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Paid In Full
Theme: Jesus paid
it all!
Scripture: Even as the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:28 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
Objects: A bill or contract that has been
stamped "Paid in Full." (You could even get a rubber stamp and stamp
each child's hand.)
Twenty years ago, my wife and I bought a new home.
Well, I guess to be more accurate, I should say that for the last twenty years,
my wife and I have been buying a home. The bank that loaned us the money
actually owned the house, they just let us live in it while we finished paying
for it! Well, I have something to show you this morning. You may not think it is
all that wonderful, but to me it sure is! This is the loan agreement that my
wife and I signed when we bought our house. Last month, the bank returned these
papers to me. Look what it says right here! It is stamped with a big red stamp
that says, "Paid In Full." That means that my home now really belongs
to me. It has been paid for in full.
Did you know that I have another home? I have a home in
heaven just waiting for me to move in. It has also been paid for in full, but
not by me. I could never pay for it myself. It was paid for by Jesus. When Jesus
was on the cross, the last words that he said were, "It is finished!"
What did he mean? Did he mean his suffering was finished? Did he mean his life
was finished? What was Jesus talking about? Let me tell you what I think he
meant.
The Bible says that "the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord." I
think that what Jesus meant when he said, "It is finished" was that
the price for my sin had been "Paid In Full" by his death on the
cross. It was as if Jesus was taking a big rubber stamp and stamping my life
"Paid In Full!" Jesus has paid the price for your sins too. All you
have to do is to accept his gift and then your home in heaven will also be
"Paid In Full!"
Jesus, thank you for coming to give your life as
payment in full for my sin. I gratefully accept your gift of eternal life in my
home in heaven. Amen. |