Posted by Gary on April 26, 2010
While I may have some areas of theological difference with Oswald Chambers I believe his insights into the daily living of the Christian life are inspired of God. “My Utmost for His Highest” is without doubt one of the most insightful, diagnostic devotionals ever. It is not easy reading and I don’t believe it is for everyone but say a prayer and then read and read again and you will find tremendous insights that get right down to the very root of your heart before God. Watch out, there will be some painful moments.
The reading for April 25 entitled, “Instant In Season” spoke to me and I needed to hear it. Some of us are very prone to insist on burning bushes and mountain top experiences in our life with God. God grants them at times and then we insist that we need them every day and all the time which God is not willing to do. How faithful to God are we when feelings are not welling up? I’ll let Chambers take it from here with a little underlining from me:
Be instant in season, out of season.” 2 Timothy 4:2
Many of us suffer from the morbid tendency to be instant “out of season.” The season does not refer to time, but to us – ‘Be instant in season, out of season,” whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would do nothing for ever and ever. There are unemployables in the spiritual domain, spiritually decrepit people, who refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that we are rightly related to God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.
One of the great snares of the Christian worker is to make a fetish of his rare moments. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you say – “Now I will always be like this for God.” No, you will not, God will take care you are not. Those times are the gift of God entirely. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best, you become an intolerable drag on God; you will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously inspired. If you make a god of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life and never come back until you do the duty that lies nearest, and have learned not to make a fetish of your rare moments.
Posted by Gary on February 11, 2010
Revelation 2:8-11 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: 9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’”
It is important to note that each of the letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation ends with, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” While it is true that Jesus was writing to an actual church in Smyrna, His words are for the “churches” and the message contains truths, warnings and encouragements for His people and churches in all ages.
Tonight I read this letter and the following stood out to me:
WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by Gary on January 29, 2010
Titus 2:14 “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”
From J.C. Ryle’s sermon on zeal:
“Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature—which the Spirit puts into the heart of every believer when he is converted—but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others, that they alone deserve to be called zealous men.
This desire is so strong when it really reigns in a man, that it impels him to make any sacrifice—to go through any trouble, to deny himself to any amount—to suffer, to work, to labor, to toil—to spend himself and be spent, and even to die—if only he can please God and honor Christ.
A zealous man is pre-eminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees one thing—he cares for one thing—he lives for one thing—he is swallowed up in one thing—and that one thing is to please God.
Whether he lives—or whether he dies; whether he has health—or whether he has sickness; whether he is rich—or whether he is poor; whether he pleases man—or whether he gives offence; whether he is thought wise—or whether he is thought foolish; whether he gets blame—or whether he gets praise; whether he gets honor—or whether he gets shame—for all this, the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing, and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God’s glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he is not worried—he is content.
—J.C. Ryle from “Be Zealous”
Sound like you?
Posted by Gary on October 16, 2009
Romans 8:9-11 “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Are you reading J.C. Ryle yet? If not, get to it. Here is a site full of his sermons. A reading group within our church recently read Ryle’s sermon entitled, “Having the Spirit”. In it he lists ten marks that can be seen in the life of the person who has the Spirit, which of course is the determiner of whether or not we have been forgiven and will spend eternity with God. I will share the ten with you in separate posts, read them and answer honestly if you have the Spirit or not.
What then are these general effects which the Spirit always produces on those who really have Him? What are the marks of His presence in the soul?
All who have the Spirit are quickened by Him, and made spiritually ALIVE.
He is called in Scripture, “The Spirit of life.” (Rom. 8:3.) “It is the Spirit,” says our Lord Jesus Christ, “who quickens.” (John 6:63.) We are all by nature dead in trespasses and sins. We have neither feeling nor interest about true religion. We have neither faith, nor hope, nor fear, nor love. Our hearts are in a state of torpor; they are compared in Scripture to a stone. We may be alive about money, learning, politics, or pleasure—but we are dead towards God.
