To be Christian is to know that we are imperfect, for no matter how upright we try to be it is inevitable that we have accumulated a debt of sin. To maintain the divine bond with God we must strive to pay off this debt no matter how grave our transgressions.
St. Matthew wants you to know that no man or woman is beyond salvation as long as we have accepted Christ into our hearts. Now more than ever, the time to restore the divine bond with our creator is upon us. No more procrastination or excuses, but the sheer desire to bring Christ into our lives.
To turn from sinful ways and secure our rightful place alongside God, and His heavenly beings.
Christ as Your Security
When taking a loan from a bank, we are often required to pledge security or assets as collateral in case we default or are unable to pay back on our loans.
The good news dear brothers & sisters is that with regard to our debt of sin, Christ our redeemer has already placed his own suffering and death so that we might stay connected to the love of God.
Every sin and misdeed has already been accounted for by His sacrifice on the cross. The onus is now on us to pay back our forthcomings through a renewed life and faith in God’s promises. In order for His promise of salvation to be fulfilled, we must accept Him in our hearts.
Do we take His suffering for granted in our lives and are we making an effort to connect to Him in our daily endeavours?
Saint Matthew reminds us that the divine bond was restored with God when Christ died on the cross for the sake of our sins, but maintaining this bond is our responsibility. We affirm Christ as our security when we abide by his word, not just in our thoughts, but also in our actions. Remember that our goal isn’t just to spread a few good deeds in our lifetime to get it done with, we are called to form a deeper bond to God’s love and eventually share in the eternal life that was promised.
God’s Numerous Chances
As followers of Christ we are called to rise above the way the world works in matters like debt, credit and loans. God wants us to lead a debt free life and He will grant us numerous chances to turn to Him. To heed his calling and live righteously in His light.
There is no limit to his forgiveness of the sins we make against him. Moreover, he does not rate our sins according to how often we make them or their severity. Instead, he forgives all and does not keep records of them.
St. Matthew assures us that although He is saddened when we sin, He is always ready to pardon us when we turn to Him. This should also apply to the way in which we treat others.
When Peter asked Jesus how often we should forgive someone who sinned against him, Jesus replied “Not seven times, by seventy times seven”. In the parable Jesus told of a master who forgave the tremendous debt of his servant who had pleaded and begged and even released him from his obligations. Yet instead of following the example of his master, the same servant showed no mercy to another who had borrowed from him and had the man imprisoned.
When the master found out what he had done, he was furious and threw the servant into prison as well chastising him for his lack of mercy.
Just as our Father forgives us who have transgressed against him, so to must we be forgiving of our peers. The more we distance ourselves from sin and show forgiveness, the more we strengthen our divine bond with God. To achieve this, consider having Christ in your hearts and show the love God has shown to you to others.
Faith Is the Price You Pay for God’s Pardon
In the financial dealings of the world, all debt comes with the obligation of interest to be paid. Yet our heavenly father does not expect us to pay anything, simply that we remain faithful to him and abide by his instructions written in the Bible. Our creator only proves his love towards us and wants us to do the same to others. His mercies are upon the ungrateful and the wicked. God does not want the relationship that was restored between us and him broken.
We are informed that we ought to strive and be accountable for being holy as God is. We are to expect nothing in return when we love our enemies, do well to them, and when even lend them. You will be rewarded greatly and you will be the children of the most high. Such acts naming you a child of God draw Saint Matthew who offers to give a hand in reaching your creator when your faith weakens to a position that it cannot be of help in your life. Further, you are encouraged to regularly read God’s word as it is food for your faith.
The Death of Christ Cleared Your Debts
A core tenet of our Christian believe is the miracle of Christ’s suffering on the cross for our sake, and in doing so released us from our debt of sin. Now, we have the opportunity to ask for forgiveness which has no limit, and our divine bond with our creator is still maintained. All we need to do now is confess our transgressions to the Lord and he will forgive us. There is no sin that he cannot forgive when you ask of him. He is faithful and just and will pardon us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
In comparison, if we do not ask to be pardoned and continue accruing our debts towards God, we will be fully liable for them. God created us to worship, love, and obey him. Acting contrary to this, we will be held accountable for our actions and suffer the consequences. It is on the judgment day that each one of us will give an account of ourselves to our creator. Whatever we do in discrete will be brought to light whether good or bad. We ought to live a life where Christ directs us because if we do not, then God will not allow us into heaven.
Prayer to Saint Matthew
“Dear Saint Matthew, I appreciate you for passing me information about the love God has for me which led him to give up his son to die for my sake.
Help me heed God’s word to avoid losing the divine bond between me and him.
I wish to show love to others through your assistance similar to how my creator has continuously done in my life.”
Amen
