How much do I owe?

Earlier in the week, I received an email from a dear friend that referenced a great way to make Easter real to us as individuals. It was so profound that I asked my work prayer group to do it. It’s simple, really. You just write down your sins, recent or distant, on a piece of paper and then tape it to a cross. We had a tree in our prayer room so we hung the lists on the tree. This exercise is not about condemnation or going backwards but is a real reflection of the magnitude of what Christ did for us on Calvary. I looked at my sins alone and felt a deep appreciation that Jesus took on the punishment for what I did. Now multiply that by billions of people past and present.  Doesn’t that put your relationship with Christ into perspective?

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says “The love of Christ controls us, because we know that One died for all, so all have died. Christ died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from the dead so that they would live for him.” (NCV) That sums it up, doesn’t it?  Christ didn’t lay down his life just for us to say our sins have been forgiven and be satisfied with that. He died and was resurrected so that we would take it a step further. We cannot stop with a celebration that our sins are washed away. That’s a great thing but we are then supposed to live like Him. We are to represent His love for us and not de-value His sacrifice.

 When I looked at my list of sins and remembered what Christ had done, I had to acknowledge that there was no way I could repay Him EXCEPT to live a holy and acceptable life for Him. I owe Jesus Christ that much. How about you?

Let’s put this in modern terms. Say you are hiring a maid service to clean your house. When they get done, you check things out and then you pay them for the service that they have completed.  Now apply that same thought to your Christian walk. Is your daily life an acceptable payment for the finished work that Jesus did for you? Not sure? Examine yourself this week. Bitterness is a bounced check! A bad attitude is a decline! Unforgiveness is an insufficient funds charge! Fornication is a late payment! Christ went to the cross and suffered terribly. He could have gotten down at any point but He said no! Now it is our turn to say no. We can say no to everything that the enemy has attempted to burden us with. When you feel the weight of Hell on your shoulders, look to the cross and notice one thing. It’s EMPTY! Jesus Christ took your shame, guilt, sin, and fear and He defeated it. So you don’t let anything defeat you! Live your life so that what Christ did for you on Calvary’s tree is honored.

I pray that each of you are blessed beyond measure and that you take the time to reflect on the awesome and finished work of the cross! God bless…

AMEN