk in the freedom that Christ offers.