Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” First of all, all have sinned in Adam’s first sin and have incurred a sin debt against God.
Add to this all of our actual sins and our debt against an infinitely holy God is infinite. It is a debt that finite sinners cannot pay, even though mankind has tried to repay that debt since the fall.
Our only hope for repaying our debt of sin to our infinitely holy God is for another to pay it in our place. Only the infinite God Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, can repay the debt we owe. Because Christ is truly God, His suffering is of sufficient value to satisfy our debt against the Lord. If we are united to Him by faith, our debt has been paid and our sins are no longer held against us.
Paul puts it this way in Colossians 2.
“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 canceling the 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
Jesus Christ cancelled our record of debt on the cross if we trust in Him. He has paid in full the debt owed to God for everyone who trusts in His saving work for them.
But not only has he canceled our record of debt by making a perfect satisfaction for our sin, but He has given to us a positive standing with God by imputing His righteousness to us by His perfect obedience to the law of God.
Now, God sees us as righteous in His sight because God sees the righteousness of Christ in us. Paul refers to this as the righteousness of God which is given to us as a free gift from Christ.
Christ’s righteousness is what justifies us in the eyes of God.
Are you still trying to repay God for the debt from sin which you owe Him?
Jesus has paid your sin debt in full if you trust in Him. It is the only way your sin debt will be fully paid.
If you are still trying to repay your debt to God, you will never get it done. You will spend an eternity in hell and never hear the words from God, “Paid in full”.
Trust in Christ and you will know that your record of debt has been canceled by Him and you will be fully accepted by God as a justified sinner, saved by His grace.