GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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THE RESURRECTION DAY
by C. R. Stam


In Psalm 2:7 we find the prophetic words: "I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son: THIS DAY have I begotten Thee."

Should we ask: "What day?" or "When was Christ officially declared to be the Son of God?" We will find the answer in Acts 13:33:

"God hath fulfilled the same [promises] unto us... in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm: Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee."

So it was at Christ’s resurrection that the "decree" was made and He was "declared" to be the Son of God -- "begotten" in the larger sense of the word.

This agrees with what we find in the first chapter of Romans, where St. Paul speaks of God’s good news,

"Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power... by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom. 1:3,4).

This is a wonderful truth. It was Christ’s resurrection from the dead in power that proved that He was indeed God the Son. And more wonderful still: it was our death He died at Calvary, so that He might impart to us this everlasting resurrection life. In Eph. 2:2,3, we are all declared to have been "the children of disobedience" and therefore "by nature the children of wrath," but see how this passage continues:

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:4-6).

Thus, because of Christ’s finished work of salvation, those who place their trust in Him are given His resurrection life and "blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). This is their RESURRECTION DAY!

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The Offense of Grace
by Steve McVey
 
 
The thing about grace that many have a problem with is its appearance of being carelessly and indiscriminately thrown around by our Heavenly Father as if there is no limit to it. It just isn’t right by human standards. After all, fair is fair. Give people an inch and they’ll take a mile. Go soft on those who have sinned and the next thing you know everybody is doing it. People make their beds and they should lie in it. They need to learn their lesson. You’ve got to think about the message you’re sending!

Jesus didn’t seem to worry about all that in His ministry. He just loved people and poured out grace, grace, and more grace on the most unlikely candidates. It galls the self righteous when their own sense of justice is violated, but Jesus never seemed to worry about what they thought. He seemed to show such little discernment in how and to whom He gave so much. Even His stories seem to communicate a message that sounds downright wrong to religious ears.

In the parable of the laborers found in Matthew 20, those who came in to work at the last hour received the same salary as those who had worked all day. Those with the admirable ethic of hard work and dependability had been out in the hot sun all day long. Then the slackers show up at the last hour and get the same pay? Come on now! What’s fair about that?

Then there is the prodigal son – a religious zealots worst nightmare. Here, this young boy in the youth group decides he wants to leave it all and move to Los Angeles. He asks His father to give him his inheritance (a subliminal insinuation that he has been thinking he’d be better off if his Dad was dead) and off he goes to the big city. His life soon becomes a blur of Jack Daniels, marijuana and strip clubs.

When all his money is gone and he wakes up in bed one morning and rolls over to see a skanky-looking crack whore (a King James Bible word) who he doesn’t even remember meeting, he is jolted back to reality. “I’m outta here,” he thinks to himself. “Even Dad’s minimum wage guys at home don’t have to live like this.”

So off he goes, hitchhiking home and all the way thinking of how he will grovel when he gets there, how he will promise to do better if Dad will only give him back his old room. “I’ll even sleep in the barn if you want me to,” he figures he’ll say.

You know how the story ends. The moment comes when this scraggly looking, nasty smelling, son comes stumbling up the long driveway. His Dad sees him and immediately tears out running at full throttle.  He falls on his boy and, oblivious to the stench, starts laughing and crying, hugging and kissing him, all at the same time.  The son is forgiven before he even asks.

 The boy chokes up and tries to talk. This isn’t what he had expected. He gets out half a sentence when Dad interrupts and yells orders to fire up the grill, call our family and friends, see if JJT is available (Jerusalem Jazz Trio) and let’s get this party started!

 Hmm...that’s a strange story, Jesus. Don’t you think it might give the wrong message? “No,” our loving Savior would answer. “It gives the right message. The message is this: It doesn’t matter how pathetic you are, how low you have gone and how long you have been there, I love you and accept you.”

 It isn’t about you and me. It never has been and never will be. It’s about Him and His ridiculous, irrational, excessive, loving grace. The self righteous crowd might as well shut up. Jesus is Jesus and He’s not going to change to fit their expectations. Thank God.

