Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Jesus literally paid His Father's Debt of Love

Singing and worshipping from the Word today, I came across this passage from Micah 7:18-20.

"Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity,
And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?
He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.
He will again have compassion on us;
He will tread our iniquities under foot.
Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
You will give truth to Jacob
And unchanging love to Abraham,
Which You swore to our forefathers
From the days of old."

The prophet is extolling God for His mercy and compassion, for His unchanging love. He closes with this, written in Rachel Translation, "God, you will give truth and love to us because you promised it to our forefathers from way back."

Here's the Glorious truth: Jesus IS that fulfilled promise. In Micah's day, God in essence owed Israel and those who were His, love. He was in debt to them by His own promise.

But God always pays His debts. He purposefully became in debated to His people for love.

Paul writes in Romans 13:8, "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law." NIV

Do you see? God owed us love and He paid His debt through His son. The Cross is our payment. We're redeemed from our sin by love! A love that was promised and owed to us.

It's for love sake that Jesus came, endured the Cross and paid our debt of sin while fulfilling the Father's debt of love.

The Son of God, the Son of Man! Oh, what a divine exchange! JOY!

Look at the last half of the verse. "...whoever loves others has fulfilled the law." The Father gave the law in the Old Testament to prove to us how much we need His love. The coming of Jesus fulfilled the law which is the message over and over in the New Testament.

The law is love. Jesus fulfilled this law. God the Father has demonstrated how to love by sending His son. He's gladly paid His debt to the forefathers.

Our job is to access His love.

If someone pays you back the money they owe, you now have access to extra capital. You are richer. The money can cover your own debt, or purchase needs for the family, or even go on a dream vacation. It is yours to use your way.

So... how are you using the paid debt of love Jesus and the Father so graciously paid? Are you accessing your heavenly account? Are you walking in the riches of His grace and love? Are you enjoying Him?

Let's not let the paid balance of love just linger in our account while we live like paupers, head down, heart beat up, barely getting by. Let's access His very precious love, paid for with His own blood.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

WOW, this is powerful truth, Rachel. I loved the challenge at the end:

"Let's not let the paid balance of love just linger in our account while we live like paupers, head down, heart beat up, barely getting by. Let's access His very precious love, paid for with His own blood."

Rachel Hauck said...

I know! I can't take any credit. I'm so over joyed at the Holy Spirit's revelation today!

Rachel

Beth K. Vogt said...

"So... how are you using the paid debt of love Jesus and the Father so graciously paid? Are you accessing your heavenly account? Are you walking in the riches of His grace and love? Are you enjoying Him?"

Contemplating these words, Rachel ... how they can ... how they should change my perspective today and every day.