I would like to provide, if possible, a little bit of comfort to those who wonder how they may have true, lasting peace with God, as well as to refresh others who have trusted in Christ but now feel very faint. Such reminders are necessary because faith needs somewhere solid to rest, and the world is always shifting to upset us.
Let it be said that there is a wide gap between believing God is "true" or that He is
merciful to others, verses seeing the Lord's gospel promises as something you are
welcome to embrace personally. True faith takes hold of the promises, so I wish to present several for you to lay hands upon.
Let us first consider the universal problem which the gospel addresses. The problem has to do with our position as sinners in relation to God's moral and legal standards, the Law. The Law is summed up as genuine love for God, and for our neighbors whom He made. [Luke 10:27] Because God is infinitely worthy of our highest love, the
standard by which mankind is judged under the Law is to be perpetually perfect in love, a very high rule indeed. [Rom. 3:23] So we see there is nothing wrong with the Law in itself. It is superb measure of love. The question we have is how the Law relates to our personal righteousness, or right standing with God.
Of course there is a way to be righteous through obedience to the Law, such as with the angels who did not fall, but that way is closed to us because we have already sinned. [Matt. 19:16-17, Rom. 3:23] This presents a dilemma, because on judgment day only righteous people will be justified, or declared righteous. We are sinful. "There is none righteous, no, not one." [Rom. 3:10] We read in scripture that only righteous people have peace with God. [Isa 57:20, Rom. 6:23]
What we see then is that under the Law, personal obedience is the foundation of our righteousness and peace. Because we have not obeyed, we have no solid basis for righteousness or peace. We are lost, unrighteous, and unrestful. We are dead in sin awaiting death in punishment.
The promise Christ gives in the gospel is that there is another way to be justified. One that comes while we are still sinners, without any respect to one's own past, present, or future conduct under the Law. This way is by Christ Himself becoming our righteousness. He says, "I am the Life! I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners! I am peace! I came to seek and save the lost!" [John 14:6, Luke 5:32, Acts 10:36, Luke 19:10]
This other way is to look by faith to Christ to have lived perfectly in the place of all who look to Him; to have died on the cross in your place under the full penalty you deserved for sinning. Through faith in Christ alone, God imputes, that is, credits Christ's whole righteousness to the believer. God is able to "justify him who believes in Jesus," because "to the one who does not work [under the Law] but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." [Rom. 4:5]
Let us briefly consider another of these gospel promises. The Lord says, "come unto me, all
who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." [Matt. 11:28]
The laboring of which he speaks is laboring to obey the moral Law as the means for obtaining peace with God. Of course, anyone who has tried to love God and
others perfectly knows how burdensome it can be, especially when doing so to
obtain God's pardon. The rest of
which Jesus speaks means resting entirely from your labors to obey the
moral Law as the way to be accepted with Him. Yes, there is a way to
rest in God's love without any reference to personal obedience to God's
moral commands! This is why Paul calls Christian salvation,
"justification apart from works of the Law." [Rom. 3:28]
Observe this promise, "All those who come to me I will not cast away." [John 6:37] Coming to Christ means leaving behind obedience to the Law as the means by which to gain God's favor for eternal life. It means trusting Christ to impute his whole obedience to you, just as He promises to do for all who look to Him. They will not be cast away. For the sake of Christ's obedience counted to them, the Lord will greet them at the gates saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord." [Matt. 25:23]
Observe this promise, "All those who come to me I will not cast away." [John 6:37] Coming to Christ means leaving behind obedience to the Law as the means by which to gain God's favor for eternal life. It means trusting Christ to impute his whole obedience to you, just as He promises to do for all who look to Him. They will not be cast away. For the sake of Christ's obedience counted to them, the Lord will greet them at the gates saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord." [Matt. 25:23]
Hoping in Christ requires us to believe in His resurrection and ascension to heaven; that He is who He claims to be, our High Priest and Mediator. Faith means believing Jesus ever lives to intercede on behalf of His saints, and that He is a person to whom we may come, though we don't see him. If you find rest in these promises, then you are free to rejoice in the hope that, come failures or hard circumstances, God's promises remain true: trials of this life are given to conform you to love. The next shall be ceaseless peace and joy with him.
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." [Rom 5:1]
Was this helpful to you? Please share. Thanks!
© Michael Spotts:. 2011
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:
By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8
© Michael Spotts:. 2011
———————
You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:
By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8
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