Fixing Flaws to the Masterpiece as Only the Creator Can

Imagine being a renowned artist who has just finished a painting for a major art exhibit. After examining it with pride, he believes it might be his best work yet. About the time the artist is putting his signature to the painting, one of his grandchildren, four-year-old Eva, arrives with her mom and dad. Excited about their visit, the painter leaves the artwork to greet them. 

While they’re engaged in conversation, Eva slips away, enters the artist’s studio, and decides to try her own creative skills. Following the example observed while watching granddad at work, she goes to the paint palette, its oils still fresh, picks up a brush and happily starts dabbing paint on the lower corners within her reach.

 

Her grandfather, noticing she has disappeared from sight, tracks her down and instantly sees the damage Susan innocently has inflicted on his masterpiece. Because he loves his granddaughter, the master artist stifles an urge to cry out in dismay. He guides Eva away from the painting as calmly as possible, places the palette far out of reach, and immediately starts contemplating how to fix his now-flawed creation.

 

If the painter resolves to repair the artwork, do you think he would he ask little Susan to do it? Of course not. He would do it himself, since as its creator, he’s the only one capable of restoring it to its former beauty.

 

Even as I describe this imagined scene, I can’t help cringing, thinking about how I might react if I were in his shoes. The paramount work of a lifetime, painstakingly created and completed, seriously marred by careless hands. Do you just take a “mulligan” or a start-over?

 

In the most profound sense, this is exactly the story we find unfolding throughout the Bible, starting with its opening words, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), followed by its description of the creation account. That first chapter closes with these words: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good…” (verse 31). By “very good,” I don’t think He was saying, “Not too shabby” or “it’s okay.” It was the greatest “Ta-Dah!” of all time.

 

But we know the story didn’t end there. The first humans, whom the Bible identifies as Adam and Eve, wrecked the Lord’s perfect, idyllic work. Committing what is commonly referred to as the original sin, they defied His command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A singular but devastating act of disobedience and rebellion, with tragic ripples that we experience to this day.

 

One term for those ripples is our “sin nature.” Adam and Eve didn’t keep their wayward ways to themselves. Throughout history, men, women and children have been carrying on their sinful “DNA.” As Romans 3:10 declares, “There is no one righteous, not even one…,” and Romans 3:23 adds, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” From the moment we’re born, we arrive with something inside that seems intent on continuing to taint the Lord’s masterpiece.

 

Toward the end of the 7^th chapter of the book, the apostle Paul – having confessed his own struggles with right and wrong – bemoans, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death” (Romans 7:24). Great question, one most of us have asked ourselves, probably more than once.

 

Hymn writer and former slave owner John Newton himself faced this dilemma, wrestling with his dismal past, but arrived at this joyous conclusion as he wrote, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

 

This wasn’t rationalization on Newton’s part. He had discovered and embraced this truth from reading the Scriptures after being dramatically transformed by Jesus Christ. He read passages like Romans 7:25-8:2, in which Paul celebrated, after having asked who would rescue him:

“Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

Adam and Eve, and every human ever born since, set about ruining God’s perfect creation, but He instituted a better plan, one that will ultimately dispense with the devastation completely. The Bible teaches this in many places, but one of the great passages explaining what the Lord has done – and continues to do – is 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.

 

It begins by revisiting God’s creative powers: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…” Then we find the incredible declaration that we, even in our current imperfect state, have the privilege of being participants in this redemptive process:

“…And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made [Jesus Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

 

As an old preacher said, “If that doesn’t light your fire, your wood’s wet!”

 

Maybe the imagined master painter we met above didn’t enlist little Eva to help him in restoring his masterpiece; but amazingly by His grace – as Newton recognized – God has chosen not only to reconcile us to Himself through His Son, Jesus, but also wants us to serve as His agents in seeing others restored in relationship to Him as well. Praise the Lord!

Why Hold Back When We Know the Cure?

Suppose you’re a medical researcher diagnosed with a dread, terminal disease. You determine to apply all of your skill, expertise and intelligence in search of a cure. And one day, much to your delight – and surprise – you find it. You conduct necessary tests to confirm your findings – no question about it. There’s a cure for you, and for anyone else who wants it.

There’s only one problem: You wonder, “Who am I to impose this cure on someone else?” With so many physicians and medical centers providing other treatment methods, you think it might be “intolerant” to let anyone else know about your good news.

Ridiculous, right? Rather than intolerant, you’d be regarded as selfish at best, cruel and murderous at worst, for withholding such wonderful, life-giving information. 

And yet, this is exactly what happens every day in our communities, across the country and around the world, in a spiritual sense. The disease is called “sin,” which describes not only bad behavior and wrong thinking, but also separation from God. In the Scriptures we find the “cure,” which is Jesus Christ. People need to hear and have the opportunity to respond. However, as Romans 10:14 says, “How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can their believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?”

This is why Jesus, in His Great Commission before ascending into heaven, instructed all of His followers, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). This command was not solely for the “green berets” of Christianity, the “special forces” who are seminary-trained, but to everyone who professes the name of Jesus Christ.

Sadly, studies indicate only about 10 percent of all professed followers of Jesus actively share their faith with others. That means 90 percent of the men, women and young people assembling for worship each week never get into the action. They may know, as Romans 3:23 states, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). For some reason, however, they feel disinclined to share with others about the Good News, summarized in the last part of that verse: “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

There are many reasons – or excuses – for not talking with others about Jesus. We might fear rejection, that people would label us “fanatics” or “Jesus freaks.” There’s fear of failure, that we’ll mess up somehow in presenting the gospel message. We might think we’re not adequately prepared or trained for the task, that we don’t know the Bible well enough, or need to attend more evangelism workshops or conferences. There are other justifications as well, but when put to the test, all lack validity.

Consider, for example, the blind man that had his sight restored by Jesus. When interrogated by the Pharisees, he didn’t respond with a detailed theological treatise. He just replied, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see” (John 9:25).

Then there was the Samaritan woman at the well, who was shocked to have a Jewish man – Jesus – approach her, especially given her sketchy background. After He described Himself as the “living water,” and compassionately recounted her painful past, the woman ran to tell the townspeople. The passage then states, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did’” (John 4:39). 

This woman had never attended Sunday school, or received specialized evangelistic training. Like the blind man, all she knew was this was someone unlike anyone she had ever encountered and she was eager to tell everyone else about Him.

  

If only each of us was as eager to tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ. We tend to think that’s the job of trained professionals, like pastors and missionaries. We support their efforts with money in the offering plate or checks in the mail. We applaud or shout a hearty “Amen!” when we hear about people who have given their hearts to Christ. But how often do we consider, “Could it be that God has brought this person into my life for a reason – to share about Jesus?”

Every one of us is afflicted with a disease called sin, and if not cured, it is terminal for all eternity. We can’t cure ourselves, much less anyone else. But we know the One who can. What we can do is tell them that the cure is available – and theirs for the asking.

Maybe we should pray a simple prayer, “God, I’m willing to talk with someone about You. I don’t know if I’m up to the challenge, but I know that You are. I also know the Scriptures promise that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Make me sensitive to someone who needs to hear about you today.” I have every confidence that is one prayer the Lord will not fail to answer.

Another ‘All’ – Sadly, Not a Good One

In my last post, I wrote about the many times the word “all” appears in the Scriptures – nearly 6,000. The term offers great encouragement, assurance of God's presence and personal involvement in every circumstance, good and bad, that we confront in this journey called life. But not every use of “all” is as uplifting.

We need to understand the meaning of "all."

Romans 3:23 declares, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The same chapter also says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12). That sounds harsh – and all-encompassing.

Why is this important? All we need to do is watch the evening news, or read a newspaper, for the answer. Of late we’ve heard report after report about prominent individuals – entertainers, politicians, news media celebrities, athletes and others – accused of multiple instances of sexual misconduct. Reactions by employers and their industries have been swift and severe. And sadly, as some observers suggest, this may be merely the tip of a proverbial iceberg of similar accusations yet to come.

Some of these persons reveled in the misdeeds of others; now the weight of guilt has fallen on their own shoulders. How can this be? It’s because, as the Bible asserts without wavering, we all have sinned – and fallen far short of God’s glory and His perfect standards.

These recent episodes focus on one specific form of sin, but they teach a broader lesson. How can such wrongdoing be so pervasive? Why have so many stumbled, people who should have known better?

Sociologists and psychologists might offer different explanations, but I believe the reason is very simple. In our “enlightened,” “progressive,” amoral culture, we’ve rejected the clear warnings of the Scriptures. The ancient book of Job, describing the travails he endured and the debate between himself and his so-called friends, recounts his bold statement, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl” (Job 31:1). He knew even a desiring stare could lead to serious consequences.