All this is changed when the Spirit comes into the heart. He raises us from this state of death, and makes us new creatures. He awakens the conscience, and inclines the will towards God. He causes old things to pass away, and all things to become new. He gives us a new heart; He makes us put off the old man, and put on the new. He blows the trumpet in the ear of our slumbering faculties, and sends us forth to walk the world as if we were new beings.
How unlike was Lazarus shut up in the silent tomb, to Lazarus coming forth at our Lord’s command! How unlike was Jairus’ daughter lying cold on her bed amidst weeping friends, to Jairus’ daughter rising and speaking to her mother as she was accustomed to do! Just as unlike is the man in whom the Spirit dwells to what he was before the Spirit came into him.
I appeal to every thinking reader. Can he whose heart is manifestly full of everything but God–hard, cold, and insensible—can he be said to “have the Spirit”? Judge for yourself.
Posted by Gary on October 10, 2009
Revelation 21:27 “and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
John 3:5 “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Reading J.C. Ryle the past few months has been such an encouragement and challenge. I have noticed in a number of sermons that Ryle comes back consistently to the issue of whether or not our hearts have been made ready for heaven while we yet remain on earth.
Ryle’s point is simple: Heaven is holy for God is there. Heaven is eternity with God, in the place of God, amongst the people of God, singing the praises of God, doing the will of God. If we have no desire for God, His people, His work and praise of Him now, why do we think we would like it later? Here is Ryle in his own words:
“Without conversion of heart we could not enjoy heaven, if we got there. Heaven is a place where holiness reigns supreme, and sin and the world have no place at all. The company will all be holy; the employments will all be holy; it will be an eternal Sabbath-day. Surely if we go to heaven, we must have a heart in tune and able to enjoy it, or else we shall not be happy. We must have a nature in harmony with the element we live in, and the place where we dwell. Can a fish be happy out of water? We know it cannot. Well, without conversion of heart we could not be happy in heaven.
Look round the neighborhood in which you live, and the people with whom you are acquainted. Think what many of them would do if they were cut off forever from money, and business, and newspapers, and cards, and partys, and races, and hunting, and shooting, and worldly amusements! Would they like it? Think what they would feel if they were shut up forever with Jesus Christ, and saints, and angels! Would they be happy? Would the eternal company of Moses, and David, and Paul, be pleasant to those who never take the trouble to read what those holy men wrote? Would heaven’s everlasting praise suit the taste of those who can hardly spare a few minutes in a week for private religion, even for prayer? There is but one answer to be given to all these questions. We must be converted before we can enjoy heaven. Heaven would be no heaven to any child of Adam without conversion.”
From a sermon entitled, “Conversion” by J.C. Ryle to read it click here
If you were to ask most people if they want to go to heaven virtually everyone would say yes. But I think an important question is, “Do we really want to go to heaven or do we just want to avoid going to hell?” Wanting to avoid hell does not mean that we will love the things of heaven, it just means that we want to escape flames.
Many people are deceived, they believe that they are on their way to heaven though they have never received the new birth or had their hearts changed by God. Being a Christian does not mean being perfect but it does mean that God has done something to us that fundamentally changes our hearts, desires and what we enjoy and live for.
Are you on your way to heaven? You may know simply by honestly asking and answering whether or not heaven dwells in your heart now. Do you love God? Do you think about Him? Do you desire to hear from Him in His Word? Do you like to talk to Him? Do you praise Him? Are you serving Him now as those who are in heaven now do? Have you divorced your heart from this world?
My question tonight is not whether or not you want to go to heaven, you may well want just to avoid hell which proves nothing more than that you have some degree of your wits about you. Have you been born again? Do you pursue the God of heaven and the things of heaven here on earth?
Posted by Gary on July 9, 2009
Our summer reading group is reading, “Old Paths” by J.C. Ryle. I could not recommend it or anything from Bishop Ryle more highly. Our reading this week, a sermon entitled “Alive or Dead” included this quote from George Whitefield:
"I am sick of all I do, and stand astonished that the Redeemer still continues to make use of and bless me. Surely I am more foolish than any man—no one receives so much and does so little."
