THROW BACK: Friday is Pay Day and Jesus Paid It All

This corona virus pandemic mess has given me the opportunity to ponder. One week from today is Good Friday...and my last payday until the furlough I found out about yesterday is reversed. Of course, I am concerned for my livelihood, but I am strangely calm. All I keep thinking about is my debt, my Savior, and Pay Day.

You see, I don't really embrace "original sin" as some Christians do. I believe that babies are born innocent, but with a sinful nature. All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. I know I have...and do...more often than I care to admit. But, there's a line in the movie Tombstone attributed to Wyatt Earp, "I owe you a debt and I can't pay it..." That was me before Jesus. I was completely incapable of making up for my sinful nature through any effort of my own. What I needed was a Savior.

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets and provided the ransom for sin once for all. He paid my debt and yours freely. Not accepting His gift of forgiveness and life eternal would be like the bank calling to say a billionaire wanted to pay off your mortgage, but you had to ask him to...and you didn't. What could keep us from accepting something so valuable? Pride? Eternity with the God of Heaven is worth a lot more than a house. All Jesus requires of us is an invitation to live in our hearts. When He enters our life, we are not instantly perfect...He's still workin' on me, but I live every day trying to be a truer reflection of the One who died for me.

Pay Day is coming. And while most of us look forward to being paid in full for the hours we work, none of us would enjoy the eternal punishment we deserve. We can't possibly earn our salvation. It saddens me that so many will choose not to accept the free gift of eternal life Jesus provided on that Good Friday 2000 years ago. But, payday is coming. The debt will be called. When we let the Lord be the Lord of our lives...our debt is paid. We owe nothing. Jesus paid it all.

The song on my heart today is an old hymn in the public domain:

     Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe

     Sin had left a Crimson stain, He washed it white as snow

If you don't know Jesus, it's so simple you may feel like you've done it wrong. He does not require eloquence or doctrinal understanding. You just need to tell Him you are a sinner and you want Him to be your Savior. Then open a Bible and find a group of believers who can help you grow. Thank God for Good Friday. May all who read this be blessed.