Charles Stanley: "Mankind has a debt problem"

Devotionals by In Touch

A Debt Paid in Full

Dr. Charles Stanley

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

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Mankind has a debt problem. In the physical world, our desire for a higher standard of living and more "stuff" has led to burdensome credit card balances and unwieldy mortgage payments. The weight of what we owe can cause restless nights and the feeling that we're trapped. We long for someone to rescue us from the mess we have made.

However, material indebtedness isn't our biggest problem. Our sin-debt is. All of us were born with a "flesh" nature that prompts us to rebel against the Lord. Our rebelliousness is an affront to His holy nature, incurring a debt that we owe to Him. Until this penalty is paid, we are under God's righteous judgment and remain spiritually separated from Him (Eph. 2:1-2). The trouble is, we are unable to pay what's due. No amount of good works, self-sacrifice, or religious devotion will lessen what we owe. 

So God, in His great mercy, sent His Son to rescue us. Jesus Christ left heaven and all of its glory so He could come to earth to live and die for us (Phil. 2:6-7). Although the cost to our Savior was enormous, He willingly paid the price we owed. He took our sins upon Himself, bore them to the cross, and discharged our debt in full. Hallelujah!

When we receive Jesus as our Savior, His atoning work is credited to our account. We become children of God and co-heirs with Christ—we're changed from debtors to inheritors (1 Peter 1:3-4). Let the knowledge of His sacrifice on the cross permeate your thinking, attitude, and choices.