Do you know anything of what Whitefield was saying? The longer we go on in the faith the more sinful we realize we are. We wonder how the Lord can have anything to do with us. He has done so much for us and we have done so little in return and are often reluctant to do more for Him yet He continues with us. By grace we are still with Him and by grace we will enter heaven. мария аронова голая
If you do not know what Whitefield meant I hope someday soon you will. May those of us who know what he means come to know it only more:
Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Posted by Gary on March 26, 2009
For the past few months I have been listening to Bob Dylan’s Christian music and have been greatly helped by it (“I Believe In You” from Slow Train Coming has become a song that says it all for me-I don’t seem to tire of listening to it). I cannot help but think (as I know many others do) about where Dylan stands in regard to Christ. I don’t take discussing someone else’s standing before God lightly. While some might think it wrong to speculate and write publicly about the potential salvation or damnation of another I think in some way Dylan is up for this himself.
I’ve watched a number of Dylan interviews and there is no doubt that he likes to keep us at a distance and even more, guessing about where he is spiritually. At one time Bob did speak very plainly about his beliefs (through his Christian music and testifying during his concerts-see the embed above). Dylan’s pointed gospel music and pointed public statements allow some place to conjecture about where he is. Though we have never met, my thoughts flow from a genuine concern for Bob Dylan and a desire to see him finish his days declaring the gospel and writing songs for Jesus Christ.
In the course of my listening I came across a song of Dylan’s from his “Time Out of Mind” album called, “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven.” While Time Out of Mind is not a gospel album something is being said through “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven” and I have thought about it much.
First of all, let’s take Dylan at the simple meaning of his words, he’s trying to get to heaven. This would imply first a belief in the existence of heaven and without much assumption Dylan must believe it is not going to be entered by everyone, hence his effort, he is “trying’” to get there.
The initial lines would seem to indicate that Dylan thinks that the time is getting close when the question of whether or not he is going to get to heaven will be answered.
The air is getting hotter, there’s a rumblin’ in the skies
I’ve been wading through the high muddy water
With the heat risin’ in my eyes
This next phrase has been much on my mind as I think of Dylan. I am assuming that if Dylan is thinking about heaven, he must also be thinking about the God who inhabits heaven and determines who will enter heaven. Here Dylan’s former statements both in music and even what some called preaching in his concerts would remind us that Dylan claimed at one time to know Christ and that he was “Saved” (A great song from the album titled, “Saved”-check out the lyrics here). Here is my question, who is Dylan talking about when he says this?
Every day your memory grows dimmer
It doesn’t haunt me like it did before
I have wondered if Dylan is speaking about Christ here. Why might I think this? Quite simply because one does not come to the place of such commitment and public declaration about Jesus Christ as Dylan did at one time only to revert back to cryptic statements that leave one uncertain about a person’s relationship with Christ. As a disciple of Christ there is no stationary position, one either moves forward or is falling back and when you listen to the things Dylan was saying about Christ during his gospel era and listen now, it is obvious something has happened. Perhaps some will not understand this. In fact, unless you have been born again you cannot understand this. You don’t come to the place of bearing public scorn and persecution for Christ and then revert back to near silence and loss of evangelical zeal without something having gone wrong spiritually.
I remember very clearly meeting a man while in Bible college as I walked around a lake at a park near my college campus. He was fishing and as I approached him I hoped to witness to him about Christ. After just a few minutes he said, “You’re trying to witness to me aren’t you?” I admitted I was.
This man went on to tell me how close he had been to Christ at one time but had somehow gotten away from Him. I will always remember him saying, "If you would have told me a few years ago that I would be away from Christ and straying like I am I would never have believed it possible.” This man went on to say that he knew that he needed to get back to Christ but then admitted that he was not willing to just then.
