We see these words on boxes in large bold print, reminding us to bend our knees and keep the back straight as we lift the heavy box. Prepare yourself, brace yourself and use correct strategy or you might be paying for a thoughtless action afterward.
For many of us, active lives can hinder our thinking. Sometimes by accident our activity, even good activity, crowds out and limits the amount of thinking we do. This can be very detrimental to our lives and souls for God does not by-pass our minds in communicating to us human beings. He has very crucial truth to convey concerning our everlasting destiny, so if we fail to stop, think, and lift our thoughts to what God has revealed through Paul's gospel, we could pay for this by spending eternity in the "Lake of Fire", and in "everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord". (II Thessalonians 1: 9)
Our Lord Jesus Christ communicated this principle through a parable when He ministered to Israel saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully, and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, THOU FOOL, THIS NIGHT THY SOUL SHALL BE REQUIRED OF THEE, then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12: 16-21)
Failing to stop, think, and lift his thoughts to our Creator this man died leaving his acquired possessions to new owners. But worse than this, he was not rich toward God before Whom he now stands.
Later, our Lord Jesus Christ revealed much more about the dilemma mankind is in. Man is under the condemnation of God and is pronounced guilty of coming short of the glory of God. Stop for a moment and consider the righteousness of Jesus Christ. In Luke 23:41, we read of His sinless life, it says "but this man hath done nothing amiss." In II Corinthians 5: 21, it says He "knew no sin". Hebrews 9: 14, says He was "without spot".
You may have heard and understood this, but now through Paul it is revealed that the righteous of Jesus Christ is the only acceptable standard for everlasting life, and that we all come short of it. Paul wrote "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; EVEN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD which is by faith OF JESUS CHRIST." (Romans 3:21) Please take note of those two words "but now". They denote a change from what was previously revealed.
Paul goes on to explain and declare why we all come short of God's newly revealed holy righteous standard by saying, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God". (Romans 3:23) God's standard is perfect, sinless, and holy. He revealed His holy standard in giving the Law to Israel. People often are not informed that there were many more commandments and ordinances than the ten commandments initially given. There were at least six hundred and thirteen (613) which we can find in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. And out Lord Jesus added commandments to that number as He ministered to Israel. He perfectly fulfilled all righteousness in living a sinless life but also in that" he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father". (Philippians 2: 8-11)
So then now with Paul declaring the righteousness of Jesus Christ to be God's only acceptable standard and that we all come short of it, this places us in quite a dilemma. But with this new declaration, Paul also is chosen to declare imputed righteousness. This is the good news that God will impute to us the righteousness of Jesus Christ when we believe the good news concerning the cross of Christ. The good news is that Jesus Christ made complete satisfaction to God for our sins by His shed blood once for all. The word for this is propitiation. Paul said, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith OF Jesus Christ UNTO ALL AND UPON ALL THEM THAT BELIEVE: for there is no difference. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a PROPITIATION through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. " (Romans 3: 21-26)
So Paul's gospel is a message of imputed righteousness, the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to our account the moment we rest by faith in His death as the only payment for our sins. Paul writes, "But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." (Romans 4: 24-25)
This is God's gracious provision for our dilemma of falling short of the righteousness of Jesus Christ and the condemnation that came with this declaration.
May I also ask you to STOP, THINK, and LIFT your thoughts to another reason God can impute His righteousness to us. Paul's gospel declares that Jesus Christ died in our place. He died our death at Calvary. The word for this is vicarious. The righteousness of Jesus Christ not only shows us that we come short, it also shows us that we are guilty and are under the penalty of sin which is death. Our sins place us under the curse of the law. Paul wrote, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Galatians 3:10)
Paul was chosen to reveal that now the law is not of faith and that "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, BEING MADE A CURSE FOR US: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." (Galatians 3:13) This means He died in our place, He died the death we deserved because of sin. He paid it all.
This seems to imply that all men needed Jesus's death in their place doesn't it? Read Paul's words, "For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again." (II Corinthians 5: 14-15)
This also seems to imply that the world as a whole stands at emnity with God, but through the death of Jesus Christ in our place reconciliation is made for us if we will believe it. Again, read Paul's words, "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (II Corinthians 5: 19-21)
I would just ask you to please stop and take a moment out of your busy and active life to think on these truths. Lift your thoughts to the One who came to earth, His creation, and endured the death of the cross in your place making complete satisfaction to God for your sins and mine, and rose again from the dead showing that His offering was accepted. Believe this message of God's grace and receive it for yourself and never regret it. Don't let thoughtless activity rob you of God's gracious offer, for we now live in His" accepted time". Paul wrote, "we then as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation)". (II Corinthians 6: 1-2)
How God Saves
Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read
Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
(A 10 Minute Video)
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
cspivey1953@gmail.com
cspivey1953@gmail.com
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