Fully Forgiven - The Crosswalk Devotional - August 2
Fully Forgiven
By Alexis A. Goring
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23 (KJV)
Across America, in the spring, students attend graduation ceremonies. Teachers and professors distribute desired degrees that the students worked hard to receive. There’s a special level of anticipation from college graduation because that’s when you embark on the adventure of adulthood and move closer to your career dreams. Everything you studied, all the lessons you learned, all of your God-given talents, and all of the skills you gained are now ripe and ready to be applied.
But life after school doesn’t always turn out the way you expect, and many college graduates share one thing in common: student loans. Not everyone is able to pay for college out of pocket, even if they work their way through school.
Therefore, many people borrow money to fund their education. These loans are often thousands of dollars, and, for some students, those loans can amount to $100,000 and higher. It might be overwhelming to you to feel that, even after working hard in the workforce, you’ll never be able to pay off your debt. Expenses like rent or mortgage, food and drink, the light bill, utility bills, car payments and insurance, and other daily costs add up as you survive and thrive as a responsible adult. Life can also throw curveballs, incurring unexpected expenses that you’re unprepared to meet. This might feel defeating as if no matter how hard you work or how much money you save, life drains most of it from your bank account.
As a college graduate, I, too, have student loans. I also feel the overwhelm of not making enough money to pay off my debt in a reasonable amount of time. I’m actively hoping, praying, and working to land a lucrative job that will help pay back what I borrowed. Financial freedom is a goal that many people have, and few things feel better than being debt-free in a society where you always need money.
Years ago, I read a feature story about a couple who owed more money than they could pay back. A spiritual parallel to that couple’s situation came to mind as I realized that we are all drowning in the debt of our sins, a debt we cannot pay. But we have hope because Jesus Christ covered it all when He died on the cross to pay the wages of our sins! Only He could have done this for us. Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God, meaning He never sinned. When Christ, the Son of God, offered His pure and sinless life as the ultimate sacrifice, it ended the former need to burn offerings of animals to God for forgiveness. Because of Jesus, we can be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).
Now when we sin, we can go straight to Jesus in prayer and ask Him to forgive us. We don’t need to go to anyone else to confess our sins because Jesus is our bridge to Heaven. Jesus always intercedes for us before God. When we pray to God in Jesus’ name, He doesn’t see our filthy, sinful nature. Instead, God sees us as made righteous, pure, precious, and redeemed by Jesus. He welcomes us with open arms.
So, in essence, when you accept Jesus Christ into your heart and live for Him, you become debt-free! You don’t have to worry about eternal death, and you don’t have to pay the wages of sin because it is forgiven. You confess your sins to God, turn away from wrong-doing, pray in Jesus’s name, and have the hope of Heaven. This is the promise of eternal life in the presence of God.
Jesus paid it all! We have been set free, and that is a beautiful thing. In closing, I’d like to share this song: “Jesus Paid It All” by Kim Walker-Smith | Worship Circle Hymns. Listen to the song here.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
How does it feel to know that you can be debt-free? What are you looking forward to the most about being reconciled with God?
Further Reading:
Read “It Is Finished: The Day that Changed Everything” by Debbie McDaniel
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Related Resource: How Habit Stacking Will Help You Discipline Your Mind, Body, & Spirit
The process of success is not hidden. It is on display for anyone to see. However, it is a daily grind that requires a great deal of work that is tedious and often uncomfortable. Successful people simply do the work. They embrace the grind and everything that comes with it. Ultimately, successful people understand this truth - Hope doesn’t produce change. Habits do! Everyone has the desire, but many lack the necessary discipline! That’s why today on The Built Different Podcast we have a very special guest who understands the importance of discipline and habits at a very high level. Don’t just focus on changing the thoughts in your head and the habits in your life, but also allow God to transform your heart from the inside out. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Built Different Podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube so you never miss an episode!
