Message summary: What a blessed truth and relief that our record of debt has been canceled. The cancellation stamp reads, "Paid In Full", divine debt relief!

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"And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13,14).

Here in the USA we hear a lot about the national debt. I understand that this situation is true in many countries regarding government debt. According to the US Debt clock* ours is now at a startling figure of 37 trillion dollars and rapidly rising which is over $108,000 for each citizen. So, my small family’s share of the national debt is nearly $420,000!

But personal financial debt is also a huge problem in America. The average American is carrying $6,730 in credit card debt alone, according to Experian's data. Of course in addition to this there are mortgages, car loans, student debt and so forth. A major source of many marriage problems often concerns finances and debt. A big business is "debt relief" supposedly helping people to get out of debt but I suspect much of this is a scam.

But even those who have managed their own finances carefully are caught up in the debt mess since our various governments are also in debt and that means us!

I am thankful for the example of my parents who were raised during the great depression and for teachers like Larry Burkett in my early adult years. We have avoided the financial and debt traps on a personal level during our 49 years of marriage.

However we all have a far greater debt problem regardless of where we live and how well we have managed our personal finances. Ellis Crum penned the lyrics of a song that describes the debt dilemma that each person born into this world deals with: "I owed a debt I could not pay".  This is an overwhelming debt that leads to a hopeless situation.

We are of course speaking of sin's debt. So many live in ignorance and denial of this debt but it is a debt that every single human must deal with now or will be forced to do so later. In fact it is a far more serious situation than the national debt of any country or the personal financial debt of any individual. How we deal with this debt has eternal consequences.

But we are pleased to share today that the Holy Scriptures reveal a full payment and cancellation has been made for this debt:  the ultimate debt relief! It is in fact the very heart of the gospel (Good News). The heart of our daily text declares, "God made us (those who have accepted Christ) alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands".

The record of debt has been canceled out. The stamp on the record of debt of the redeemed reads, "Paid In Full". This is divine debt relief!

So how do we respond? By placing our faith in Christ and receiving His free gift of forgiveness. Then we declare verbally and through our life, "Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe!" Then, "In view of God’s mercy, we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Him, which is our spiritual act of worship" (see Romans 12:1).


Be encouraged today!  Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber