Devotional – The Queen Life – Day 11

That dream house that you have had in your mind since you were a child is finally yours; you have the keys in hand, it’s fully furnished with perfectly landscaped lawns, and a beautiful garden with your favourite flowers. Guess what, it is PAID IN FULL!!! As women we know the relief we feel when we have made the last payment on an item we put on layaway, or bought on hire-purchase. We can enjoy an even greater relief in knowing that we are not obligated to pay the cost of sin.

As Daddy’s Little Girls, we all have what I would like to call a “Blank Cheque”; one with our names written on it without a limit issued by our KING. It is the expression of His great and True Love for you. The Scripture teaches that we are all born in sin, and shapen in iniquity (Psalm 51:1); yet, the wages of sin are not due to those who accept God’s gift of the Sacrificial Lamb Who took care of it; it is: PAID IN FULL.

King Solomon was called the wisest person to have ever lived; he studied and wrote about many subjects relating to human life experiences and purpose. In sharing his wisdom about how God designed humans; Solomon says it best:

But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”

Ecclesiastes 7:29 NIV

The first time I read that passage I was blown away; I had always thought that living in sin was unavoidable. From Scripture I would learn that in fact, God designed us perfectly (upright); yet our wayward thoughts and actions (sins) put us at enmity with God. How can this be? Because there is no evil in God; He is righteous and responds favourably to that which is in Himself. For this reason, He sought to teach His Chosen People: Israel how they were to think and live so that they would receive His blessings and fulfill the purpose for which they were created.

How did sin become a reality in the lives of humans? It was after Adam and Eve’s decision to disobey God; afterwards, all persons born were stained by sin. The curse of sin was set in motion. When the Israelites fell into sin, God required an animal sacrifice for the atonement of their sins; the animals were killed and the blood would be poured out on the altar by the Priests symbolizing an exchange of the animals life in place of the person who sinned. In today’s world, this would be quite an expensive expense to pay. Yet, God’s unconditionally True Love for His creation inspired Him to find another way to break the curse of sin that was pronounced on mankind by the actions of Adam and Eve.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Romans 5:12,17

The Bible teaches that the wages of sin is death; yet God’s purpose is that all men should live in righteousness and be saved from destruction. This goal seems impossible for most of us when there are so many real temptations to overcome. Despite the realities of temptation, our KING has made provision for us to live in the way He designed us. The Scripture teaches us:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:6

How can the crucifixion of Jesus help us to overcome the temptation to sin? On that subject, this is what Jesus Himself told His disciples:

These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

In studying the life of Jesus, we see how He managed to overcome the world through the close relationship He shared with His Heavenly Father, on Whom He totally depended for everything concerning Himself. Christ lived for the sole purpose of honouring God in thoughts and deeds. The spiritual posture that Jesus assumed insulated Him from the devil’s plot; even when tempted by the evil one, He was able to resist because His mind was fixed on doing God’s good will; He knew the reason He was born.

Jesus’s birth was prophesied and fulfilled on schedule; He lived His life in accordance with God’s will and for the purpose He was born; even His death on Calvary was in keeping with what was God’s plan from before time began.

Jesus became the Sacrificial Lamb Who bore all our sins so that we are saved from death. Once and for all, all our sins are atoned (forgiven) and we receive full freedom (salvation) to live in fellowship with God obeying His commands and receiving His guidance and blessing; ultimately fulfilling purpose. In the same way Jesus lived in obedience and and pleased His Heavenly Father, so too can we when we understand that all that we would owe for our trespasses is Paid in Full.

To help us to better understand the purpose of our lives, we hear Jesus tell His Disciples what was required of them:

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

St. Luke 9:23

How do we do this?

• Understand and accept God’s True Love for you so He makes a way so you never have to pay the price of your sins
• Believe that Jesus’s sacrifice is enough, and is all you need to enjoy full salvation.
• Cherish the gift of your salvation, and use every moment to pursue the will of God, living in obedience to Him; Every Moment Matters
• Draw closer and closer to God everyday in prayer, Bible Reading and Meditation; seek God with all your heart.
• Never let the enemy deceive you into believing that you are not saved by God’s grace.
• There is no outstanding balance on your life account; Jesus paid the price: it is Paid in Full.
• Strive to maintain your relationship with God by expressing gratitude, pursuing virtue and obeying the laws of God.

The QUEEN LIFE involves enjoying peace and experiencing great joy in knowing that you are the recipient of the KING’S True Love. You can live with confidence knowing that the wages of your sins are Paid in Full. The beautiful home in which your spirit lives, your body which is the temple of God is a gift that is fully paid for. It has been furnished with love, grace, faith, favour, joy, peace, hope, confidence and all that is good and noble. The Holy Spirit inhabits every room within to empower and inspire you to be all that you were created to be.