– – – the title of Deuteronomy chapter 14, in NIV.
I read and studied this chapter last week but for some reason, the truth I thought I saw in that particular chapter stayed with me to this day.
The year of canceling debts – Every seven year, God commanded His people to cancel debts. “Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite.” (v. 2)
Why? It is a shadow of what God had in mind to do in Christ.
Every time we sin against God, it is like taking a loan from God. The thing is the wages of sin is death, so we’re taking loans of death. And the devil knows this very well. So, he deceives us so we can have more loans that we can never ever be able to pay it back.
I mean, think about it. It is exactly like this: When I decide to sin against God, I take death giving life as an exchange. Once I take death, there is no way for me to get that life back unless I paid the debt in full, equal amount, meaning by giving another life.
The problem is, I have only one life and I’ve blown it away when I took a loan of death, haven’t I?
I mean, we all have!
But there is Good News for all of us. There is what is called “the year of canceling debts!” Hallelujah! And that year is here since Christ has risen from the dead!
Listen to the Good News:
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossains 2:13-15)
So, who are we?
We are Children of God (Romans 8:14), called “to be free” (Galatians 5:13) in Christ, free from all our debts. Now we have, not just “life” but, “abundant life” (John 10:10 KJV) in Christ.
What shall we say about that? What can we call Him who set us free from all our debts? What name can we give Him the describes Him well?
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
Your debt is cancelled my friend. Yet, it is! Call on the name of Jesus. Tell Him that you believe in what He did for you on the cross, to give you life in place of death. He paid it all!
He is alive! Jesus is alive! Yes, He is! ///