Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Paid In Full, So...

"Jesus paid it all..."

Do you see how amazing this is? The debt we could never repay was paid by the blood of Jesus; by what He did on the cross.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (1 Corinthians 5:17)

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13)

"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

So how do we respond?

"...All to Him I owe"

If someone bought your house, you wouldn't continue to live there, would you? Of course not! You would move out and make from for the new owner to move in, Why? Well, because they bought it!

John the Baptist said of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) He gave His life for us, so how can we not give ours to Him?

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1)

We have been set free, but from what? And to what? In Romans 6:1-2a, Paul says, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!" When we accept new life in Christ, we must lay down ours in return. But do you see what we gain in exchange?

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8)

My prayer for this year is that Christ would increase in my life. He bought my life with His blood, and He is worthy to receive all of me, every moment of every day!