Read: Galatians 3:10-13 (TLB)
But Christ has bought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoing upon himself. For it is written in the Scripture, “Anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed.
– Galatians 3:13 (TLB)
It had been one full year since the house had been renovated. Then, without warning, the monthly water bill doubled; it was an underground water leak. “How could this be?” the homeowner thought to himself. “We just had this house completely rebuilt. Surely this will be covered under the contractor’s warranty.” A large, black, pickup truck pulled up in front of the house. The door opened and out stepped a burly contractor with a calm but stern look on his face. As the contractor began his investigation into the source of the leak, the owner followed behind with nervous curiosity.
Suddenly, the contractor stood straight up and pulled his shoulders back, tilting his head slightly, as he began to explain the problem at hand. “Your leak is coming from under the new entry courtyard,” he explained. The renovation a year earlier had included running a new, underground water line from the house, connecting it to the 40-year-old main water line that ran to the city’s connection. “To locate and fix the leak I will have to demolish the entry courtyard and replace it, at a cost of $25,000,” the contractor continued. “If exposing the pipe shows the source of the leak to be the new pipe, then I will repair everything, under warranty, at no cost to you. But, if the leak is in the old pipe, you will have to pay me $25,000 for the additional work.” So, who would have to pay the price?
Man let sin into the world (Romans 5:12), and along with it came death. God provided the law in the Ten Commandments, but no one could live up to the law 100% of the time. The law became a curse on the people. Jesus took that curse for us and paid the ultimate price for our sins with his own life. Jesus paid our debt so that, through faith in him, we don’t have to worry about it.
So many times in life something goes wrong and we ask, “Whose fault is it? Who can we blame?” Surely the person at fault will have to pay the price. I am so thankful that this is not the case with our salvation. Jesus sacrificed his life to pay the price for our sins so we can relax in the assurance that the debt has been paid in full.
Thought for the Day: In light of how Jesus paid our debt, how do you think we should treat people who are indebted to us?
Prayer: Dear Lord, give me wisdom as I deal with others who are indebted to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Focus: Forgiveness of debt.
By The Orphan Carpenter (California, USA)
Just be Christ-like. What? Hey, it’s not my fault. Peopled mistreated me and I have to forgive and forget? Or give my other cheek. It’s hard to be Christ-like. Really. Forgiving others who caused you pain? But then I thought to myself, If the Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for me to die on the cross in my stead and to save me from eternal damnation, who am I then not to forgive those people who trespass on me? I’ve been bought and redeemed. My life no longer leaks, and I’m like a new creation! Ready to forgive and to forget those trespasses by others.
Being citizens of a kingdom in which Jesus is our king, we have the ultimate ‘insurance’ that covers everything… when he taught his disciples to pray, he said… “as we forgive those who have sinned against us” and he lived and prayed this even more as he died on the cross, he said “forgive them father”… he calls us to follow him and be a people who are merciful
Truly we were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. It cost Jesus everything. Thank you, Lord.
Grace, grace. Amazing grace. Christianity is the only religion that teaches grace. It does not matter one bit what I have done. It only matters what Jesus has done.
Yes when things go wrong no need to focus on who gets the blame!
I am happy too that I do not need to pay for my sins. Probably not even Bezos would have the money my sins would have costed (and of course, I do not want to pay for my sins in hell). But of course, we have to repent from our sins and forgive others who did wrong to us, not to make them pay like we don’t want or need to pay. Great devotional, Ken!
Amen!