What happens when we get away from Christ and stay away? His memory grows dimmer. We don’t hear His voice the next day as clearly as we did the day before. Refusal to draw near to Jesus results in an increasing hardness of heart. While we at one point might have been alarmed by what was happening to us, refusal to get right hardens the heart. For a time a person will be “haunted” by Christ’s absence but with time we are not haunted anymore. Christ is gone and we don’t care. Am I saying that this has happened to Bob Dylan? I am saying I wonder.
WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by Gary on March 2, 2009
I cannot count how many emails I have received over the past few years from someone claiming to be a Christian who has millions of dollars that they want to give to me or my church. I believe these emails originate from Africa. Wow, in the past two years my church has been chosen to receive probably 50 million dollars or more.
The story is usually a woman writing whose husband has died leaving her a ton of money and now she is terminally ill and wants to donate the money to a Christian or a church. The letters are filled with Christian terms and phrases and expressions of desire to do what would further God’s kingdom. All I need to do is make contact and share a bank account number so that funds can be transferred into it (and of course funds will be transferred out).
While all sins represent a refusal to fear God, sins that use God and His kingdom as the method to accomplish the sin are especially evil and those behind such plans can have no fear of God before their eyes:
Psalm 36:1 “Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.”
After receiving a number of these emails and pondering the wickedness of them I have begun the practice of writing a response. I figure they already have my email so that breach of information has already taken place.
My response does not include my own words, I simply paste a passage of Scripture for my reply, I use the same one every time:
Revelation 21:8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
It is my hope that God will use His Word to pierce the hearts of these liars who use God Himself to accomplish their wicked purposes. God’s Word is sharp (Hebrews 4:12) I hope my reply will lead to the salvation of some.
Posted by Gary on December 18, 2008
I have found another treasure. I have related in other posts how God brought John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” into my life and has used it to help me more than any other book except the Bible.
Having read Pilgrim’s Progress, I later came across another of Bunyan’s books entitled, “The Holy War”. It is another allegory, meaning that it is a story with people, places and events that all signify something spiritual. A person’s name for example will teach you something, like “Hopeful” or the town named, “Vanity Fair” from Pilgrim’s Progress.
I have had the Holy War for some time and even started it a few years ago. I thought it was pretty good but found I could put it down which I could not do with Pilgrim’s Progress.
I recently found myself in need to decide about something to read to my children (having recently finished “Little Pilgrim’s Progress”). I thought I might try the Holy War but wondered about the antiquated English. I knew I would have to “translate” on the fly and wondered if the story would hold their interest.
The story is about a great king named “Shaddai” (Genesis 17:1-Shaddai meaning “Almighty”). Shaddai builds a city which He names, “Mansoul”. The town of Mansoul is approached by an enemy of the King’s named “Diablous” who entices the town to surrender itself to him. Diablous lies about the great king Shaddai and makes many promises to the people of the town, primarily that they will be able to govern themselves and choose their own life as opposed to being under the restrictive, oppressive rules (so he lied and said) of King Shaddai.
The story tells of King Shaddai’s determination to take back his beloved town of Mansoul. The town of Mansoul has five gates one for example is the Eye Gate, another the Ear Gate (you can ponder the importance of these). Under Shaddai the town was governed by powerful leaders like Mr. Understanding and Mr. Conscience but now these men are given to the influence and power of Diablous.
The King sends threats of war to retake the town. His threats (and offers of mercy) are extended through Captain Conviction and Captain Execution. But the townspeople refuse to listen (Diablous all the while stirring them up in their resistance against King Shaddai).
Eventually King Shaddai decides to send His Son, Prince Emmanuel to wage war and win back the town of Mansoul.
My friends, there is much more to say. I will post further on some particulars but I will stop now and urge you to read the Holy War. You can read it online here or buy it here for an amazing $4.99 (How is it that true treasure in Christian books can be bought for nothing and are found in bargain bins? I’m glad in one way but it is tragic revealer of where we are when gems are sold for pennies and heresy and trash are given the prominent place in our Christian bookstores and their prices would lead us to think that something very faithful and helpful is contained within).
