大約從1980年開始很多人申請信用卡。不但在歐美國家，亞洲和中國的銀行也發行很多信用卡。信用卡又稱塑料貨幣。有人認為信用卡是花錢的好方法，但是不少人很快就發現信用卡是非常危險的一小塊塑料。為什麼呢？因為使用信用卡讓人不需要當時付錢就可以買東西。結果，很容易花太多錢，超過預算；沒有辦法償還。欠人家的債讓我們不舒服，難過，不好意思，是不是？

　　我們美國人每一個月要付水費，電費，電話費，房租等。每年要付汽車牌照稅，房屋稅，地價等。每次加油要付燃料稅（加在汽油的價錢裏頭）。這個稅，那個費！付不完的！但是非付不可。政府向我們要錢是很平常的一件事，所以我們也不太去想它。

　　試問，如果神向我們要錢，我們該怎麼辦？如果神寄帳單來給我們，說上個月您或我用了多少空氣，欣賞了幾次的雲彩，坐在草地上幾次，我們怎麼辦呢？如果神想個辦法用錢計算我們的家人，朋友值多少錢，而且要求我們付這錢給他，我們怎麼辦？

　　如果神像法院一樣把我們的罪孽換算成錢，我們又該怎麼辦？我們毫無辦法償還。昨天撒了幾次謊，一輩子撒了幾次謊；值多少錢？幾次對人態度不好，多少錢？罵人，多少錢？懶惰，多少錢？面對這些債務，我們怎麼辦？

　　事實上，新約聖經用一些不同的說法，不同的比喻，形容人與神之間的關係和耶穌在十字架上的犧牲。一個說法是“債”這個字。我們欠神的債不是錢債乃是罪債；我們欠神的罪債比我們想像得還要多得多。我們怎麼能夠還債呢？聖經告訴我們說我們沒有辦法還清我們欠神的罪債，但是耶穌的福音是神自己為我們還了債﹕耶穌的死，在神的眼前，還清了我們的罪債。

　　每次我們說不該說的話，做不該做的事，每次持不該有的態度，如忌妒人，仇恨等，都是我們的罪，等於是向神欠罪債。感謝神，他願意用耶穌的死和復活為我們還清罪債。

　　有時候基督徒唱一首詩歌形容我剛才所說的﹕“他還的債他並不欠，我欠的債我不能還；我需要耶穌洗清我眾罪孽。現今我唱一首新歌榮耀主恩，因為他還清我不能還的債。”

　　朋友，我希望您也要讓耶穌為您償還屬靈的罪債。只要您明白福音，相信耶穌為您死去而復活了，悔改您的罪，受洗使您的罪得赦免，您就可以成為基督徒了。

继续读第七部分

About 1980 the number of people who use credit cards began to increase greatly.  Not only in the USA and Europe but also in Asia and even in China banks issued credit cards to many new customers.  Credit cards, also called plastic money, are a convenient way of spending, but many people quickly realize that they are very dangerous little pieces of plastic.  Why is this?  Since a credit card enables one to purchase and use an item before he actually has to pay for it, many people can’t contain their urge to spend.  They incur debt way beyond their budget and they can’t repay it.  No one likes to be in debt.

                In the United States each month, we pay the water bill, electric bill, telephone bill, rent, etc.  Each year, we pay car license, property and land taxes, etc.  Each time we buy gasoline we pay a fuel tax that is included in the price of gasoline.  Taxes and bills!  There is no end to them and we can’t get around them.  But it is so usual for the government to take our money for goods and services that we hardly even notice!

                Now think about this: What if God were to send us a bill?  What if God were to calculate our use of all the things he provides us and bill us accordingly?  “This month you used X amount of air, you admired the clouds Y times, you sat on the grass Z times...”—what would we do?  What if God calculated the worth of our family members and friends and sent us a bill and expected payment?

                What if God, like a court of law, figured our infractions, our sins, in terms of money and demanded payment?  What would we do?  There would be no way we could pay the fine.  “Yesterday you lied X times; during your entire life you’ve lied Y times; you owe me Z amount of money.  You’ve had a bad attitude toward others X times; you owe so much.  You’ve spoken out of turn Y times...cursed people Z times... been lazy X times; you owe God Y dollars.”  There would be no way we could repay the debt.

                The Bible uses several figures of speech to describe the relationship between man and God and the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross.  One such figure of speech is “debt.”  The debt we owe God is not a debt of money, however, but is a debt of sin, and it is more than we can fathom or figure.  How can we ever repay the debt?  According to the Bible, there is no way we can repay this sin-debt, but the good news of Jesus is that God himself has paid the debt on our behalf.  God allows the death of Jesus to atone for, to pay back, our debt of sin. 

                Each time we say things we should not, do things we ought not, each time we have bad attitudes such as jealousy and hate—these are all sins, and they increase our sin-debt to God.  But thanks be to God—he wants to use the death and resurrection of Jesus and completely pay back our sin-debt.

                There is a folk hymn that Christians sing sometimes that well describes all that I’ve said here: “He paid a debt he did not owe; I owed a debt I could not pay.  I needed someone to wash my sins away.  And now I sing a brand new song, Amazing Grace; Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.”

                My friend, please allow Jesus to repay your spiritual debt of sin.  You need only to understand the gospel, believe that Jesus died for you and was resurrected from the grave, repent of sin and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin—and you will become a Christian.