Category: Thoughts and Meditations

“By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” – Colossians 2:14

One way to understand your sin is to think of it as a debt you owe God. Every sin you commit is an act of rebellion against His righteous authority as your Creator. Regardless of whether you consider it a big deal or not, rebellion is an act of war, an offense against your good God. Each person accumulates a massive debt against the Lord throughout their life. Sinning is part of our fundamental nature – it’s both something we can’t help do and also the thing we most desire to do.

This record of debt is what makes it impossible for us to ever bridge the separation between ourselves and the absolute sinless holiness of God. We can’t ever be good enough, kind enough, generous enough, or moral enough to work through our personal Mt. Everest of sin-related debt to God. Many in our culture fail to even realize that mountain of debt exists, but it does. Others are so acutely aware of it they can’t imagine ever escaping from it. They’re absolutely crushed by its weight and live in deep despair.

Here’s the good news: Jesus Christ died to erase your personal record of debt! Jesus, the innocent and eternal Son of God, was nailed to a cross on your behalf and with Him was nailed the record of your sin debt. Jesus died and rose again so that all who believe in Him are forgiven their mountain of debt by God’s grace. There’s nothing so terrible God won’t forgive it in Christ. There’s no mountain of debt too high or record of debt too long that God won’t forgive it in Christ!

The only thing God can’t forgive is dying without recognizing that record of debt and asking His forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. Have you accepted Christ and been forgiven? What’s holding you back?

“But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” – Jeremiah 9:24

The prophet pretty much says it all! In a world that encourages us to brag and boast about all manner of accomplishments, certificates, awards, promotions, and the accumulation of stuff, there’s one thing that truly matters and is worth telling the world…. that we know the Lord AND understand Him.

To know and understand the Lord means beginning to be reshaped into alignment with His virtues, priorities, and passions. It’s to be moved and motivated by what concerns and delights the Lord. What’s that??? Steadfast, faithful love. Justice, particularly for the poor, vulnerable, and oppressed. Righteousness, true personal holiness and obedience to God’s will and commands.

These are God’s delights. These find their ultimate expression and fulfillment at the cross of Christ, when Jesus, the perfectly righteous Son of God, willingly gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins. At the cross, Jesus atoned for our sins and made us righteous in Him. These fundamental attributes of God are what Christ died for and what we’re commanded to live for, pursue, and proclaim.

Love, justice, and righteousness aren’t modern-day social constructs. They aren’t secondary concerns divorced from the Gospel. These are the things God delights in! If you truly know and understand anything about the Lord, they must also be your delight, your pursuit, your passion, and your proclamation. They must be the story of your new life in Christ. If they aren’t, then you’ve got nothing to brag about, because you’re clearly missing the heart of God!

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14

Faith in Christ really is the difference between night and day! When we believe in Jesus, we are immediately redeemed from our massive debt of sin. Jesus sacrifice on the cross paid the penalty for all of our sins, and we are forgiven. There is nothing in your past or present that His death and resurrection can’t cover and forgive!

In that moment of faith, our spiritual place of residence changes radically. We are rescued from Satan’s domain of darkness and moved into Christ’s Kingdom! With that radical spiritual change of address comes new realities, new hopes, new desires, new values, and new priorities. Rather than pursuing the things of the domain of darkness, we’re called to work for the Kingdom of Christ. We’re to proclaim His hope, mercy, and grace. We’re called to embody His compassion and love for the vulnerable and suffering. We’re to perform practical acts of love and healing while offering God’s love and spiritual healing through faith in Christ. We’re called to follow and I’m it’s our King.

In Christ, we’re redeemed from our past and forgiven our sins, so in Christ’s Kingdom we shouldn’t turn back to those things. We follow our King’s example, teaching, and commands and we do so in the power of His presence within us. This change of address is permanent. There’s no going back, nor should there be indulgence of the old ways, patterns, and habits of our former life in the domain of darkness.

“Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,
‘Return, faithless Israel,
declares the Lord.
I will not look on you in anger,
for I am merciful,
declares the Lord;
I will not be angry forever.’”
– Jeremiah 3:12

Even when we’ve lived in utmost rebellion against God’s good will and design for our lives, God invites us to return to Him. Even when we’ve rejected Him and pursued other things with the passion, drive, energy, and enthusiasm that should only be reserved for the Creator of the Universe, God invites us to return to Him. Even when we’ve mocked Him, denied Him, ignored Him, or hated Him, God invites us to return to Him.

God’s anger is always righteous anger. Nonetheless, His mercy guarantees there’s always a way to return to Him. In His grace and love, God sent His Son Jesus into the world to atone for our sins and to satisfy His perfect justice which requires sin to be punished. In this God opened a path, a single path, to be restored to Him, adopted as beloved children, embraced, and reconciled. All this is by God’s grace, for He is truly gracious.

With God, there’s always hope for restoration! No one is too far gone to be forgiven and loved by God through faith in Jesus Christ. No one is too stained by guilt and shame that they can’t be washed clean by the blood of Jesus and loved by their Father in Heaven! If you, or someone you love, is far from God, please understand that it doesn’t have to be that way! God is merciful and He longs for all who are distant to return.

“Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel.” – Philippians 1:27

We all have an earthly citizenship. Some even have more than one. Nonetheless, every follower of Jesus is also already a citizen of heaven. Heavenly citizenship isn’t something that lies in our future after we die. It is our present reality in Jesus Christ! If you’re a Christian, you’re a citizen of heaven.

Not only are we citizens of heaven right here and now, our heavenly citizenship is, and must be, our most important citizenship! Our first loyalty must be to Jesus. What unites every believer in Jesus Christ is much bigger and more important than what separates and tries to divide us.

As Christians, we must prioritize living well as citizens of heaven. We must live gospel lives that continually offer and seek forgiveness. We must live gospel lives that pursue the holiness that is already ours in Christ. We must live gospel lives that make peace and offer healing in the sorest and most bitter places of the world. We must live gospel lives that proclaim hope and freedom in Christ. We must live gospel lives that breathe life into dead things.

We must live gospel lives that strive for, work for, pray for, sweat for, and bleed for unity with other Christians. We must come together as citizens of heaven across all national, ethnic, racial, social, economic, and gender divisions. We must battle together (not against one another) for the truth, the faith, the unity, and the witness of the miraculous reconciling power of faith in Jesus Christ, Who died to reconcile us to God and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.