Price Paid

I find it a struggle to remember that Good Friday isn’t just about those who follow Christ and that Easter Sunday isn’t just about those whose faith will lead to eternal life. I know that Jesus’ death, the payment at the cross, was enough for every sinner who has lived, is living and has yet to be born but Easter still seems to be more about me and maybe that isn’t a bad thing.

If I make this Easter about my salvation maybe I will make the rest of the year about everyone else.

I understand that the opportunities for outreach are best at Christmas and Easter. I would never suggest to avoid including those who would otherwise not attend church, in your church plans. If they are interested, bring them along! Still, I would like to see those who call Jesus their saviour, make Easter about themselves.

I believe Easter is a time to peer into the pit of despair, the dark cavern of hopelessness that once was the natural course of our life before we accepted the completed work of the Messiah on the cross. With that being said, we should make it a daily practise to thankfully remember that our status is no longer under the curse of sin because of the cross. This will help us guard against arrogance, remind us of our helplessness and point us to the unmerited favour that we enjoy but on its own it fails to remind us how much we were like the rest of the world.

Your rescue can seem less and less spectacular the further away from danger you get.

The past is in the past, the future is in the future, the present is preparation for what is to come influenced by what has already happened. If I lose sight of what has really happened, how far I have come, my future is influenced by my limited hindsight and my opinions jaded by the appearance of a relatively small move from unsaved to eternal life. If I don’t remember the depraved state I was in how can I extend grace and love those who are lost in that same state?

There are three types of unbelievers:

Those who don’t think they need a saviour – if they don’t need one then there probably isn’t one.

Those who think they can save themselves – they are willing to admit they are far from perfection but believe with some work they can become good enough to at least pass.

Those who are convinced that they are beyond salvation – they feel they have done more than can be forgiven even by God.

As time goes on those who don’t think they need a saviour often wish there was one although they maintain their earlier belief that one does not exist. Those who think they can save themselves dream of becoming good enough so they won’t need to be saved. Those who are convinced that they are far beyond salvation wish they could make their past go away and their present so perfect that they will be worthy of salvation.

If we don’t remember the pit of despair, the dark cavern of hopelessness…

…that once was the natural course of our life before we accepted the completed work of the Messiah on the cross, how can we passionately present the existence of the Saviour, the depths of His love and the unlimited power of His grace? It is too easy to say I am saved without considering what you have been saved from. It is too easy to forget that you were hopelessly lost, overwhelmed by your sin and living accordingly. It is too easy to write of those who are hopelessly lost, overwhelmed by sin and living accordingly as disinterested in faith in Christ because if they were interested they would have done something about it.

Your pit of despair, your dark cavern of hopelessness ended when someone made you aware of the existence of the Saviour, the depths of His love and the unlimited power of His grace.

PRICE PAID*

HIGH ON A PILL – NO ONE AROUND

SHE CAN’T GO ON – IF SHE COMES DOWN

HIGH ON A SILL – A SOBBING SOUND

CAN HURT GO ON – IF HE JUMPS DOWN

AND IN THEIR EYES THERE’S A PAIN AND I CAN’T EXPLAIN

WHY THEY FEEL NO ONE CAN FORGIVE THEM THEIR WRONGS

BUT THEY’VE MADE THEIR OWN CHOICE – FROM THEIR SILENCE SCREAMS A VOICE

FOR MY WRONGS THIS IS THE PRICE THAT I MUST PAY

SOMEONE TAKE – THE PAIN AND SUFFERING AWAY

SOMEONE TAKE – TAKE IT ALL AWAY

I CAN’T TAKE – TAKE ANOTHER DAY

SOMEONE TAKE – THE SUFFERING AWAY

HIGH ON A HILL – AND ALL AROUND

THE CROWD LOOKS ON – BLOOD STAINS THE GROUND

A VOICE CRIES OUT – THE CHOSEN ONE

FATHER FORGIVE THEM – FOR WHAT THEY’VE DONE

IN HIS EYES THERE’S A PAIN THAT I MUST EXPLAIN

THEIR MIRRORS OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE HIM WRONG

STILL HE MADE THIS CHOICE – FOLLOWING THE FATHERS VOICE

FOR YOUR WRONGS THIS IS THE PRICE THAT I WILL PAY

ON THAT CROSS – IT WAS YOUR SINS THAT HE FORGAVE

ON THAT CROSS – HE TOOK IT ALL A WAY

ON THAT CROSS – YOUR SINS HE FORGAVE

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)