Jesus Paid the Price
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15)
We have been taught since we were children that in order to receive something, we need to earn it. You will get good grades, if you earn them. To gain credibility at work, you have to earn it. However, the opposite is true when it comes to receiving forgiveness from our Heavenly Father. We are offered forgiveness as a gift, not as a reward based on our ability to earn it. Unfortunately, it is easy to forget this truth and convince ourselves that we have to work to be forgiven.
In the final moments of Jesus’ life, as He was hanging on the cross, the last word He said before He took His final breath was, “Tetelestai.” This translates to, “It is finished.” When Jesus died, our need to prove ourselves died with Him. Think about the freedom that comes from this reality!
We need to understand that we have already been bought and paid for. We no longer have to make amends with God. We don’t have to do more right things than wrong things to earn His love and mercy. Instead, the punishment we deserve for our sins has already been paid in full. That’s what Jesus said when He proclaimed, “It is finished.”
I know it can be tempting to think you have to earn God’s love and forgiveness, especially when you are accustomed to earning everything else. I encourage you to live in the freedom that your Heavenly Father loves you unconditionally; He offers you forgiveness, free of charge! You cannot do anything to make God love you more, and nothing you do can make God love you any less. He sent His only, beloved Son to die for you, so that He could have a personal relationship with you. With that truth, I hope you decide today to walk in the freedom, comfort, and peace of that reality. Jesus paid the price!
We have been taught since we were children that in order to receive something, we need to earn it. You will get good grades, if you earn them. To gain credibility at work, you have to earn it. However, the opposite is true when it comes to receiving forgiveness from our Heavenly Father. We are offered forgiveness as a gift, not as a reward based on our ability to earn it. Unfortunately, it is easy to forget this truth and convince ourselves that we have to work to be forgiven.
In the final moments of Jesus’ life, as He was hanging on the cross, the last word He said before He took His final breath was, “Tetelestai.” This translates to, “It is finished.” When Jesus died, our need to prove ourselves died with Him. Think about the freedom that comes from this reality!
We need to understand that we have already been bought and paid for. We no longer have to make amends with God. We don’t have to do more right things than wrong things to earn His love and mercy. Instead, the punishment we deserve for our sins has already been paid in full. That’s what Jesus said when He proclaimed, “It is finished.”
I know it can be tempting to think you have to earn God’s love and forgiveness, especially when you are accustomed to earning everything else. I encourage you to live in the freedom that your Heavenly Father loves you unconditionally; He offers you forgiveness, free of charge! You cannot do anything to make God love you more, and nothing you do can make God love you any less. He sent His only, beloved Son to die for you, so that He could have a personal relationship with you. With that truth, I hope you decide today to walk in the freedom, comfort, and peace of that reality. Jesus paid the price!
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3 Comments
Yes, I have accepted Jesus as my Savior. I understand how people think you have to earn salvation, before I was saved I thought I wasn't good enough, which I wasn't. But, I finally realized that I just needed to give Him my life and now I'm part of His family!
A very comforting and reassuring devotion.
I Know that I have been saved by JESUS. I also know that it is still a struggle realizing it was a Gift from GOD and that it is not something I could ever earned. Thank YOU JESUS, PRAISE GOD, My FATHER. I Love YOU.