What is the “it” of paying it forward?
The concepts love, kindness, caring, compassion, generosity, and serving originate in the character of our Creator.
“It” is the lavish grace of a Holy and Just God through Jesus Christ.
God’s standard of righteousness is absolute, uncompromising perfection.
I am not perfect and never can be on my own. By God’s standard I am condemned already.
Jesus willingly and intentionally paid the penalty for my imperfection, satisfying God’s just wrath against my sin. He has also made available to me His own perfect righteousness, so that, clothed in His perfect righteousness, I may stand without condemnation in the presence of the Perfect, Holy, Righteous God forever.
I accept! I embraced the lavish gift of Christ and now I am His ambassador to tell others of the lavish grace He has extended to them! …Especially those people who will never know unless those of us who have received the lavish gift of God’s grace make a serious effort to tell them!
Paying it forward means investing all that I have, inviting others who have received the gift to join me, so that people who have no knowledge of God’s gift through Jesus may also receive the gift and join us in paying it forward to other people who have never heard.