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GROW TO SHARE
By Miles Stanford

"For they disciplined us only a short time, as it seemed proper to them; but He does it for our good, in order that we may share His holy character" (Heb. 12:10, Wms.).
 
It is only natural to feel that our need requires immediate victory, but the truth is that we cannot come to maturity apart from the Holy Spirit's processing and development of our life, day by day. A quick and easy victory would cripple our usefulness in these two ways: we would not understand the all-important principle of processing; we would not appreciate the needs of others.  'If we are unable to share, we abide alone like the grain of wheat that does not die.
 
So often in the battle we go to the Lord, and pray, and plead, and appeal for victory, for ascendancy, for mastery over the forces of evil and death, and our thought is that in some way the Lord is going to come in with a mighty exercise of power and put us into a place of spiritual maturity as in an act. We must have this mentality corrected. What the Lord does is to enlarge us to possess. He takes us through some exercise, through some experience, takes us by some way which means our spiritual expansion, an increase of spirituality so we occupy the larger place spontaneously because of our growth. 'I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased' (Exod. 23:29,30)." -T. A-S.

"Now for the time being no discipline [child-training] seems to be pleasant; it is painful; later on, however, to those who are trained by it, it yields the fruit of peace which grows from upright character" (Heb. 12:11, Wms.).

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BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
By Pastor Joel Finck

Scripture Reading: Romans 6:3 & 4

It is truly sad that one of the most precious truths of Scripture is also one of the least understood. The truth we are referring to is the believer's identification with Christ.
 
In today's text (Rom. 6:3, 4) we read of our baptism into Christ. Unfortunately, most commentators, and therefore most Christians, do not understand the true meaning of "baptism." To these, baptism always means "water," but the original word actually means "identification." This can be demonstrated from I Corinthians 10:2, "And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." The children of Israel were not made wet in the sea, but they were identified with Moses' leadership through the Red Sea experience.
 
Likewise, when we trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit baptizes (identifies) us into the Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:13). This is why Romans 6:3 says we "were baptized (identified) into his death." This means Christ's death for our sins is made effective in our life. Next, we are identified with His burial ("buried with him by baptism into death" Rom. 6:4a). When Christ's human body laden with the sins of the world was put away in that tomb, its as though we were there, too. Finally, we are identified with His resurrection "that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4b).

How tragic that many Christians miss these blessed truths, and substitute a man-made water ceremony for true, spiritual baptism.

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SET FREE TO LIVE
BY STEVE MC VEY


The greatest gift you ever have or ever will receive is the life you have been given in Jesus Christ. Receiving forgiveness for our sins is the secondary issue in the life of a Christian. God's purpose in forgiving us was so that He could give us His life. Divine life resides within you - think about that for a moment. Divine life resides inside you!

Do you see the possibilities that fact opens up for you? Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." He got the point. Do we? Do we really understand the truth that God places desires in our hearts and then empowers us to see those desires realized?

I challenge you to make only one resolution each year. Resolve to experience life in Christ to the fullest. After all, that's exactly why He came. (See John 10:10)

Charge into the remaining months of 2008 with a new boldness that you've not appropriated before now. Determine to identify the God-given dreams that may be buried in your heart and bring them back out into the light of day. Jesus wants to do some unique things through you in this world. Submit yourself to Him and cooperate with His Spirit and watch miracles unfold in your life!

Cast off old mind sets that hold you back in life. Renounce the lies that bind you. Ask your Father to stretch you in your ability to see things that are not visible in your life yet as though they are real. After all, "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) I don't mean empty positive thinking. I'm talking about breaking free from a negative mind set about God, about yourself and about life.

Let your assumptions about 2008 be based on the viewpoint that your Heavenly Father gushes with love for you. He "longs to be gracious to you" and is just waiting for the chance to "have compassion on you." (See Isaiah 30:18 ) It thrills Him to pour out His goodness on you!

Let's stop waiting "for the other shoe to drop." Don't appropriate bad things. Life is full of disappointment and heartache, but you have divine life residing in you! The life of Christ will overshadow anything that may strike you in 2008.

