IT IS FINISHED

IT IS FINISHED

One of the the truly amazing last words from the cross is this word that
is packed with meaning and a message that should send your heart
soaring. "Tetelestia" -- It is finished!!! Holy God was satisfied with
the payment for sin! The blood of His Son paid the debt completely --
not partially for our debt -- completely -- once and for all.

Our son Josh was conceived after I had started a new job and our health
insurance had a 3 month waiting period. Our health insurance said that
they would only pay for the doctors portion of the birth so we would be
responsible for the total hospital bill. Back then, the cost was nothing
like it is today, but the bill still hung over us like a weight. We
didn't have a clue how that debt would be covered. All we could do was
commit to making monthly installments to pay off the debt. Most likely
this would take years to pay off the complete debt.

I will never forget this as long as I live -- the day the bill arrived
in the mail our hearts sunk as we saw in writing the enormity of the
debt. A hour later there was a knock at the door and it was the Pastor
of our church. He came in and said, "My understanding is that Josh's
hospital bill arrived today. May I please see the bill." He looked at
the bill, pulled out his pen, and wrote these words across the page --
PAID IN FULL. We don't know who did this -- but the COMPLETE bill was
satisfied by someone who had paid not part of the bill, but the entire
bill. The hospital was completely satisfied.

The "IT" which was nailed to the cross is YOUR SIN AND MINE -- past,
present and future. It was a ONCE AND FOR ALL payment. The Father was
COMPLETELY satisfied. Dr. Erwin Lutzer says in his book CRIES FROM THE
CROSS: "Put your sin the ledger and write "Paid in full" next to it.

* An abortion: Paid in full!
* Fornication: Paid in full!
* Cheating: Paid in full!
* Greed: Paid in full!
*Abandoning responsibility: Paid in
full!
* Criminal behavior: Paid in full!
* Selfishness: Paid in full!
* Lying: Paid in full!

Horatio Spafford penned the words to one of the classic hymns of the
Christian faith, "It Is Well With My Soul." One of my favorite verses of
that hymn in verse 3: "MY sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought! MY
SIN not in PART but the WHOLE -- is nailed to the Cross and I bear it NO
MORE -- Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!"

My friend, YOUR SIN DEBT WAS PAID FOR BY THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST --
ONCE AND FOR ALL! May this truth fill your heart to overflowing as you
prepare for Resurrection Sunday!

COLONY GRADS: We are looking for pictures for our COLONY GRAD HALL OF
FAME which is now on our website. You can send your pictures to me at:
bwelte@americaskeswick.org.