I don’t know what you’re reading right now but I would suggest that the next book you read be the Holy War. You will need to take your time. You will have to do some God guided thinking or you will miss much of the treasure, stop and consider every name and every event carefully. I guarantee you that a humble, determined reading of this book will be food for your soul.
(I will relate that recently my in-laws were with us for a visit and one evening I was reading aloud to my children and my father-in-law idled over to the living room listening. He eventually sat down next to me to listen. When I stated at a certain point that I was going to stop for the night my children moaned in unhappiness and asked for more. My father-in-law then sincerely said, “Yes, read some more” and I did).
Posted by Gary on December 10, 2008
What do we do with George W. Bush? As time goes on I am less and less certain about exactly what this man is. I am grateful for some of the moral stands he has made in the course of his presidency but I have real questions about his faith. I know, who am I to question anyone’s faith? I question my own at times so why can’t I question yours?
From a news story about Bush’s recent ABC “Nightline” interview:
Asked about creation and evolution, Bush said, "I think you can have both. I think evolution can _ you’re getting me way out of my lane here. I’m just a simple president. But it’s, I think that God created the earth, created the world; I think the creation of the world is so mysterious it requires something as large as an almighty and I don’t think it’s incompatible with the scientific proof that there is evolution."
Interviewer Cynthia McFadden asked Bush if the Bible was literally true.
"You know. Probably not … No, I’m not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it, but I do think that the New Testament for example is … has got … You know, the important lesson is ‘God sent a son,’" Bush said.
If the Bible isn’t literally true than how are you certain and on what basis do you declare that God sent His Son (Bush said “a” son)? For what reason did God send Him? If the Bible isn’t literally true then we cannot state that it was to atone for sin. By the way, is there even such a thing as sin? If the Bible isn’t literally true is there a heaven and hell? What good are prophecies?
George, is this really where you are? I would rather George Bush (or any man) tell me that he is an atheist who denies God then for a man to declare publicly that he is a Christian and then deny the literal truth of God’s Word. This is the worst position a man can be in.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
Posted by Gary on November 14, 2008
A South Carolina Catholic priest has had the audacity to tell his parishioners that their claim to faith should govern their choices in life. In a day when you and I are told that we can define what being a Christian is or that we can practice Christianity cafeteria style (“I’ll take that, but not that”) the Reverend Jay Scott Newman has spoken clearly:
"Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exits constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ’s Church and under the judgment of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation."
Under the judgment of divine law? Reverend Newman don’t you know that we don’t believe such a thing even exists? At least not for people who go to church. We really believe that judgment only awaits only a few people and of course not us or anyone we love. Judgment belongs to people who do horrible things like murder people, you know like Hitler and his six million or Stalin and his thirty million. You don’t mean to assert that our annual murder of forty two million babies will bring divine judgment do you?
Condemnation? Reverend Newman you and your kind are the real extremists, you mean to tell us that we are sinful and evil people who deserve to be punished. Even worse you would have us believe that God actually condemns people and sends them to hell. Maybe your God Reverend Newman but not our God, our God is love. Yes, we know His Word contains many warnings of His justice and holiness but we know that God finally realized that He was being unloving and harsh and changed Himself:
Malachi 3:6 "For I, the LORD, do not change…”
Jesus doesn’t have anything to do with judgment:
Revelation 19:11-15 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.”
WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by Gary on November 10, 2008
I would encourage you to watch this video of Nick Vujicic who faces a tremendous challenge in life and gives glory to Christ as he does so. You will be challenged and encouraged as you watch. (Hat tip to Tim Bayly).
James 1:2-4; 12 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing…Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Posted by Gary on October 2, 2008
I cannot more highly recommend that you make time to read "The Lord’s Prayer" by Thomas Watson. If you recognize that your soul needs food (meat and not milk) you can do no better outside Scripture itself. Don’t be intimidated by the fact that Watson is a puritan, he is very readable. By the way, you can read the Lord’s Prayer online at CCEL (note that links to navigate through the book by petition are in the left column).
