RHM HOME
© 1997 Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Last Update: 03/09/1997
Gospel Communications Network (GCN). Online Christian Resources
Metal mouth! That's what they called my daughter, Lisa, in Junior High. Of course, there were plenty of kids you could call that. Those pre-teen and early teen years are the braces years, right? All our kids got to take their turn at braces, and Karen and I were thankful, frankly, that we had a friend who was their orthodontist. The work was important, but the bills were challenging! Our friend allowed us to pay in installments, but even that was hard. We still had this large unpaid balance the day our latest bill arrived. We opened it and we couldn't believe those three excellent words that were stamped across the bill - "paid in full"!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about THE ONLY PAYMENT PLAN YOU CAN AFFORD.
Now, I've had that experience twice in my life, once was when the man I owed declared my bill "paid", the second time was when the God I owed declared my bill "paid."
Our word for the day from the Word of God comes from John 19:30, Jesus has been hanging on that awful cross for six hours, He is now breathing His last. It says, "When He had received the drink Jesus said, 'It is finished,' and with that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." Now, if you were to read that three word sentence in the original Greek, it's one word, tetelestai. It's an interesting word that Jesus shouted from the cross there. In fact, some archaeologists a few years ago dug up a tax collectors office that was really in tact, it still had the tax records in there and everything, and there were two stacks and one of them had the word, tetelestai, on the top. In other words, "paid in full". These people don't owe anything anymore.
Now, Jesus declared that His death was a payment, a full payment! He said, "It's paid in full," the price was the life of God's one and only Son. It was a bill that I couldn't pay myself, it's a bill you can't pay - none of us can.
The Bible describes the reason why we have such a massive debt with God, it says, "The wages of sin is death." Now, some of us religious folks will say, "Hey, I don't think that applies to me!" Well, the bad news is, the Bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short of God's Glory." Sin is a whole lot more than just breaking some religious rules. It's taking this life that God was supposed to run and running it our way instead. It's my way instead of God's way living. And the penalty is clear, and it's sobering - it's death - that's separation from the God who made us now and ultimately forever. That is Hell. You and I have this overwhelming sin bill with God and Eternal separation from God is the only way to pay for it. Our religion doesn't even come close to covering it. But that verse has some good news, the one that says, "The wages of sin is death," it says, "But the gift of God is Eternal Life." Now, how can that be because like my orthodontist friend, the one we owe the debt to declared out bill "paid" at the cost of His life. When He was hanging on that cross Jesus was absorbing every sin we've ever committed and it's penalty.
Eternal Life is described by God as a gift, and the gift isn't yours until you take it. If there has never been a time when you've told Jesus that you're putting you're total trust in Him to forgive your sin and get you to Heaven, then your deadly sin bill remains on your record, but that could change in these next few moments if you would tell Jesus you want Him to be your Savior.
There's a little song that says it all, "He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay, I needed someone to wash my sins away, and now I sing a brand new song, amazing grace, Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay." Well, He's waiting to hear from you and to stamp your bill forever - "paid in full!"
If you would like to know more about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, or if you want to know for sure that you belong to Him...
Read YOURS FOR LIFE!.
OR, you can return to more LIFE ISSUES.
Copyright ã 1996 Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. Permission to reproduce this material is automatically granted on the condition it will be used for non-commercial purposes, will not be sold, and will be distributed for the sole purpose of expanding the Gospel.
© 1997 Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Last Update: 03/09/1997