Don't limp through life. Instead, run or skip. For that matter, dance your way through the coming months! God's kingdom really is a party. It's all about "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Laugh with Jesus this year.

You have been set free to live. The world is full of dead men walking, but you don't fit that category. You have been made alive with Christ (see Ephesians 2:5) and now have the ability to live in His resurrection power. (Phil. 3:10)

What are you going to do with the rest of this year? Your Father invites you to join Him on a days journey where He intends to show you some things you don't expect. He plans to work in you and through you. He plans to reveal more about Himself to you and to show you every day how much He loves you.

Relax. Be yourself. You have nothing to prove. Just live. Know that you are accepted by God and that, with that truth in mind, there's nothing left to prove. Enjoy the remaining 2008 by letting Jesus live through you each day. That's all He wants and all we need.

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SLAVERY AND LIBERTY
by C. R. Stam
     

We thank God for Abraham Lincoln and for his part in emancipating the Black slaves in the United Sates. Yet, in a deeper sense, there is a slavery from which we all need to be emancipated.

The children of Adam are slaves by birth. Partaking of his fallen nature they find it an uphill fight to do right and easy to do wrong. No mother has ever had to teach her child to tell lies, or to steal or to disobey. Every child does these things naturally. All, by nature, are slaves to sin.

Some, on the other hand, have sought to make themselves slaves to the Ten Commandments in order to overcome their natural tendencies toward evil, but this does not produce the desired results. God did not give the Law to help us to be good, but to show us that we are bad and need a Savior. In Rom. 3:19 He says that He gave the Law "that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become [be exposed as] guilty before God" and in Verse 20 He says that "by the law is the knowledge of sin."

Only believers in the finished work of Christ are liberated from sin and its results. This does not mean that it is not possible for them to sin, but that it is now possible for them not to sin -- to have victory in any given case. "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under thel aw but under grace" (Rom. 6:14).

In grace Christ died to pay for our sins and in response to that grace believers seek to live for Him, just out of sheer love and gratitude for what He has done for them. This is the secret of victorious living, and God would have us keep it that way. Gal. 5:1 says:

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Yet, he also cautions believers, who enjoy this wonderful liberty:

"Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak" (I Cor. 8:9).

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (Gal. 5:13).

"Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth" (Rom. 14:22).

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THE CAUSE OF RETARDED GROWTH
by C. R. Stam
 

In the physical realm retarded growth may be due to some mishap or may be simply one of the results of the curse, having no direct bearing on the behavior of the parents, and certainly not of the child itself.  In the spiritual realm this is not so.  God has made abundant provision for every child of God to grow to spiritual manhood, and Paul rebukes the Corinthian believers for not having grown.

The trouble with the Corinthians was that they did not have much appetite for the Word; they did not have a passion to know and obey the truth, for the babe in Christ who "desires" the pure milk of the Word will surely "grow thereby."  This was the trouble with the Hebrew believers too, for when the Apostle would have gone further into the great subject of Christ as "an High Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec," he was forced to write:

"Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull [Gr., nothros, slothful] of hearing"  (Heb. 5:11).

This is precisely the cause of the carnality among believers today.  During World War II there were several occasions when parents came to the writer with letters from their sons in the armed forces, explaining that a code had been arranged by which "Johnny" could let them know to which theatre of war he had been sent, but that now it was difficult to understand his letter.  Together we would sit down and study the letter in detail in an effort to make out exactly what it was that "Johnny" was trying to make his parents understand.

Such interest and concern over a letter from "Johnny"!  And appropriately so, but do the majority of believers show such interest in the Word of God to them?  They do not.  They are satisfied with "the simple things," with knowing only a few passages which "warm their hearts."  This is the root cause of the spiritual immaturity in the Church today.

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NEED, THEN SUPPLY
By Miles Stanford


"Not as though I had already attained ... but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12).
 