I have been struck (and would like to strike you also) with the fact that obedience is something we owe to God. I know we don’t like the idea of a God who says we owe Him something but He has said it and we may deny it (as many are) but we do so to our destruction in this life and damnation in the next.
To not obey God is to be in debt to Him and how thankful we should be that He is a God who will forgive those who are indebted to Him and has taught us to pray to Him for this forgiveness "Forgive us our debts…" Watson lists five reasons why sin is the worst debt (excerpted):
In what sense is sin the worst debt?
(1) Because we have nothing to pay. If we could pay the debt, what need to pray, ‘forgive us’? We cannot say, as he in the gospel, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all;’ we can pay neither principal nor interest. Adam made us all bankrupts… We have nothing to pay; all our duties are mixed with sin, and so we cannot pay God in current coin.
(2) Sin is the worst debt, because it is against an infinite majesty. An offence against the person of a king, is crimen laesae majestatis [the crime of high treason], it enhances and aggravates the crime. Sin wrongs God, and so is an infinite offence…The sinner would not only unthrone God, but ungod him, which makes the debt infinite.
(3) Sin is the worst debt, because it is not a single, but a multiplied debt. Forgive us ‘our debts;’ we have debt upon debt… We may as well reckon all the drops in the sea, as reckon all our spiritual debts; we cannot tell how much we owe. A man may know his other debts, but he cannot number his spiritual debts. Every vain thought is a sin. ‘The thought of foolishness is sin.’ Proverbs 24: 9. And what swarms of vain thoughts have we! The first rising of corruption, though it never blossom into outward act, is a sin; then, ‘who can understand his errors?’ We do not know how much we owe to God.
(4) Sin is the worst debt; because it is an inexcusable debt in two respects; (a)There is no denying the debt. Other debts men may deny. If the money be not paid before witnesses, or if the creditor lose the bond, the debtor may say he owes him nothing; but there is no denying the debt of sin. If we say we have no sin, God can prove the debt. ‘I will set [thy sins] in order before thine eyes.’ Psalm 50: 21. God writes down our debts in his book of remembrance, and his book, and the book of conscience exactly agree: so that the debt cannot be denied.
(b) There is no shifting off the debt. Other debts may be shifted off. We may get friends to pay them, but neither man nor angel can pay this debt for us. If all the angels in heaven should make a purse, they cannot pay one of our debts. In other debts men may get a protection, so that none can touch their persons, or sue them for it; but who shall give us a protection from God’s justice? ‘There is none that can deliver out of thine hand.’ Job 10: 7. Indeed, the Pope pretends that his pardon shall be men’s protection, and God’s justice shall not sue them: but that is a forgery, and cannot be pleaded at God’s tribunal. Other debts, if the debtor dies in prison, cannot be recovered: death frees him from debt; but if we die in debt to God, he knows how to recover it. As long as we have souls to distrain on, God will not lose his debt. Not the death of the debtor, but the death of the *Surety, pays a sinner’s debt. In other debts men may flee from their creditor, leave their country, and go into foreign parts, and the creditor cannot find them; but we cannot flee from God. He knows where to find all his debtors. ‘Whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy right hand shall hold me.’ Psalm 139: 7, 9, 10.
*Surety-one who makes good the debt of another
(5) Sin is the worst debt, because it carries men, in case of non-payment, to a worse prison than any upon earth, even to a fiery prison; and the sinner is laid in worse chains, chains of darkness, where he is bound under wrath for ever.
Thomas Watson on the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer
May God grant us to understand and acknowledge the truth that we do not exist for ourselves but for Him. That He made us to honor Him through our lives and that we "owe it" to God to live obediently. May He grant us to see our great debt to Him that we may seek His forgiveness. God’s Son Jesus, stepped in and paid our debt and because of Him we can pray, "Forgive us our debts…".