In the book of Proverbs, chapters 4-9 speak about the snares of sexual temptation and the devastating results when those temptations are acted upon and turned to sin. Here’s a sampling:

• “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
• “For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword” (Proverbs 5:3-4).
• “…a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself” (Proverbs 6:32).
• “All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose…little knowing it will cost him his life” (Proverbs 7:22-23).

Jesus addressed this in His “sermon on the mount.” He warned, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

Not everyone is guilty of sexual sin, although a wise man once told me that we all have broken every one of the Ten Commandments in thought, word or deed. But without question, we all fit the description of Romans 3:23. We all have sinned and fallen desperately short of God righteous standard.

What’s to be done about this? It has already been done. Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” A bit later it also states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Our part is uncomplicated: Recognize our sin, repent, and receive God’s gracious and unconditional gift. Now that’s what we can call “good news” – and it’s available to all of us.

Don’t Judge – But Don’t Condone, Either

The statement caught my eye. It’s been expressed many times, but merits reviewing again: “Don’t judge someone just because they sin differently than you.” Ponder that for a moment.

There’s much wisdom in that statement. Because, the Bible asserts, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As a wise theologian noted, “When the Bible says ‘all,’ it means…ALL.” It also says, in even stronger language, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).

Wow! That sounds all-inclusive. No exceptions. So who are we to judge the sins of others?

The Bible states judging isn't 
our job. God doesn't need help. 

It’s easy to feel judgmental about the bad behavior of others if we can’t identify with their practices. For example, if you’ve never wrestled with a weight problem, it’s easy to “judge” someone who’s obese. But anyone that’s had a tendency to overindulge in alcohol can feel sympathetic toward someone with a drinking problem. Does this make the overweight person a worse sinner than the drunk? Certainly not. They both, as the passage above states, have fallen short of God’s glory, His perfect standard. As we all have, each in our own ways.

Years ago a friend called whom I hadn’t talked with in several years. He was distraught and needed someone to talk with. We met soon afterward, and he confided to being a self-described “sex addict.” His job required him to travel extensively, and he'd been diligent to feed his addiction wherever he went. Remorse came after his sins "found him out." 

Admittedly I was surprised. I’d known this fellow for years and never suspected he had this kind of problem. But I didn’t respond with words of condemnation. Nor did I wave a cross in his face, telling him what a terrible person he was. Neither did I pat him on the shoulder and say, “Hey, man, no problem. It’s all good. Nobody’s perfect.”

Jesus made it clear: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). At the same time, He didn’t instruct us to condone, endorse, or even ignore the sins of others when they become evident.

We find a classic example in the gospel of John, when Jesus is confronted by religious leaders prepared to stone a woman caught in adultery. After listening to those “teachers of the law and Pharisees” describe the circumstances, He tells them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Perhaps shamed in being forced to confront their own guilt, one by one the men walk away, leaving behind their “weapons” as they go.

There it is – don’t judge the sins of others. Jesus was making that clear. However, sometimes we forget what happened next.

After the men have departed, Jesus and the woman are standing there alone. He asks her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She responds, "No one, sir." Jesus then replies, "Then neither do I condemn you," but doesn’t stop there. He concludes by telling her, "Go now and leave your life of sin." Or as other translations say, "Go and sin no more" (John 8:3-11).

So we're not to judge others – because we all sin in different ways and are equally reprehensible before a holy God. And yet, we’re never instructed to condone or endorse wrongful actions, even though the prevailing culture of our times seems to insist we must.

While He did not condemn the woman clearly caught in sin – Jesus knew the law – the Lord did not excuse her. He didn’t say, "Hey, girl, it's okay. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do." No, He simply told her, “Go and sin no more.”

That, to me, is the biblical model of how to react to the sins of others. We’re not to judge – that’s God’s job, and He doesn’t need our help. But contrary to what “tolerant” society advocates, we’re not instructed to blindly accept, justify or applaud the sins of others, whatever those might be.

In love, with grace and understanding, we’re to offer support and encouragement for broken people trying to deal with and overcome their sins, recognizing our own brokenness and knowing we also have fallen far short from God’s perfect and divine standard.

And we’re to apply the words of Jesus to ourselves. He’s telling us as well to “go and sin no more.” In our own ability, this often seems difficult – maybe even impossible. That’s why it’s important to remember, echoing the words of the apostle Paul, “I can do everything through him (Jesus) who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). We can’t – but He can.

The ‘Born That Way’ Dilemma

Imagine a young man talking with his fiancé as the wedding day approaches and informing her, “Hey, babe, I really love you, and I don’t want you to hear this the wrong way, but there’s something you need to know. Every night I spend about an hour looking at pornography online. I hope you’re okay with that – it’s something I’ve done for as long as I can remember. Guess I was just born that way.”

