Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
There is no one righteous, no, not one. We carry within us the glory of God to reveal His character to the world that we live in. To God alone all glory belongs!
Romans 3:23-26 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Boasting is excluded because the grace of God, in Jesus, is unmerited and underserved. No greater love exists. Carla
Jews and Gentiles have failed to live up to God’s standard; sin is universal. As a result, God’s provision of righteousness by faith, as opposed to law or race, relates to all people.
In Jewish tradition, God created humanity in His likeness to reflect His glory. But when Adam sinned, humanity lost the reflection of God’s image.
To be justified means to be set right or declared righteous (verse 20). It refers to both the acquittal of all charges and the provision of right status before God. Justification stands in contrast to condemnation (verse 7). The Greek word used here for boasting, apolytrōsis, refers to the act of freeing a slave or prisoner by payment. People were enslaved to sin (6:16–17, 20), so God offered His Son as the payment to “redeem” them (verses 25; 8:32; Isaiah 53:12). Paul’s understanding of redemption probably was shaped by two paradigmatic acts of redemption in Israel’s history—the exodus and the return from the Babylonian exile (Deuteronomy 7:8; Isaiah 51:11; 62:12).
The Greek word used her for mercy seat, hilastērion, refers to the lid of the ark of the covenant (Leviticus 16:15–16; Hebrews 9:5). Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the Jewish high priest would apply animal’s blood to this lid (Leviticus 16:14). Paul’s description suggests that Christ functions as the locus of atonement in the new covenant. Atonement Identifies Jesus’ blood as the means for dealing with sin. Elsewhere, references to the blood of Jesus signify His violent and sacrificial death (Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 1:5).
Through the crucifixion of Christ, God showed Himself righteous. He judged sin but also provided righteousness for those who have faith in Christ (Isaiah 53:11).
God had left the sins of previous generations unpunished. This demonstrates His kindness toward humanity, not indifference toward sin. The forbearance of God refers to the patience God displayed when delaying punishment for sin. Just is an attribute of God’s character. Faith is the means by which God justifies a person. Faithlife Study Bible
God revealed to people how they should live, but no one can live up to God’s perfect way. No one can live up to what God created us to be; we all fall short of His glory. We cannot save ourselves because as sinners we can never meet God’s requirements. Our only hope is faith in Jesus Christ.
Those who believe (verse 22) are justified, that is, “declared righteous,” freely, without cost, by God’s grace, or “favor.” Christ Jesus died to provide redemption, which means He died to pay the price required to ransom sinners. By paying the penalty of their sin through His death, Jesus can free people from their sin and transfer His righteousness to those who believe in Him.
On the basis of Christ’s righteousness alone, believers can approach God’s throne with praise. Through God’s initiative, they have been restored to a proper relationship with Him. By His death, Christ satisfied the justice of God. He paid the penalty of sin in full.
Paul cites two reasons why the righteousness of God comes through Christ’s death. The first is to demonstrate that God Himself is righteous, and did not judge the sins committed prior to the Cross. The second reason for the Cross is that God wanted to show that He is both righteous and at the same time the One who can declare sinners righteous. Because of Christ’s death, God does not compromise His holiness when He forgives a sinner. The NKJV Study Bible
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
Colossians 1:14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Acts 17:30 |Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
Romans 3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
Here’s what I know—and am grateful to have learned: Life seems to ignore the script we have in our mind.
This brings to mind my mentor, Lew Smedes’ reminder, "Gratitude dances though the open windows of our hearts. We cannot force it. We cannot create it. And we can certainly close our windows to keep it out. But we can also keep them open and be ready for the joy when it comes."
Living one open window at a time.
The miracle is that there need not be a miracle—just a slow drip of experience. Being mindful of small things; the ordinary is the hiding place for the holy. Places where we are able to receive. And places from which we give: wholeheartedness, joy, grief, compassion, sorrow, kindness, grace, forgiveness, gladness. And until I understand that truth (until I take it to heart), I miss the point.
Or, in the words of William Kittredge, "Moments when nothing happened. What sweet nothing."
In other words, we don't run from the moment (even moments that unnerve and distress).
We don't suffocate the moment with stuff (physical and mental).
We don't sanitize the moment with platitudes.
We sit. We listen. We look. We taste. We smell. We see.
We look for the light of God in the most ordinary, and even the most dull, of contexts. “Sabbath Moments”
The truth is that lasting meaning isn't found in what we can build, buy, achieve, or acquire but in who we have an eternal relationship with.
As believers in Jesus, we know He is the Savior who will never leave us grasping at vapor. His gospel message is an anchor to eternal hope (Hebrews 6:18-20).
The Apostle Paul echoed this in Philippians 3:7-8: "Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ..."
Jesus conquered sin and death, assuring believers that we have eternal life in Him. While our time here on earth is a mere vapor and earthly pursuits apart from Jesus lead to emptiness, life with Jesus guarantees us the hope of eternity with Him and grants us fullness that surpasses all earthly pleasures. First5
No comments:
Post a Comment