“The payment for sin is death. But God gives us the free
gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.”1
Overdrawn.
In the Red. Insufficient Funds. The dreaded trio of financial phrases. With the
holidays over and the realization that we ‘probably went over our spending
limit’ sets in, we fear seeing these words on our next purchase. Praying that
there are enough funds to cover a purchase or bill can make us feel stressed
and the worry of a financial deficit can steal our joy quicker than most other
problems. The merriment that came with Christmas, and the gladness that came
with gift-giving can quickly become a faint memory.
Whether
our bank account grows or lessens is dependent on what we deposit and what we
withdrawal, but there is one account that isn’t dependent upon our finances at
all! The account of our salvation. An account that was covered with the most
precious currency of all: the blood of Jesus. We opened a spiritual account the
day we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. However, we came to Him with
insufficient funds, for we lacked the amount needed to cover the forgiveness of
our sins. Jesus, being the sinless lamb, went to the cross and shed His blood
to cover the sins of everyone in the world " He paid it ALL!
Moments
before Jesus died, He lifted His voice and cried out, “It is finished!” (John
19:30). In Greek, those words translated are one word: “Tetelestai!”,
but it had another meaning back then. It was an accounting term. When a bill
was paid, it was commonly stamped with the word “Tetelestai,” meaning Paid in
Full. This means that our spiritual account will forever be covered, and our debt
will forever be forgiven. I, alone, could not afford the price of my sin, for
it was death; but Jesus has paid it in full!
As we begin a New Year, be filled with joy, and go forth with
the realization that your sin debt has been paid in full. No more worrying if
our debt will be covered. Jesus has sufficient funds for all who come to Him!
Suggested Prayer:
Father God, thank you for sending your Son to die on the cross
and shed His blood in payment for my sin. Where my funds were insufficient, His
were more than enough, for through them I now have eternal life through Him! In
Jesus most precious name, Amen.
Romans 6:23 (NCV).