A New Day

By: Pastor Johnie Akers   

Matthew 18:27, “Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.” Prior to World War I, a poor soldier in Russia was sitting one day in his barracks in deep despair. He owed a great deal of money, and he knew not from where it would come. On a crumbled piece of paper, he made a list of all his debts, and underneath wrote: “Who shall pay these debts?” He then fell asleep. While he slept the Emperor of Russia passed by, and taking up the paper read the question. Having read it, he took up a pen and signed his name, “Nicholas,” at the bottom. When the soldier woke up, he could not believe it. He thought it was too good to be true. But the next morning the money from the Emperor came. The debts were paid, and the soldier was free; both from the debts and from his weight of concern over them. Friend, are you, like the soldier, overburdened with the debt of your sins? Does the weight of past mistakes and ardent failures leave you in despair of what to do? Jesus Christ has paid in full the debt of our sins and freed us from the condemnation associated with those sins. You see, just as Emperor Nicholas not only relieved the soldier’s debts by paying them in full, he also relieved the guilt and burden associated with those debts. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He not only paid in full the sin debt of all of humanity, but also freed us from the consequences and guilt associated with those sins. Romans 8:1 says, “There is now, therefore, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Imagine if you will, a long list of all the sins you and I, and all of humanity have committed. Then, as the Russian soldier did, imagine these words at the bottom of the page: “Who shall pay these debts?” Underwritten, one name: “Jesus.” The grand hymn of Elvira Hall resounds, “Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.” Be free today. Receive Christ’s payment in full for all of your sins, and begin living in the freedom that He has paid for in full, for this and each new day.