Think of it like a Luncheon

Okay, but do you really have to choose?

Last week, we considered if you have to choose forgiveness since it is a declaration from God that your debt has been paid by someone else.

But if the debt has already been paid…

If it is a declaration from God…

Isn’t it just automatically applied to each person?

Think of it like this.

Years ago, my wife and I were having lunch after leaving the ultrasound for our third child. Now, if you are good at math, you know that means that we already had two children. And at the time, our two would have been five and three.

When we got to the restaurant for lunch, they sat us at a corner booth that had a big table.

But, the big table could be separated to make two tables.

And they did.

Because there was already a young man sitting there.

Quietly enjoying his lunch.

By himself.

So, right next to this young man, they sat a family of four with two young children.

I felt awful.

We had ruined this man’s peaceful mealtime.

Not that our children were unruly.

But they were three and five.

The young man finished his lunch and left before we did.

We eventually finished our meals, got the check, and headed to the counter to pay.

But there was a problem with us paying our check.

It was already covered.

The man that we had been seated to covered our bill.

Payed our debt.

And it was the last thing we expected.

Here I thought that we had made a mess of his lunch and he took care of the cost.

But, and here is the point…

We had to accept it.

I could have said that I refused to let him pay our bill and that I would cover it myself. And I am sure the ladies at the counter would have let me give them more money.

The same holds true for Jesus.

He has paid the bill.

He has covered the cost.

But we still have to accept it.

We can refuse the gift and decide that we want to pay the debt we owe to God ourselves.

And if that is what we want, God will let us.

But I wouldn’t recommend paying the bill yourself.

It would take an eternity.