I’ve tried hard to stay out of financial debt my whole life. And yet — I am one of the world’s greatest debtors.
Here’s what I mean. Owing money can lead to real bondage and anxiety. But the debt I carry is far greater than any bank could ever hold. Jesus died for my sins — past, present, and future. That kind of sacrifice creates a debt I could never repay, no matter how long I lived or how hard I tried.
How do you repay someone for doing what you could never do for yourself? He rescued me from my own sinful thoughts and actions. He paid the price I owed. And He still stands ready to forgive every future failure. I am a terrible risk — and He welcomes me anyway. He welcomes you too.
That makes us all debtors. And that is exactly why we gladly, joyfully share our faith with others.
“Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others… He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” — 2 Corinthians 5:11, 15 NLT
Did you catch that? We are no longer living for ourselves. We are no longer the boss. We have joyfully surrendered to the only One who can truly fulfill us — the One who gives our lives real and lasting meaning.
And His death wasn’t just for you and me. It was for everyone. That good news was never meant to stay inside our church walls — it belongs to the majority of people who will never set foot in one of our buildings. Sadly, when we keep it to ourselves, we can slowly drift into thinking that God owes us what we have, and that we somehow deserve even more.
Let’s be clear about what we are: we are saved entirely by His grace. That grace makes us debtors. He died in our place — not so we could try to repay Him, but so we could spend our lives honoring His sacrifice and His heart for all of humanity. We are His love-slaves now. And everything we could ever need or desire is found in Him alone.
Thank You, Jesus.