How do you think the bride-to-be should respond?

Or consider a woman caught in an adulterous affair outside of her marriage. Her husband, who’s been completely faithful to her, feels devastated. Remorsefully the wife looks at her husband and says, “Honey, please don’t take this personally. I love you, but I’ve never been a one-man kind of woman. I think our marriage is great, but sometimes, you know, I enjoy the company of other men. Sorry, but I suppose I was just born that way.”

Does that make sense?

We could think of other scenarios: A compulsive gossip; someone given to uncontrollable fits of anger; a person consumed with jealousy over the professional success of coworkers; an individual caught up with envy (what the Bible calls “coveting”) over a friend’s much bigger, far more expensive house or luxury car; an able-bodied man with no initiative who refuses to seek a job; someone whose pattern of dishonesty makes it virtually impossible to know if or when he’s telling the truth.

Should we give any of them a pass when they offer the excuse, “I was born that way”?

Frankly, every one of us could use that rationale to explain objectionable behavior. After all, the Bible says, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). This doesn’t mean the sexual act that resulted in conception was wrong. It’s stating just as parents pass along genetic heredity to their children, resulting in specific physical characteristics and traits, from the beginning of time mankind also has passed on the “sin gene” from generation to generation.

Any parent knows you don’t have to teach children to become selfish. They are born that way.

Certain people are predisposed toward diseases like cancer, heart disease, obesity or alcoholism. While others are never troubled by such problems, these individuals must deal with them for much of their lives. Perhaps it’s true they were “born that way.” Should we therefore refuse to offer help or support in their desire to overcome these besetting challenges?

The vast majority of men find themselves confronting lustful thoughts, often sparked by a casual glance. They see an attractive woman, whether in a mall, on a beach, or even in church, and suddenly find themselves entertaining inappropriate thoughts about that person. Since most men are “born this way,” prone to visual provocation, does this mean it’s to be approved of, condoned, even applauded?

We could make similar observations about women, but the point is when it comes to sin – a word the Bible often uses, which many in society would like to eradicate – we all have been “born that way” in one respect or another. As Romans 3:10 declares, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” Later the Bible asserts, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Being unique, we all have our own assortment of pet sins and weaknesses. Our spiritual predisposition, from birth, is toward spiritual brokenness in one respect or another. So it troubles us to read passages like Philippians 2:3-4 that admonish, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than ourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” We want to respond, “Are you kidding? If we don’t look out for ourselves, our best interests, who will? Besides, I can’t help it.”

The fact is, areas of sin that afflict each of  us – behaviors we’d like to shrug off and defend with, “I was born that way” – often are beyond our capacity to change. Old habits die hard, as the saying goes. But the good news, it’s not up to us alone to make the changes.

Jesus told His followers, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), and the apostle Paul – who understood human struggles as well as any – wrote with confidence, “I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

So whatever it is we’re wrestling with, seemingly overwhelming problems that just won’t go away, there’s hope. Hope in the life-changing, transforming power of Jesus Christ. The cliché might sound trite, but that doesn’t make it untrue. Sometimes it just requires willingness to “let go – and let God.”

Why Good Isn’t Good Enough

Imagine being at a restaurant and the server brings your favorite beverage, but before setting it down, as you’re watching, he spits into it. Hard to imagine, right? But think about it, how would you react? You might consider a number of options, but one thing you wouldn’t do is drink it. Right?

Consider another scenario. You’re starving. You haven’t had anything to eat all day, and finally arrive at a cafeteria that looks promising. But somehow, just before you take your first bite, you learn the food you’ve been served has been tainted accidentally with a pesticide. Despite your hunger, I’d bet you wouldn’t proceed to eat.

In both instances, scientifically speaking, the food and drink are probably 99 percent acceptable. If chemical analyses were performed, in terms of atoms and molecules, they would consist mostly of the drink ordered or the food served. But the remaining one percent – be it saliva or a poisonous substance – has spoiled the entire drink or meal, making it unacceptable and potentially lethal.

There's an important spiritual parallel. How many times have you heard someone say something like, “I consider myself basically a good person,” or, “God understands we’re not perfect. He’ll accept me because my good outweighs the bad.”

From a human perspective, that makes sense. It’s true, we’re not perfect. So it’s futile to expect perfection from ourselves or from others, whether at home, in the workplace, or anywhere else.

