Do you have a Sin Debt That needs Paying?

For many of my fellow sojourners, there is a belief that after death there is a judgment. This belief is usually seen after the perpetrator of a heinous crime escapes suitable justice through a technicality or shrewd attorney representation. The general thought among the victims loved ones is that judgment awaits the criminal at a higher level where true justice will be done. “He’ll get his,” is the thought.

Another popular notion believed by many is that IF they are somehow personally judged after death by God, it will simply be a matter of them having done more good things in life than bad things. But in reality, this doesn’t even happen here on earth. How exactly would someone atone for murder or rape with good deeds? Some established religions like Islam, even have this sort of “scales of justice” system codified in their religion.

When people think about their own goodness, many will admit that they are not angels, but otherwise they consider themselves to be generally pretty good (as compared to others of course). But what does the Bible say? The Bible contains a test where people can examine themselves to see just how good they are in God’s eyes and I hasten to say that it is our standing in His eyes that really matters. The test is the 10 Commandments so let’s see how you and I measure up.

1. Have you ever told a lie in your life? Most or nearly everyone (including me) will say “yes” and some even include “several times.” If you have lied, what does that make you… a lair? That is breaking Commandment #6, bearing a false witness.

2. Have you ever stolen anything in your life, even something trivial like a pencil or a song you downloaded? Most (including me) say “Yes” and if you said yes, what does that make you? It makes you thief that has broken commandment #8.

3. Have you ever used God’s name as a cuss word including OMG? If yes, (and I did… years ago) you have failed Commandment # 3 and that means that you a blasphemer.

4. When Jesus walked the earth, He clarified that the problem of sin is not really in the doing; the sin actually happens in the thinking. He said that if you look upon someone with lust, it is just as though you have already committed adultery with them. Is this another yes for you?  It is for me.

So, by looking at just these four things what is the final result? It is likely that we both could be described as a lying thieves and blasphemers with a hearts of lust. Therefore, if God judges us based on these will we be guilty or innocent?   Guilty of course and in big trouble on judgment day. But there is good news! Jesus was sent by God to live a prefect (sin free) life thus becoming qualified to pay for (atone) for all the sins of mankind. This was not a new concept only invented during the time of Jesus. God knowing that His special people (Israel) would sin, He established a system where completely innocent animals (without blemish) would be killed to atone for the sins of the owner. The book of Leviticus presents the sacrificial system in exquisite and exacting detail. So exacting that one comes away from Leviticus with the understanding that God is very serious about sin. It is not that the shed blood did anything magical to absolve sin; it was that the person bringing the sacrifice was trusting God and following His precise instructions in regard to his sin that is what mattered. The 10 Commandments showed the Children of Israel (and us) what God viewed as sin and the sacrificial system in place (with all the blood flowing), clearly displayed the consequence of. This sacrificial system looked forward to the time when God’s Only Son would come and live a perfect (sinless) life and atone for the sins of all people that would accept Him, Jesus, as their atoning sacrifice. God clearly told in advance what He was going to do about 700 years before Jesus came. You can read it for yourself in Isaiah 52:13-15 and the entire chapter of Isaiah 53.

After Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead, salvation (being seen by God as completely sin free) was no longer contingent on perfect keeping of the Ten Commandments or the sacrifice of innocent animals. The long-awaited solution to the sin problem had arrived.  Now, being seen by God as sin free came from each person bending their will and trusting in the antidote for sin prescribed by God. This is done by us accepting Jesus as God’s Son and believing with our whole hearts that Jesus paid for our sins by His death on the cross. In other words, entering into a personal relationship with Jesus who died for us and paid the penalty for our sins, and further, this atonement was provided entirely as a gift from God, free for our asking and trusting.

Now an important question: What sins in our life was atoned for by Jesus? All of them! Even those we haven’t committed yet? Yes. Does that mean that since all my sins are atoned for I can go ahead and sin whenever I want? Absolutely not! If we truly understand what measure of love God has loved us with in His act of redemption, it should cause us to love Him more and more. If you love someone, you want to please them and one of the ways we please God is by trying to be more like Him in our choices and conduct. We should want to live our lives as sin free as possible if for no other reason, to say “thanks” for what He has done in giving us life and salvation. Will we ever achieve perfect righteousness through our own efforts? No, never. But thankfully, God accounts the righteousness of His Son to those of us who believe and trust in Jesus.

Here’s how: http://www.semperkeith.com/gospel/abible14.html

Please repent and trust Him today, let Jesus pay your debt of sin and you will be eternally glad you did.

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