The Debt Clock
We have all probably seen the debt clock billboard somewhere. It's the clock which is keeping track of the national debt. We are now over 21 trillion dollars in the loss column and counting. It appears to be absolutely hopeless. Can the debt ever be paid back? Perhaps. But how long will it take and at what cost to us? Would paying it back force me to change the way I live, my plans, my ambitions? I think so, but allow me to explain further.
I heard someone say a few years ago, "I'm now about to enter the fourth quarter of my ministry". I think I know what that meant but I'm more convinced now than ever that this perspective can be greatly improved upon. Forty-three years ago yesterday, I came to know Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord of my life. I could never forget that moment when the transformation of my life began anymore than if I had won a ten million dollar lottery. Within weeks, I was a member of a brand new church plant and I was growing as a new believer. Within a few days, I had consumed much of the New Testament and was literally swimming in new Biblical truth. According to football rules, I was in the first quarter of my Christian life but was I?
There were two single truths that shocked me then and continue to challange my life even today forty-three years later. The first is a verse found in Romans 1:14 which Paul wrote to the church in Rome. He writes this verse as an apostle but the truth within is applicable to every one of us. Here it is,
"I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish." (Rom 1:14)
You may have read this verse at one time or another and just passed it by because you thought this as only applicable to Paul. The idea here in the word "obligation" is that of being in debt to someone. The point is simple. When you begin the Christian life, you begin it by being in debt! You might say, "But thats not really fair, I haven't done anything yet!" Thats true, you haven't, but here's the catch. Jesus has done it all and the gospel to which Paul was referring as "his debt" is what we are obligated to the moment we are tranformed by the power of God.
That debt clock begins ticking the moment we enter God's family as a new believer!
The second verse that shocked me is found in Eph 5:15-16.
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." Eph 5:15-16
The first part of the verse uses the word walk as a metaphor for your daily life. Notice the apostle said that we are to be careful in how we live in every 24 hour period we are given! I'm not sure about you but before I became a Christian, time meant nothing to me, absolutely nothing. I wasted it like everything else in my life. I unwisely poured it out on the ground and thought little of it. One of the other translations of this idea of making the best use of the time is "redeeming the time". It actually means to "buy it back" as if that were possible. It isn't, but it clearly shows how valuable time actually is and how we should view the time we have to serve God and others with our lives.
Let' look at it like this. When we stand before our wonderful Savior one day to account for our Christian service, these two verses will likely produce one of two responses; rejoicing or regret. Which one do you want to experience? Think about it.
I heard someone say a few years ago, "I'm now about to enter the fourth quarter of my ministry". I think I know what that meant but I'm more convinced now than ever that this perspective can be greatly improved upon. Forty-three years ago yesterday, I came to know Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord of my life. I could never forget that moment when the transformation of my life began anymore than if I had won a ten million dollar lottery. Within weeks, I was a member of a brand new church plant and I was growing as a new believer. Within a few days, I had consumed much of the New Testament and was literally swimming in new Biblical truth. According to football rules, I was in the first quarter of my Christian life but was I?
There were two single truths that shocked me then and continue to challange my life even today forty-three years later. The first is a verse found in Romans 1:14 which Paul wrote to the church in Rome. He writes this verse as an apostle but the truth within is applicable to every one of us. Here it is,
"I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish." (Rom 1:14)
You may have read this verse at one time or another and just passed it by because you thought this as only applicable to Paul. The idea here in the word "obligation" is that of being in debt to someone. The point is simple. When you begin the Christian life, you begin it by being in debt! You might say, "But thats not really fair, I haven't done anything yet!" Thats true, you haven't, but here's the catch. Jesus has done it all and the gospel to which Paul was referring as "his debt" is what we are obligated to the moment we are tranformed by the power of God.
That debt clock begins ticking the moment we enter God's family as a new believer!
The second verse that shocked me is found in Eph 5:15-16.
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." Eph 5:15-16
The first part of the verse uses the word walk as a metaphor for your daily life. Notice the apostle said that we are to be careful in how we live in every 24 hour period we are given! I'm not sure about you but before I became a Christian, time meant nothing to me, absolutely nothing. I wasted it like everything else in my life. I unwisely poured it out on the ground and thought little of it. One of the other translations of this idea of making the best use of the time is "redeeming the time". It actually means to "buy it back" as if that were possible. It isn't, but it clearly shows how valuable time actually is and how we should view the time we have to serve God and others with our lives.
Let' look at it like this. When we stand before our wonderful Savior one day to account for our Christian service, these two verses will likely produce one of two responses; rejoicing or regret. Which one do you want to experience? Think about it.
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