The heavenly Husbandman develops a believer on the same principle that He does a tree: planting, growth, consolidation, rest, and then more growth. There are stages. We are shown our sin and need-self. Then we hunger for freedom and life -- Christ. This is a progression. At first, we consider the shocking revelation of self the greatest of calamities; later, we realize that it is the pathway to the blessed revelation of our life in the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
"Before we can take on the likeness of the Lord Jesus, we must see ourselves and know how we look; we must be brought into the place where we are not dismayed nor cast down when we discover how little we are conformed to His image. It is only as we see our need, that we can be supplied." - C.McI.
 
"It does us no good, but only discourages us if we see our failures and shortages and do not behold the beauty of Christ, and apprehend and experience our sufficiency in Him. On the other hand, if we see only what we are in Him and do not discern our defects; if we do not apprehend that which must be appropriated and worked out in us; if we do not see all that must be put off, and that Christ must be put on in actual control and manifestation, we become self-satisfied and puffed up -- we lose our invaluable 'need.''' - C.McI.
 
"I certainly do count everything as loss compared with the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Phil. 3:8, Wms.).

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LIBERTY -- HOW PRECIOUS!
by C. R. Stam


We were interested to read, recently, about the man in California who ran short of grazing land for his herd of 13 buffalo. To solve this problem he put them on a barge and took them over to a large island in Lake Berryessa where there was lots of pasture. But what did the buffalo do? They jumped back into the lake, swam to shore and began charging fishermen and chasing automobiles -- so enraged were they at being imprisoned on an island!

After all, neither man nor beast enjoys bondage, though many of us are in fact enslaved.

Our Lord said in John 8:32: "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." To this the religious leaders replied: "We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest Thou, Ye shall be made free?" But our Lord answered: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (Ver.34). St. Paul says the same thing in Rom. 6:16:

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

Sad to say, many sincere religious people think that they can free themselves from sin by putting themselves in bondage to the Law, the Ten Commandments. This never works, for the Law can only condemn the sinner. Rom.3:19,20 declares that the Law was given "that every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God... for by the law is the knowledge of sin."Again we have to turn to Christ for salvation and true liberty. He "died for our sins" (I Cor. 15:3) and has "redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Gal. 3:13).

Having believed this and trusted Christ as Savior, true Christians serve the Lord, not from fear, or to gain favor, but out of sheer love and gratitude. This is true liberty and this service is the only kind that God desires from us. Probably no man ever served the Lord more sincerely or tirelessly than the Apostle Paul. In II Cor. 5:14 he gives us the secret: "The love of Christ constraineth us..."

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TRUE UNITY
by C. R. Stam



There are many unions all over the world, but in only one place is true unity to be found: in the Lord Jesus Christ. The children of fallen Adam have always been divided. Adam's first two children could not get along together. One killed the other. And now that the race has multiplied there are about three billion separate, individual wills in the world. Some of Adam's children try to get along together amicably and enjoy some measure of success, but this always takes effort. It does not come naturally. Even the dearest lovers must be prepared to yield to each other's wishes frequently to get along well together. There is no true unity in this world.

But where Adam's children have been divided by sin, they may be saved and truly united in Christ. As Christ became one with us when He died our death (the wages of sin) at Calvary, so we may become one with Him as in faith we acknowledge that that death was not His but ours. This is what the Apostle referred to when he asked:

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?" (Rom. 6:3).

This verse does not refer to water baptism, for no one can be baptized into Christ -- become one with Him -- by a physical ceremony. The only way to become one with Him is to accept by faith the fact that He died our death on the cross. The meeting place must always be Calvary. And as we acknowledge His death as ours and become one with Him, we automatically become one with each other.

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (I Cor. 12:13).

Unity in Christ is not something for which Christians are to strive. It is a fact of grace to be recognized and enjoyed by faith. True believers in and out of all denominations have been baptized into one body, whether or not they recognize this.

Now it is for us to appropriate and enjoy this unity in Christ, "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3) i.e., seeking to experience the unity which the Spirit has made. Only those who have been baptized into Christ by faith can appreciate the blessed oneness which believers may enjoy.

