Choose Your Own Debt - It's still debt

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace....  (Ephesians 1:7 ESV)

In sermons at Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC, Timothy Keller is great at addressing the arguments against God made by non-Christians. 

In a sermon called "The Story of the Lamb," he addresses concerns over the fact that God gets to make the rules on what is permissible and what is sin.  He addresses the argument that there are no transcendent moral truths.  He talks about people who think it unfair that God sets the rules on sin and then required such a sacrifice as an innocent man dying for that sin. 

His response was to imagine that you could change the rules on what was sin. 

"Imagine around your neck is an invisible tape recorder that only picks up the things you say that others ought to do.  Only picks up the the standards you call people to ascribe to.  In essence, only picks up your moral standards and not God's.  At the end of your life, that would be the test.  Not God's law.  Not the Ten Commandments.  Not the Golden Rule.  Just judge your life according to the standards you set.  No person who has ever lived could even pass their own moral standards."  

Even if God allowed us to make our own rules, we would fail and there would be a debt owed for that sin.  Thank God he provided the payment for that debt:

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)

His sermons are available for free on iTunes.   Click here.   I highly recommend this sermon and the Prodigal Sons sermon.  All are great.