Did you know that there are more of us in debt today than ever before in the history of America? It is easy to blame credit card companies. These companies are giving kids credit cards before they even get a job. “Buy now! Pay later!” that is the basis of America’s economy today.
So many people are pushing their kids to go to college, which racks up astronomical debt. Giving your child a credit card without teaching them about interest rates, payment schedules, etc. is insane. No wonder so many kids are moving back in with their parents. It can take someone an average of 20 years to pay off just one credit card.
OH, let us not forget about those companies that get you further into debt to pay off your debt. Low-interest rates that tell you. We will help you pay off all of your bills. I know people who have paid their house off 3 or 4 times in their lives. THE SAME HOUSE, my friends.
But I am not here to talk to you about your credit situation with these companies. I am here to warn you about the “Sin Now, Pay Later credit agency” The motto of this credit agency uses Bible Scripture as its slogan.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
This agency tells us to live it up; we all do it. God knows we all sin. This kind of debt is common to all people. Every single one of us is born owing to God. We are born into sin. And the debt that we owe for this sin increases every single day of our life. We have all racked up an outrageous debt before God. So we might as well “Sin Now, Pay Later”! I dream that this post hits you right between the eyes. I’m attempting to do the same thing Paul did. WAKE YOU UP!
I realize I’m going to take a lot of heat for this post! (I’m a big boy, I can take it.) The problem is that there are so many Churches, preachers, and teachers who are NOT teaching the Truth of God’s Word. All those sins that are piling up in your life. All the times that you failed to love God first, all the times that you neglected to love your neighbor, are credited to your account. Let there be no doubt; God is about to open up the Book and check your credit. Romans 3:23 tells us, YOU HAVE FALLEN SHORT!
I say this with tears in my eyes and love in my heart. I fear most of you are buried under a load of sin. The interest rate of guilt has made you fall even deeper into spiritual debt. The “Sin Now, Pay Later credit agency” has placed you in spiritual bankruptcy! The quilt that you are feeling is causing you to loathe yourself, causing depression, causing despair.
America’s Churches, as well as the world, are filled with desperate people. They are trying to crawl out from underneath the debt of sin. They will listen to any preacher or teacher who will tell them they are Okay, “for all of us sin,” These absurd humans devise a payment plan that will make you feel better. Telling you to approach God’s ATM, take a loan on God’s Loving Grace. Let me tell you something, Church; IT’S GRACE, NOT GREASE! You can not pay off your debt of sin thinking that you can earn God’s Grace.
People in Paul’s day had the same foolish notion. The Jews used Abraham as a shining example of someone right with God. “If anybody had a clean credit history with God, it was Abraham!” so they argued. After all, his life was full of righteous works. He obeyed God, so he must have earned the right to be forgiven. That notion began to cloud their minds, and they applied that flawed thinking to themselves. “If Abraham could earn Heaven by his good deeds, then I must be able to as well. After all, I’m a descendant of Abraham.
Now, Abraham was the father of the Israelites. He was the head and wellspring of the Jewish nation and life. So the Jewish people thought that since they were descendants of Abraham, they had an automatic connection to God’s Grace and clean credit history in His eyes. They believed that because they were Jews, this would give them instant access to God’s Grace and Favor.
So here is one of my points, the notion that you can somehow earn your salvation is as old as time itself. Every single one of us is born with this flawed thinking. “I’m an American Catholic,” or “I’m a Baptist, and my whole family is, too.” Let me tell you something here and now; you cannot access God’s ATM of Grace with merely a church membership card. “I try to live a good boy/girl, so God ought to let me into Heaven” -- that thinking won’t cut it either when God makes His final credit check at the end of time!
You and I need to listen to Paul in Romans 4; he cuts through all of the silliness. He leaves no doubt informing us what we must do to have a clean credit history before God. Paul teaches us not to look to ourselves, don’t look to our ancestors or Church membership.
Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
“Look to God’s Word,” Paul says, “trust what God tells you.” What did Abraham do to earn Heaven? Nothing. He believed the Lord forgave him, and God credited Abraham’s faith to his account. GOD OFFERS US THE ULTIMATE CREDIT ADVANCE! Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He and He alone absorbed the debt of the law! He Absorbs the Debt of Sin and offers us the gift of Salvation in its place. You will never be able to clean away your debt of sin, no matter how good you think you are. Just because you believe in Jesus isn’t going to get you into Heaven. That kind of thinking will lead you down a path that leads to destruction.
James 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe and shudder.
Believing in God is not enough; your belief does not cancel your sin debt. Your walk with Jesus should be a daily walk. With the Word of God and Prayer. Obedience to His Word is the Key to finding His Will for your life. Some people say, “You just gotta have faith!” But faith in what? Faith, in your grandfather? Faith, in your good deeds? Misplaced faith leads to “Sin Now, Pay Later”!
Do you want the best that Heaven has to offer? Be consistent with your prayer life. The “Sin Now, Pay Later” mentality will lead you straight to hell~! You have to deal with the sins that are in your life. You must confess them and ask God for His forgiveness.I believe that self-destruction is like a plague that affects us all. Anger, self-righteousness, defiance, and suspicion infect us. Gossip, hatred, drug abuse, alcoholism, and unfaithfulness taint our souls. And if that small list is not enough for you, add guilt and despair, and you will see that our history is one of failure. What a history it is -- a legacy of sin!
Every single one of our histories is a conundrum failure. Don’t get me started on our self-destruction, drug abuse, alcoholism, unfaithfulness, and lack of self-control. “Sin Now, Pay Later”; or the Once Saved, always saved attitude is paving the way to hell for the majority of us. Yet, if we will only be obedient to God’s Word, He will absorb all of our sins. And that only happens with our obedience.
I remember a specific credit card commercial, one that depicts the father and son at the ball game: “A baseball hat: $8.00. One ball glove: $15.00. Season tickets: $200. Spending time with your son: Priceless.” The point of the commercial is quite simple. MasterCard makes it possible for you to enjoy the better, priceless things in life.
Well, we can enjoy blessings far above and beyond anything this world has to offer! No plastic card can purchase the greatest of all blessings. That is the Gift of Salvation. Following the Acts 2:38 plan of Salvation, we could have the Master’s Card. We will have the blood and righteousness of Jesus credited to our account – that my friend is truly priceless! But here is where the world messes up, and I want to give you a warning. Although God gives us a credit line of Grace, it’s not GREASE folks.
Galatians 2:21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”