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The Key to a Worry-Free Life
by Paul M. Sadler



According to doctors at the Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, rattlesnakes thought to be dead can still strike, bite, and kill you. Doctors in Phoenix said they have a large number of patients admitted each year suffering from bites from rattlers thought to be dead. Sometimes the snakes were shot and their heads cutoff; but, the snake head retains a reflex action. In fact, one study showed that snake heads could still make striking-type motions up to sixty minutes after decapitation.

Satan, that old Serpent, was defeated at Calvary? his head was cut off. Hebrews Chapter 2 says that our Savior, by His death, destroyed him who holds the power of death. But for a season Satan can still strike and wound us. He can still hurt us and poison our relationships and spread his deadly venom into our homes and lives.

Paul admonished the Corinthians to take great care in this area. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices? (II Cor. 2:11). Although this may have been true in the apostle's day, we are not sure it is the case today. It seems to us that many believers are unaware they are under attack. Satan can be very subtle and his devices are well planned. While his devices take on many forms there is one in particular that he uses quite effectively? worry! If the enemy can keep you off balance in this area he can success-fully hinder your service for the Lord.

WORRY

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6,7

Do you worry? I didn't think so, but there are some who struggle with this problem. Paul says, "Be careful for nothing." In our modern day language we would say, "Don't worry about anything." The Greek word behind the term "careful" here is merimnao, which means to pull in different directions, to distract. This is exactly what worry will do to you? it will tear you apart both emotionally and physically. It can be one of the leading causes of ulcers, which is something else to worry about!

Worry always dwells on the future in regard to what may or may not happen. It mulls over every worst-case scenario imaginable.

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FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL
By the late Pastor L. PETERSON


In writing the church at PhiIippi Paul said, 'I thank my God .... for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.' Phil. 1:3,5. What does fellowship mean? Dr.Harry Ironside illustrated it by picturing a team of horses pulling together. The word itself means partnership. It implies working together with a common goal in mind. There are various aspects of fellowship. There is the possibility of sweet and wholesome communion while working together.

When we were boys and working together in the field we didn't spend all  our time talking about the work we were doing. While we were doing that work we exchanged ideas, planned our recreation, told stories and debated. This was fun too; it helped us to pass the time as we labored and to make the burden of the day lighter. Fellowship is so important to all of us as Christians. We need to get together and have some of the other folk share life with us and we with them.

Man in a sense is a triumvirate, that is, an association of three in the governing forces of life. Genesis 2:7 says, 'And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.' To me this is Body, Soul and Spirit. Dust of the ground -- Body; Breath of Life -- Spirit; and living soul (union of body and spirit) -- Soul. Daily we care for the body by feeding, washing and repairing it. The spirit is cared for too if we are right with God. This is done by the ministry through the Word of God. Jesus said 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. ' Matt. 4:4.

What about the soul? Can its needs be met by physical culture or spiritual exercise? Indeed it cannot. There is therefore the need to care for the soul. In my way of thinking this is done by fellowship; the communion with fellow Christians. It does us all good to become acquainted with each other. The exchange of ideas, the expression of convictions concerning life, to get the other fellow's slant on life, the making known of burdens and problems, spiritual and economic, to gain the attention and sympathies of others. This is good and wholesome for us all. Do you want me to prove it to you? Doesn't it make you feel better to know your friends have problems financially as well as you do? Really now, wouldn't you hate to be the only person in your circle of friends having mortgage on your property? It may not really be right in a deeper sense to 'feel good' because your close friend is paying installments on his car, but it sure goes for encouragement. This may all seem trite but it is only to illustrate that we need fellowship as Christians in order to learn how goals are gained, problems are solved and trials are endured. We need one another more than we know. Should you be a person inclined to shut yourself off from the rest of the world, break the spell or habit. meet with fellow Christians for pure, good, clean and wholesome fellowship. The early Christians did, why not today? God forbid that we as a church should ever major, in socials.This is not our calling. We are called of the Lord to 'preach  the gospel'. However, in the preaching of the gospel there necessitates In our program a place for expression and communion relative to the soul.We can thus better pray for, sympathize with and encourage one another in our pulling together in the matters that are spiritual and eternal. Thus, should your class in Bible School or circle of friends in any auxiliary of the church meet for fellowship, be sure to meet with them. May God our Heavenly Father guide us in our spiritual programming that in all things we may please Him.

