We are saints who still sin! According the Apostle John, anyone who says otherwise is simply lying. We all sin, but for the believer we know that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (See Romans 8:1). We will not be judged for our sins! The great white throne judgment will be for those who have chosen to pay for their own sins. Believers get a hall pass on that day. But all sin must be paid for. We either pay for it ourselves on that day, or Jesus pays for it for us on the day he was nailed to the cross. For those in Christ, Jesus has taken our punishment. John again writes in 1 John 2:2, “When Jesus served as a sacrifice for our sins, He solved the sin problem for God – not only our, but the whole worlds.”

We often sing, “Jesus Paid it All.” He certainly did! If we but accept the payment that was made for us on the cross we are completely debt free in this life. I’ve always been a little disappointed at the second line of the old hymn which says, “All to Him I owe.” I understand what it means, but sometimes we simply transfer our “indebtedness” from one credit card to another. I don’t think Jesus paid the penalty for our sins to make us “indebted” to him. As a matter of fact, he frequently said he came to “set us free.” If we were to try to repay the debt to God, it would be such an insult. I gave my wife a nice set of earrings and necklace for Christmas. Imagine how I’d feel if she tried to pay for it! I’d be insulted, and mostly, I’d be hurt. If she felt she had to repay me it would ruin my gift of love. The scriptures are clear that God’s greatest Christmas gift is a love gift. John tells us that “God so loved the world that he gave us” his son. We cannot pay Him back for such a marvelous gift, we can but accept it and thank Him for it and celebrate the greatest Christmas present ever!

Pete Winn tells about the time he went to the Post Office after his Christmas vacation to visit his parents out of state. It was one of his most expensive Christmases ever because of the travel and all the presents involved. He recalls, “After helping me, the pleasant postal clerk uttered what is surely her standard line: “Is there anything else I can do for you?” I quipped, “Can you help me pay for Christmas?” Without missing a beat, she replied, “He has already paid for it.” I was stunned. Pleased, surprised, a tad embarrassed, but most of all, stunned. I murmured something profound in response—like, “He certainly did”—and left. A simple phrase had put everything in perspective.