Hey friends, some of you may not know I have the pleasure of serving as a contributing writer for Vinewords Devotions and more. This month check out my recent post published on their page below. Happy Reading.

X marked the spot. The townhouse was the perfect size for me, considering I had lived in an apartment for the last few months. A calmness fell over me as I took a pen out from my left jacket pocket. The closing agent slid page after page of documents across the table, saying, “sign here.”

As I signed, a sense of apprehension suddenly came over me. The lender discussed the policies and rules for the mortgage. I realized I had a place to stay, but it was not yet mine to own. I was an occupant, with limited control, until payments to the lender were fulfilled. If I missed a payment, I would have to make it up; there were no free passes.

My first home purchase brought a sense of nervousness and excitement at the same time. This new space provided me conditions based on my actions. If I followed my lender’s policies and made monthly payments on time, there would be no problem. Even though the lender was excellent at explaining their policies, the bottom line remained the same; until I made all the payments, the lender owned the deed to the property.

I reflected for a moment, that this was totally different from allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to be our lender.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.

~1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

Let’s define our term. A “lender” is an individual, a public or private group, or a financial institution that makes funds available to a person or business with the expectation that the funds will be repaid.

There is no comparison with what God did when He sent Jesus. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have full rights to what He has purchased with a price we could not possibly pay. Our life has been purchased by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That is a reason to be thankful!

God desires Jesus Christ to be your lender, and that with all of the benefits in our favor. The bank offers to purchase property for us by way of a loan, generally with interests. In other words, the bank will buy or put up the money for you to live in the home, but with more funds than you initially needed to purchase the home. Until the time you pay off principal and interests, you are making payments on what they gave to you, and they–not you–own the deed to your home. I am so glad that we serve a God who is not like that. He takes ownership of our lives but He allows us to live in His abundance. The only requirement is that we accept Him as Lord. We need to sign the deed, so to speak, by agreeing to Jesus Christ’s Lordship, and when we take Him as our Lord, He gives us eternal life, and a life well lived here.

Some believe the requirements found in the Word of God are too stringent for us to follow, yet we sign on the dotted line with the bank’s stipulations. We understand the terms and conditions, and the goal is not to default on those terms. Here is a question I ask you today, why don’t we treat the Lord the same way? He is the lender that sends His terms and conditions through His Word, and all He asks is that we would trust and obey Him. In return, we can enjoy the benefits of that which He has purchased for us.

When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in His love.

~John 15:10 NLT

Who doesn’t enjoy the benefit of a home to call their own? We appreciate the peace and joy of our sacred space.

More importantly, would you be willing to accept what was purchased for you by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? To enjoy and rest in the daily comfort of knowing there are no other terms and conditions, except that we know He has ownership. I know this may sound counterintuitive, but it is true, my friend. As the perfect lender, Jesus Christ’s terms and conditions of ownership free us from the control of sin. In return for following Jesus, we sign over the deed of our lives to God, giving us access to benefits that He has ready for us to receive, and the love of the Father manifests on our behalf daily.

As the perfect lender, Jesus Christ’s terms and conditions of ownership free us from the control of sin. In return for following Jesus, we sign over the deed of our lives to God.

Charles E. Maldon, author of In the Beginning: Godliness through Marriage

The debt we owed has been purchased by a Savior that has the deed of our freedom in His care. No longer do we need to make payments of costly choices but enjoy the comfort of living for Him. He has redeemed us from death, and there is no fear of default when we go with this lender because the debt has already been paid.

There is no fear of failure because we have the best terms to enjoy what He entrusts us with. We no longer have to fear death, and not only physical death but spiritual death, of trying to live in a world where all around is sadness and the chasing of more. Just like with the bank, the more you borrow, the more you have to pay back. There is always a payment required when purchasing more, but when we accept and rest in the price that has already been paid through Jesus Christ and His fulfillment plan, we reap a lifetime in return (Hebrews 10:12). This gives us true fulfillment in this life, and the life to come in heaven, face-to-face with the One who is our Lender.

Have you allowed Jesus Christ to purchase your life in full today?

Lord God, I thank You for Your son Jesus Christ, coming to save me from a price a could not pay. I recognize my need for Your Holy Spirit to guide me and continue to live in me daily. Allow me never to forget the benefits that You have given freely for me to live in Your peace. Help me appreciate You sending Your Son to purchase me in full and sending Your Holy Spirit to live in me always.

In Jesus’s name, Amen