…forgive us our debts (Luke 11:4)
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelingthe record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14, ESV)
Golf clubs across the world are known for sharing certain standards. Upholding century-old customs of dress, for example, remains obligatory for most clubs. The “collar required” rule remains intact. Taking off one’s hat inside the clubhouse is the gentleman’s code. The “no denim” rule remains the standard.
One such standard I suspect finds universal support from golfers regards the issue of paying one’s debt. I’m not talking about paying our club bill. That’s a given. Rather, I mean paying those debts we incur when we lose a friendly wager on the course.
The club where I spent (in truth, misspent) much of my youth was unwavering on this issue. It is a club deeply entrenched in Southern manners and mores. Yet, when it came to the issue of “settling up” after a wager, our club culture was unbending in its expectations.
The penalty for “welching on a bet” was severe. If one gambled and failed to square up, then that player was forbidden to play in the money game. While it rarely happened, excommunicating someone from playing was enforced without partiality.
So, you can imagine the horror I experienced as a teenager one Saturday afternoon when I lost a sizable bet—one for which I did not have the means to pay. What was I to do? I couldn’t imagine being an outcast. The shame was more than I could bear.
After mentally rehearsing all my options, I pulled our golf pro to the side and privately explained my predicament. He grimaced, rolled his eyes, and loaned me the money. I spent the better part of the summer working to pay him back. It was a tough lesson to learn!
Paying one’s debt to a fellow golfer is a matter of some importance. Not having the means to pay that debt often entails serious consequences. Owing a debt to God and not having the means to pay is a whole new ballgame.
Not only do each one of us owe God an enormous sum, we owe him an infinite sum. It should go without saying that we are not talking about money. We are in debt to God without the means to “make it right.”
We owe him perfect love. We owe him perfect obedience. We owe him perfect worship. We owe him perfect gratitude. We owe him perfect honor (Romans 1:18-23).
This part of the story rightfully makes us squirm. We are sinners! We are debtors to a broken law. We are debtors to his perfect justice. Along with Adam and Eve, we are excommunicated east of Eden— driven from the presence and favor of God (Genesis 3). We are forbidden re-entry into his temple-palace. We are outcast.
We need someone to pay our debt. A debt we owe. A debt we cannot pay! This is the story of the gospel. The amount required to regain access into the place from which were banished is perfection—a perfect obedience. The penalty for failure to pay is death.
Jesus Christ is our representative. That is, he lived the perfect life, and his perfect righteousness is credited to those who place their trust in him. Jesus is also our substitute. That is, he also died an atoning death. For those who yield their lives to him in trust, his death paid your debt in full.
As the apostle Peter wrote, “…knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Prayer – Jesus! Thank you for paying my debt! I ask that you would forgive me for_____________.