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FACT FINDING
By Miles Stanford

 "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord" (II Pet. 1:2).

We cannot too highly value and appreciate heart-hunger for the Word. It is of the Spirit of Truth. We may have been born again without knowing much of the Bible, but we certainly are not going to grow to any extent apart from a careful and persistent study of the Word of God. Yes, the maturing believer is a Spirit - dependent student of the Scriptures, "whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature" (II Pet. 1.4).

"Christian progress is not a question of attaining to some abstract standard, or of pressing through to some far-off goal. It is wholly a question of seeing God's standard in God's Word. You advance spiritually by finding out what you really are (in Christ), not by trying to become what you hope to be. That goal you will never reach, however earnestly you may strive.

"It is when you see you are dead unto sin that you die to it (daily); it is when you see you are risen that you arise; it is when you see you are a 'new creation' in Him that you (progressively) grow. Seeing the accomplished fact in the Word determines the pathway to the realizing of that fact. The end is reached by seeing, not by desiring or working. The only possibility of spiritual progress lies in our discovering the truth as God sees it; the truth concerning Christ, the truth concerning ourselves in Christ."  -W.N.

"Come and see the works of God" (Ps. 66:5).

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"Blessed Assurances"
Part 1 of  2
The Blessings of Romans 5 -
by Dennis Kiszonas


A famous old pastor in Chicago came to the end of his life. He had preached the grace of God for decades to a large congregation and an even larger radio audience. On his death bed, in the last moments of his life, he recited from memory a passage of scripture which spoke of the assurances that he enjoyed as he faced the near end of his earthly life. The passage? Romans 5: 1-11.

In Romans 5 God tells us of a set of blessings that are basic to the Christian life. Here is a great chapter to study, and blessings that we need to under-stand and apply in our lives, and a great chapter to memorize so that we can recall these vital truths whenever we need them, whether in the midst of life or at the time of death.

Rom 5:1-11

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

3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

5 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.

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 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.

11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Let's study this passage thought by thought.

Romans 5: 1 - "Therefore, having been justified by faith, ... " The chapter begins with Paul looking back over his shoulder to the things which he explained in Romans 3 and 4. If we're reading thru Romans as we get to chapter five, we've already read, "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," Romans 3:24.

To be 'justified' means to be declared 'righteous' in the sight of God the Judge. Not only are we forgiven for all of our sins (Col. 2:13), but we are actually declared by God to be righteous in Christ--all that God expected and demanded and required of us is now credited to us, so now He can bless us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3). How could God do this for sinful people?

Remember again Romans 3:24, "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." 'Justified freely,' that means 'without a cause in ourselves.' Its not because we're so good or righteous, in fact God says "there is none righteous no not one" Romans 3:10, but now, without a cause or reason in ourselves, God has declared us righteous in his sight "by His grace thru the redemption that is in Christ Jesus! "

Because of what the Lord Jesus did for us at the cross when He took the blame and accepted the guilt of our sins and made the full payment for them all by dying for us, now God says, "Don't look for a cause in yourself, but by My overflowing grace I consider you to be righteous in my sight and will treat you as a righteous person forever."

What did we have to do to receive this amazing righteousness? "But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. " Romans 4:5.

We have to do nothing -- it's to him who does not work! --stop even trying to save ourselves and let Him save us by His grace thru the redemption/payment that is in Christ. On the cross the Lord did all the work that was required by God for Him to be able to save any person who puts his faith, trust, reliance in the Lord as his Savior.

So our passage in Romans 5 begins with this backward glance to the previous chapters in the letter and sums them up with this opening phrase: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, ... " Paul is saying, now that we have settled this matter of salvation by the grace of God thru faith, now let's go on to see what the results of that salvation are.

