Jesus changed peoples lives. He set people free, always giving life, healing some, soothing fears, giving back people their self-respect. People still discover He is able to strengthen, giving power to overcome and they glorify Him because of it. Have you ever thought about all the benefits we receive, the cost involved to deliver those benefits to us? Can you hear the words yelled out, "He saved others, He cannot save Himself!", while hanging by nails on a cross? Yet Jesus thought that price paid was worth paying for our eternal destiny. Even when He was struggling for a breath, a thief beside Him turned to Him for salvation and life! The very moment of His dying and He was saving someone. What does all this tell us about the life and character of Jesus?
Our salvation was not cheap! Jesus is still bent on saving people today. He didn't go through all the pain and suffering to turn His back on you. He brought heaven with Him to save us! What really happened to our sins? Did they just go...poof? Christ didn't speak our sins away into oblivion. He didn't analyze our sinful behavior or just oppose our sins. No, He condemned sin and sentenced sin to the death chamber and buried them far away! He struck the very heart of sin by paying the ultimate price and stamped in the book of life, across our names: PAID IN FULL!
There was a fellow by the name of Philip Doddridge who had heard that an Irishman named Connell was sentenced to death at Northhampton in 1741. With his personal expense and great ordeal of troubles, Doddridge investigated the whole matter and found proof positive that Connell was innocent. But it was all for nothing because the courts had already passed judgment he was to be hung. The judge asked Connell if he had any final requests and he said yes. "Judge, as we pass in front of Mr. Doddridge's house heading toward the gallows, could we stop for just a moment?" The judge agreed. Connell wanted to kneel there and offer a blessing on the man who had spent so much and tried so valiantly to save him.
The procession stopped and Connell cried out in a strong, clear voice, "Dr. Doddridge, every hair of my head thanks you! Every drop of my blood thanks you! You did your best to save me, but you couldn't!"
This man's gratitude really rebukes us who take our salvation in Christ so lightly! We treat our salvation more like a courtesy than a passionate love for Him. People are so ungrateful daily (unless someone points it out to us), so bored and...well, they don't enjoy the relationship day by day! Sometimes we live like we possess a painting rather than forgiveness. "What a beautiful picture you have on your wall!" And we reply, "Oh, I found that at such and such and really enjoy it!" That is our attitude sometime toward our forgiveness. Enjoy your relationship! Live and bask in it and realize the pain-staking cost that went in to setting you free. May I borrow the words of Connell that we might express in some way: "Every hair on my head thanks you! Every drop of my blood thanks you!"
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