Sunday was another great day of worship. I appreciate so much Anita Kendrick’s music leadership as Brad has been recovering. On that note (no pun intended!), Brad is planning to be here this Sunday to lead the choir. Easter Sunday is going to be a great day of worship. Please come be a part of the excitement as we worship our risen Savior!

 

Have you ever paid off a car after having a 5, 6, or 7 year loan? What about a house with a 20 or 30 year mortgage? In the beginning it may have seemed to you as if you had taken on an impossible debt that you would never be able to pay. But then, the day came when your debt was paid and you received your original contract stamped in bold, red letters, PAID IN FULL. Wow. What a feeling!

 

There are seven sayings attributed to Jesus as He hung on the cross. The last thing He said from the cross that day was, “Tetelestai.” Most Bible translations render that Greek word as, “It is finished.”  Another and perhaps more accurate translation is, “Paid in Full.” What was paid in full? Your (and my) sin-debt. The required payment for our sin was death. It was to be satisfied through our eternal separation from God in hell. If we could somehow live a perfectly holy and righteous life, a life completely void of sin, we would then be able to satisfy our debt by sacrificing our physical life in exchange for an eternity with God in heaven. That was God’s requirement: life for death. Literally, that is a debt that neither you nor I can pay. Why not? Because, we are all sinners. Therefore, we cannot produce the payment necessary to satisfy the debt. We cannot earn it. So, in order for you and I to be saved from hell, someone who is able to pay the sin-debt would have to graciously pay it in our behalf.

 

That is what Jesus did. He lived a perfectly holy and righteous life that qualified Him to pay the sin-debt. But, He wasn’t paying it for Himself. He paid it for you and me through His sacrifice on the cross. It is hard to imagine that there are people every day who are paying for their own sins by dying and going to hell, because they just won’t accept the payment Jesus has already graciously made for them. Aren’t you glad that your sin-debt has been paid in full? Please take time to let Him know.