Jesus' Sacrifice Payment in Full

Psalm 51

A church deacon recently confessed a horrible sin in an online message
community. After giving a description of what he'd done, he commented, "I
know there's
a price to pay for this sin now. And that price is death."

Not only was his heart broken over what he had done; he also knew that the
effect on his friends and family would be devastating. And yet,
overshadowing
his remorse was fear. He had become afraid of God, believing that the
sovereign Lord of the universe was now "out to get him."

What would you say to this believer? Does his statement reflect an
appropriate view of God's response to sin? Romans 6:23 clearly states that
"the wages
of sin is death," but this sorrowful young man had overlooked the
all-important second half of the verse: "but the free gift of God is eternal
life in
Christ Jesus our Lord." If our heavenly Father gives us a gift, we can trust
that He will never take it away; it becomes ours to keep. That's what a gift
is! We did nothing to deserve it, so we can do nothing to lose it. It all
rests on God's initiative.

Moreover, a greater theological principle is at work here. If the believer's
sin after salvation could require death - or any form of punishment - then
Jesus' sacrifice was insufficient. However, the Bible tells us that Jesus'
death was wholly sufficient and a once-for-all payment of mankind's sin-debt
(Hebrews 7:26-27).

Either Jesus' blood does cover our sins, or it doesn't. There's no middle
ground. The Holy Spirit, Christ's words, and Scripture's testimony clearly
assert
that it does.


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