A Debt I Did Not Owe…And A Debt I Could Not Pay!

I was once approached by a young man who was a church member to guarantee a loan he was applying for from one micro finance company. It did not take much to convince me to sign on as a guarantor as I had considered his reputation and repayment ability and believed he would live up to his obligations.

Fast forward a year or so and this young man called to inform me that an unforeseen crisis had hit him and hence he had not been able to service the loan over a few months. The following day I got a call from the Finance House asking for an appointment with me as the guarantor of this loan in default. I remember being taken aback. To be honest I hadn’t thought of the worst case scenario when I was signing up as guarantor and here I was now having to face up to my obligations! I guess it was only then that the reality of what I had signed up to dawned on me; as a guarantor I was equally liable for the debt I had undersigned!

I obliged and went in for a meeting and was given the total outstanding debt including interest accrued that was overdue. I knew the gentleman was not in a position to pay the debt anytime soon and this is where I had to live up to my commitment.

After considering the options of monthly payments against an outright pay off, (and considering my finances) I wrote out a cheque to clear the discounted debt, glad I could put that chapter behind me.

Taking over the debt on behalf of another meant I was effectively taking his place. He owed a debt he could not pay, I paid a debt I did not owe. I stepped in to take his burden so that he could live a debt free life! I know he was very grateful and relieved as I would have been in his place! Now when we walked on the street, he could be confident that he was debt free and had no past debt to worry about!

Now this incident brought to bear so poignantly for me the divine exchange that took place on the cross of Calvary so many years ago. All of mankind stood accused with our debt of sin hanging over us like a death sentence. God in His infinite mercy, chose to send His only son to stand in our place. Jesus took that debt burden off our shoulders and took it to the cross where he nailed it and by His blood totally blotted out all of that burden labeled sin! He looked at the price I had to pay, knew that I had no ability to pay it, knew I was headed for hell and eternal destruction and chose to take my place, took my burden and freed me from sin!

As I reflected on this I counted myself privileged to have been in a position to help a brother in need.  Perhaps God allowed me to taste a teeny weeny bit of what it meant to take another’s place so I could appreciate the magnitude of His sacrifice for me. Off course I cannot compare the two; my experience was less than a drop in the ocean compared to His extravagant show of love!  But it did help me appreciate what my Saviour Jesus did for an undeserving sinner like me! Because of Him, I am no longer burdened with sin, guilt and condemned to hell, I am saved by His grace and free to live a life of abundance!

Jesus in the garden agonized over the enormity of the task he was undertaking. The thought of separation from His Father tore at His soul till his sweat became blood. And yet He did not balk at the task ahead, He submitted Himself to the process and took our place at the cross, paying a debt he did not owe, so you and I could live free of the debt we owed! Hallelujah!

Jesus did for you and I what no one else could have done. The sinless Lamb of God took the place of sinful man and in an exchange one could only describe as divine and unparalleled, divinity took the place of humanity to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law.

“knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”  (I Peter 1:18-19)

Jesus became a sacrificial lamb for you and I, we did not ask Him to, but He loved us enough to step forward to offer us salvation. What a great love! What a sweet sacrifice!

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (I John 3:1)

Picture Abraham about to slaughter Isaac upon the altar; just when he raises the knife, he hears the voice of the angel of God who restrains him and points him to the ram caught in the bush. The ram is sacrificed instead of Isaac. You and I were at that point too. Just when we would have perished in our sins, Jesus appeared on the scene to redeem mankind. He died the death we all deserved so we can live a life free from sin.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”  (Ephesians 1:7)

Glory to Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour for the great and wonderful gift of Salvation!

May we never take for granted the Great Price He paid for our redemption!

Thank You Jesus for taking our place!