Thursday, February 6, 2014

ROMANS: We are Reconciled to God through the Death of His Son; "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!"

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

Christ Jesus is the Savior and Lord from God, and there is no other!  "I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior." (Isaiah 43:11) Through faith in Christ Jesus alone we are justified, made righteous in the sight of God, made right with God.  Through faith in Christ Jesus alone we are no longer an enemy of God, but now we have peace with God.  Through faith in Christ Jesus alone we have access to God's grace because He is the grace from God, God doing for us what we didn't deserve; For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

And through faith in Christ Jesus alone we have hope of the glory of God, that same glory that Jesus prayed He would return to after His crucifixion; "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." (John 17:5) But just as He had to go through dying on the cross to return to His glory, we too will have to suffer for His name's sake until we enter into His glory; Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. (I Peter 4:12-13) And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

God, our Heavenly Father; Christ Jesus, our Redeemer; the Holy Spirit, our guarantee; and the Word of God, our guide!  God's grace is limitless, because ...God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,... (II Corinthians 5:19) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5:9-11) 

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things,... but with the precious blood of Christ,... He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (I Peter 4:17-21)

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin [Genesis 3], and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. (Romans 5:12-15)

And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) (Romans 5:12-17)

Paul explained this to the church in Corinth, But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (I Corinthians 15:20-22)  This is a free gift of the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ! No other god or faith or belief or religion has a god or a prophet or a teacher or a guru who has ever professed that they came to die for the sins of the world. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

Most other faiths or beliefs or religions teach that man has to "work" to be reconciled to God, if their belief is even based on God.  In other words, their teaching is based on condemnation, what we've done wrong.  We all know what we've done wrong.  What we need is to be taught how we can become righteous and justified with God.  No matter how much we try, the other world's beliefs will never assure us that we've done enough, but the free gift of righteousness which came from many offenses resulted in justification, through the One, Jesus Christ!  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:17) AMEN!

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