  

But God doesn’t judge according to “human perspective.” He has only one standard, and that’s perfection. For instance, Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:10 declares, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” In the Old Testament we read, “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). And Psalm 143:2 agrees, “no one living is righteous before you (God).” Harsh words, no doubt.

Does that mean that, according to the Bible, God sees everything we do as totally evil, utterly disgusting and without value? No, but like spit in a drink, or a dash of poison in food, sin – our failure to keep God’s laws and standards – taints all we do, making it unacceptable to God.

Christian theology offers the concept of “total depravity,” the belief that even our best thoughts, words and actions are contaminated by sin – selfishness, pride, self-sufficiency, and other impure motivations.

Jeremiah 17:9 explains, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  In other words, even when we’re doing good things, can we be certain we’re doing them for the right reasons?

In human relationships, when we mess up we can apologize, ask forgiveness, and try to salve the harm done by doing good – buying gifts or flowers, performing chores without being asked, planning a nice evening out to help heal the wounds. Outweigh the bad with good. Offer the “nobody’s perfect” plea.

Heaven and earth - where divine perfection
and human imperfection collide.

But God has already judged our performance and, to borrow an educational term, we’ve flunked the course. No matter how much good we do, in terms of earning His favor it’s about as effective as trying to rinse off rotten meat with water and serving it for dinner.

So what’s the solution? If this is true, is there no hope? Yes, there is. But we have to fall back on the plea men, women and children have uttered through the centuries: “Lord, have mercy!” As Titus 3:5 tells us, “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

That passage brings up another term that people outside the Christian tradition find problematic: “Washed in the blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ).” Sounds yucky, doesn’t it? But it’s a proper, biblical term describing Christ’s crucifixion, shedding His own blood and offering purification for the sins of mankind. In Revelation 7:14 we find this description: “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Hard for the human mind to conceive, but from God’s perspective, that is the only solution to the dilemma of sin pollution, the “total depravity” that otherwise disqualifies us from entering God’s perfect and holy kingdom. 

Benefits of a New Balance

Paying a bill the other day, I noticed the statement listed my new balance. It occurred to me this phrase – “new balance” – has multiple meanings, ones that are strikingly different.

The new balance the billing statement cited, of course, was the remainder on the debt that was yet to be paid. But then I considered New Balance shoes, which many people use for walking and running. The name promises both comfort and a proper fit and balance for wearers engaged in various forms of exercise.

When considering a "new balance," there
are many ways of applying the phrase.

There’s the new balance some people are demanding to alleviate the logjam of partisan politics and posturing that has slowed legislative progress in Congress. In sports sometimes we hear cries for a new balance to correct what’s perceived as a competitive imbalance at both collegiate and professional levels.

When economists review the balance of trade, the comparison of a nation’s imports and exports, they sometimes declare a new balance is necessary.

Even the Bible makes the promise of a new balance. Because similar to my bill, there’s a debt – in this case, a spiritual one – to be paid.

There are some who consider God’s acceptance in terms of a balance scale: Do enough good that outweighs the bad you’ve done, and you’ll be okay. Sounds right, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, the Bible contradicts that rationale. It states, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). In other words, we’re way out of balance.

If we argue, “Well, what about all the good I’ve done?” the Scriptures respond, “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) To emphasize this point, Romans 3:10-12 declares, “There is no one righteous, not even one…there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Put another way, even when we do good things, they are typically tainted with bad – pride, improper motives, selfishness and self-centeredness. What seems good to us is totally unacceptable to God.

That leaves us with a dilemma. As the jailer asked the apostle Paul and Silas, “what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Or we might ask, “How then can I get right with God?”

Returning to the debt analogy, whenever we receive a billing statement that cites our “new balance,” it’s saying even though we’ve made a payment, we’re still indebted. Spiritually, every day we’re running up a “tab” of sin we can’t possibly pay – conscious and subconscious rebellion against God and disobedience to His standards. This ultimately is why Jesus came – and went to the cross.

As someone has said, “Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, to save those who owed a debt they could not pay.” The last word He said before dying on the cross was “Tetelestai," which means, “It is finished" (John 19:30). This word also was used on business documents or receipts in New Testament times to show a bill had been paid in full.

Perhaps when we arrive in heaven, we will be presented with a bill representing our spiritual debt, one we could never repay. But on the bill will be stamped, in blood red, the word, “Tetelestai.” Or perhaps, for those that can’t read Greek, “Paid in full.”

We’ll have a new balance – a zero balance. The debt has been satisfied. Can you imagine?