2020-10-09
Good Morning Dear Ones,
We have learned that grace is unmerited favor; and that through His grace to us, the Lord gives us faith and causes us to want to live righteously. His grace is, through no action of our own, so we can’t boast about it [EPH 2: 8-9]. Moreover, RO 3: 22-26 gives us even more understanding of what He does for us. “God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all: everyone has sinned and is far from God’s saving presence. But by the free gift of God’s grace, all are put right with Him through Christ Jesus, Who sets them free. God offered Him so that through His blood, He should become the means by which people’s sins are forgiven through their faith in Him. God did this so that He demonstrates that He is righteous. In the past, He was patient and overlooked people’s sins. But, in the present, He deals with people’s sins to demonstrate His righteousness.” Reread this passage, for there is plenty of doctrine to unpack in it.
Remember reading GN 15: 6? “Abraham was justified [deemed acceptable to God] through his faith.” That’s how powerful faith can be. Some denominations believe in salvation through works, some in salvation through a combination of works and grace, and most mainstream Protestant churches believe in justification through grace alone. It is grace alone, that undeserved favor from God, that gives believers in Christ salvation. I can’t tell you how important that is! While we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God, our Deity is forgiving when we acknowledge those sins and stop the behavior. Jewish males are circumcised, which is an outward sign of an inward transformation of minds by God. Females, while not circumcised, are given the same transformation, but all humans must cooperate in this process in every way (physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually). If things weren’t set up by God this way, there would be no reason to have faith. It is always why God purposely doesn’t tell us every detail about the things to come. This also is involved in salvation from faith alone, because salvation isn’t based on the Law, but is on faith. By far, Abraham was not the only person to be justified. Nor is this gift of faith meant for only important people. It is here for any person who makes the decision to obey God.
This person is to learn from the Bible what God’s will is, obey it faithfully with a pure heart, and serve God, knowing well that this is the way to eternal life. We carry with us the intent to do good things, which God has already prepared for us to do. He also gives us the ability to discover that skill set. He does this by giving us the means we need and the belief that leaving behind a righteous, useful legacy and conveying to non-believers the truth of the Gospel message in a way which will lead to salvation for those who listen.
Christ went through His suffering and physical death, because of our sin. This better demonstrates God’s unparalleled love, in that He decided on His own that He should sacrifice His beloved Son, so that we can be saved, eternally forgiven, and justified. All happening, even though we hardly deserved it! Our justification and God’s purpose is made real when Christ Jesus was raised from the dead.
And what about the Jews who lived before the time of Jesus? Once again, God hasn’t told us details about these people who never had the chance to hear the Gospel message. Are they saved and their sins eternally forgiven? God hasn’t said, but RO 11: 25 tells us that their stubbornness about belief in Christ is temporary, and that once the complete number of Gentiles has come to faith, it will fall away, and some of them will come to faith in our Savior. Should we judge people’s assumed fate? I think not, due to MT 7: 1-2. Christ has been named the final Judge [DN 7: 13-14], not us. It is the Father’s purview to decide which people are “listed in His Book of Life and which are not. Our task is to study His word [Love Letter to His people-Bible] as Basic Information Before Leaving Earth, obey it faithfully, and serve the letter of the Spirit, not the lock-step letter of the Law.
PRAYER: O Lord, living the life You desire for us isn’t always easy. First, it involves a commitment to learn Your ways through Your word. Then, we must agree to live a life that puts Your teaching into action. The next step is to think in eternal terms rather than only earthly ones. And last, we must patiently await the day when You choose to glorify us, always remaining cognizant of the legacy we will leave behind and our need to convey the Gospel message to all willing to listen. We must often make tough choices and must be willing to consult the wisdom You make available to us. If we lead, then we must be held to a higher standard. We must understand that You are just and judge us all on the same standards. You deserve to expect our righteousness, and we can expect Yours. These are high standards for us all, high in the sense that they mirror Your own. You are a kind and generous God, One Who always acts on His love. We thank and praise You for all You are and all You do for us. In Christ’s holy/mighty name. Amen.
NEXT WEEK[P1] : It’s by the command of the Holy Spirit that I am to write next week about our covenant with God and the result of Christ’s Atonement. These weighty topics are necessary in that we are getting ready to take a deep look into the gifts of the Holy Spirit. As the author of these devotions, I have committed to do the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for He opens us to God’s greatest wisdom and works for our eternal best at all times. I pledge to be obedient, and to share the strong faith in Christ Jesus that I have. He loves each of us with a love that can’t be matched by any human being. The Lord Jesus will stretch out His hand and take ours when the going is too difficult for us alone. Furthermore, when we simply can’t trudge along the road to eternal life at all, He will pick us up, bear our full weight, and carry us forward. He wants us to mature spiritually, so that we can avoid temptation, stand strong before ours/God’s enemies, and deliver righteousness that pleases Him. Those are some of the things our faith will do! Praise and thanks be to him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn JS 24: 15
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