APRIL 2017 Letter LIVING WELL

Debt is a huge issue in our culture.

The average household that has credit card debt owes $16,000. That number is $27,000 for auto loans, $48,000 for student loans, and $169,000 for mortgages. Some people are trying to pay off their personal debt. Others consider themselves to be “debt free.” 

Imagine having a debt so large that you could never pay it off. And the debt has a deadline. If you do not pay it off by the deadline, you will die. What do you do?

Some people would run around trying to get enough money to pay off the debt, even though it was insurmountable. Others would try to borrow enough money. Some people might think that they are persuasive enough to talk themselves out of it. People of high position might think that they are too important to pay the penalty of death.

We each have a personal debt that is too large for us to pay – it is the debt of sin.

 

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14

First, we have to acknowledge that we have sinned and have a debt to pay to be able to receive Christ’s forgiveness. We have to admit that we can’t pay the debt and we are not good enough to escape its penalty. After we receive the forgiveness of our sin, then what do we do? 

We trust Him. We look forward to that day when we will stand before His throne, repeating the wonder that He died to save our souls. Yes, we will trust Him today, and forsake the foolish pursuits that used to consume our lives. We will stop condemning ourselves for past sins. We will relinquish the shame we’ve harbored for so long and we will abandon our self-absorbed efforts to make ourselves worthy. We will turn from our sin, we will trust him, and we will sing. We will sing and, “Praise the One who paid our debt, And raised our lives up from the dead.” John Piper

We pray that you will receive His forgiveness and praise Him as we focus on His death and resurrection during this Easter season.

We are meeting, planning, and praying for our next mission trip to Zambia in June this year. If you would like to give to this mission, DONATE HERE. We are still praying that the Lord will provide the remaining $5,200 to fund the mission costs at the school.

Thank YOU for your prayers and support as we work with couples and as we support and develop WISDOM Christian School in Zambia

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray for our June mission trip.