Paid in Full - Karen Huffaker

He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:14 NLT

I love seeing “Paid in full” on my accounts.

As I sat at the kitchen table, trying to enjoy a quiet breakfast with my morning coffee, notifications rang that familiar sound. Statements of accounts came in on my cell phone. Whether by electronic means or old-fashioned snail mail, monthly statements will come as surely as the sun rises.

These statements give the status of my account with that business, company, or entity. Some indicate how much I owe and the date I must pay or act. Others confirm I’m up to date, along with any remaining obligations. Still others state my account has been paid in full and satisfied. Hopefully, I’m in good standing with them all. Woe to me if I’m not.

I’m glad God doesn’t send me a statement each month about my account details that lists all my failures, shortcomings, and sins. To have my sins tracked and documented and then sent to me would be unpleasant, to say the least—even horrible.

Thankfully, Jesus has paid my account in full. He has paid for all my sins–past, present, and future. Jesus covered me and my account with His blood on the cross. Once I believed and accepted Him as my Savior, my sin debt was covered and wiped away. He forgave all my sins.

I don’t owe anything more on my account. Having been saved by grace through faith in Jesus, my gift of salvation is assured. I am grateful for God’s great gift to me.

What is the greatest gift you’ve ever received?

Tweetable: What is your greatest gift? 

Karen Huffaker is a freelance Christian writer. She has taught children’s Sunday school and single mom’s Bible studies and written poetry. She is from the Deep South and loves reading Christian books, devotionals, genealogy adventures, fishing, and all things family. She is also passionate about her grandchildren’s sporting events. 

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No Stupid Questions - Martin Wiles

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 18:18 NLT

Although my wife and I discuss our bills together, she normally pays them. Not this time.

Occasionally, she’ll ask me to stop by the credit union on my way home from work to pay the car loan. I had cash, but not the exact amount. I handed the teller the cash, along with the bill. After what seemed like forever, she returned to the window with my receipt and said, “Thank you. Have a nice day.”

Confused about where my change was, I determined what she’d done: put the entire amount toward our loan. I didn’t tell her to and had never had a place to do this before.

“I didn’t want to apply the entire amount,” I said.

“Oh, that’s what we normally do unless a customer tells us otherwise,” she responded. Then with a confused look on her face, she asked, “What do you want me to do with the change?”

I wanted to be sarcastic, but knew I shouldn’t. So, I smiled and said, “Give it to me.” I wanted to say, “What do you normally do with change? Put it in your pocket? Throw it out the window? Add it to the bank’s funds?” But I held my tongue.

I’ve taught my children and the ones I teach at school that there are no stupid questions, but the woman’s question pushed the envelope. The one the religious leader asked Jesus, however, wasn’t. How to have eternal life ranks at the top of important questions. Jesus told him to obey the commandments. He claimed he had. So, Jesus told him to sell his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. He wasn’t interested; he was rich. He went away sad.

Everyone is born with eternal life. We’ll die, but our immortal souls—and later our resurrected bodies—won’t. We’ll spend eternity in one of two places: heaven or hell. The man wanted eternal life in heaven. But the eternal life he wanted comes with a choice and sacrifices. It entails choosing to believe in Christ and follow Him obediently, making Him the Lord of our lives.

Eternal life is also more than existing forever. It involves a quality of life now. We live with eternity in mind. Everything we do and every choice we make should be done and made with Christ in mind. What would He do? How would He think? Would He go here? Would He marry this person? Would He make this investment … or purchase?

Have you asked and answered life’s most important question?

Prayer: Father, help us to give the right answers to life’s most important questions.

Tell us about some questions you have. 

Tweetable: What questions are you asking? 

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