One Glass of Milk

Dr. Howard Kelly was a distinguished physician who, in 1895, founded the Johns Hopkins Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Johns Hopkins University.  According to 
Dr. Kelly's biographer, Audrey Davis, the doctor was on a walking trip through Northern Pennsylvania one spring day when he stopped by a farmhouse for a drink of water.  
A little girl answered his knock at the door and instead of water, brought him a glass of fresh milk.  He visited with her briefly, and then went his way.  Sometime after that, the little girl came to him as a patient and needed surgery.  After the surgery, the bill was brought to her room and on it were written the words....

"PAID IN FULL with one glass of milk." *

Because of our sin, WE owe a tremendous debt to God (see Matthew 18:21-35; Luke 7:36-50).  It is a debt so enormous that we could NEVER repay it.  However, when Jesus died on the cross, He paid for the debt of sin with His OWN blood.  "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

Jesus' payment for the sins of the world  was offered NOT because we have done anything to deserve it (1 John 2:2).  He is not "paying us back" for some "glass of milk" that we have given to Him.  We don't deserve salvation; we deserve the wages of sin: DEATH (Romans 6:23)!  However, because of His GREAT love for us, God sent His Son to pay the price for our sins (1 John 4:10). "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, NOT by works of righteousness which WE have done, but according to HIS MERCY He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:4-5).

Salvation is not a WAGE to be "earned"  but a GIFT that must be "accepted" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We ACCEPT God's gift of salvation by: believing in Jesus (Acts 16:31), turning 
from our sins to Him in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) in the name of Jesus Christ for 
the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).  We CONTINUE to be cleansed by the blood of Christ as we CONTINUE to follow Him as a way of life (1 John 1:7).  

For those who accept His gift on His terms, He graciously writes upon their account... "PAID IN FULL."

Has YOUR debt been PAID IN FULL?

God bless you!

David A. Sargent / Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

* From TruthOrFiction.com

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