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For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. --Romans 3:23 The easiest way to understand what Christ did for you and me on the cross is to think about two bank books. At the top of one bank book is the name of Jesus Christ. It belongs to Him. At the top of the other bank book is your name. When you look at Jesus’ bank book, you see that the record is perfect. There are no marks or imperfections. Jesus Christ, the God Man, never sinned against God! And on the record of Christ there are no debts to be paid because He is pure, perfect, and righteous. But when you look on your page, the record isn’t perfect. In fact, today’s verse tells us there are many marks of imperfection there. When you look at your bank account and read the bottom line, you find that you are spiritually bankrupt. Every man and woman ever born is drowning in spiritual debt! But do you know what happens to your bank book of sin when you come to Jesus Christ? It’s cleared! When Jesus died on the cross for your sins and when you come to Him for forgiveness, He absolutely takes away your sin and debt and they’re gone forever! Where do they go? I don’t know! But they’re gone forever. Your record is clear! This is why Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” As a Christian, praise God today that your “bank” book is clean...that He has fully paid your debt! When you come to Christ, He takes away the debt of your sins…and it’s gone forever!

The Snare of Self-Reliance

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
1 Corinthians 10:11–13

Heavyweight boxer James “Quick” Tillis grew up in a poor family in Oklahoma. When he began his professional boxing career, he decided to move to Chicago where he would have better training and publicity opportunities. In the personal account of his life, Tillis wrote, “I got off the bus with two suitcases under my arms in downtown Chicago and stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down, and I looked up at the Tower and I said to myself, ‘I am going to conquer Chicago.’ When I looked down, the suitcases were gone!”
All of us are tempted to rely on ourselves—to think that we have things together and can make it on our own. That is never true. In fact, it is when we are most self-confident and self-reliant that we are in the greatest danger of failure. The battles we face cannot be won in our own strength. Even the archangel Michael relied on God’s strength rather than his own when confronting Satan. “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee” (Jude 1:9).
God calls us to be victorious, but it is His power that wins the battles, not ours. When our focus is on ourselves and what we can do, we are in a dangerous place.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

The more thoroughly we humbly depend on God, the more protected we are from temptation and sin.