[nChrist]

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"Blessed Assurances"
Part 2 of 2
by Dennis Kiszonas

Paul's next phrase is, "We have ... "

''Therefore, having been justified by faith, "Paul writes, ''we have ... "

What does it actually mean to say, 'we have'? This is a present tense verb that indicates continual possession. An uninterrupted, continual possession of all of the following blessings. Having settled the matter of salvation, we presently and continually have as our constant possessions the blessings that are coming up. These are not blessings that come and go, or vary from day to day depending on our circumstances, or our obedience or faithfulness or spiritual experience, these are constants, real 'Blessed Assurances.' Things that every believer in Christ can be sure of all the time.

#1 Peace with God

"Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. " We have at all times now that we are saved, peace with God. He no longer has anything at all against us, in fact we can now be assured that He is "for us" -- ''If God be for us who can be against us?" Romans 8:31. Because of the cross where the Lord paid for everything we've ever done or ever will do wrong, God says to the believer that we have as our constant possession at all times, peace with Him. He is for us, on our side, in our corner.

Of course, we each have a personal struggle with an enemy who restlessly wants to convince us otherwise. Satan uses every possible circumstance, every possible "wile of the devil" to try to shake our confidence, and make us wonder if indeed God is really on our side at all. But as long as we remember and believe that God has nothing against us and is on our side, we are invincible, unbeatable.

I mean, as Paul says, If Almighty God is on our side--think of that!--then really, who can be against us--they try to be, but who can succeed against us if God is on our side?

But we need to always remember, it is ''peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." This is all by the grace of God and not by our own worthiness, our own efforts and good works. It is all because of Him and His cross work for us. Believe it and be thankful forever!

#2 Standing in Grace

Romans 5:2 "through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. "

Not only do we have peace with God as our present continual possession through Christ, but also through Him we have "access by faith into this grace"

'Access' could well be translated here as a 'welcome.' Through the Lord Jesus, God actually welcomed us into His grace through faith. The red-carpet was rolled out, enemies were invited to come, even welcomed into this amazing grace when we put our faith in the Lord Jesus who paid the penalty in full for us.

And once we enter into this grace of God salvation by believing in the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we are now told even further, not only were we welcomed into this grace, but now we are 'standing in this grace.'  We were welcomed into this grace at the moment of our salvation, and now ever after we are standing in grace.

For one thing, that means that there is no way we can "lose our salvation." We're not standing in our own works, or our own faithfulness. We would all fail. But we are standing in His grace--"And if it is by grace it is no longer by works, otherwise grace is no longer grace." Romans 11:6. Our standing before God no longer depends upon our works but is in His grace. We are not standing in a performance system, but in His grace.

#3 We have a sure hope.

Paul finishes verse 2 by writing, "and (we) rejoice in hope of the glory of God"

We had read in Romans 3:23, that we all fall short of the glory of God. If we didn't let God save us by His grace, none of us would ever see the glory of God in heaven. Now, though, because of the cross and His grace, we are rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.

"Hope" here is not the weak sort of "hope" that we often speak of in English. We sometimes hear a person say, "I hope I'm going to heaven." That's more like "wishing" for it.

Like saying, "I hope it doesn't rain and ruin our picnic." That is a wish, some-thing that we want but are very unsure whether we'll get.

You can't "rejoice" in a hope like that! How could anyone rejoice in some-thing that they aren't even sure that they have?

This "hope" that Paul writes about though is not like that. It is a hope that is sure for the future. I am sure, I expect to see the glory of God, I know I'm going to heaven because the Lord has paid for everything wrong that I've ever done or ever will do, therefore I am rejoicing ahead of time. When a believer thinks about the Lord's coming for us, or when we think about dying, we see these things as events full of joy. We have here an assurance in the face of death and the uncertainties of life.

Let's stop and quickly review the blessings of these first two verses in Romans 5.

#1 We have peace with God -- He is on our side, He is for us-- at all times and in every circumstance.

#2 We were welcomed into His grace and now we are standing in His grace by faith in the Lord Jesus. We are not on a performance system to earn God's love or to keep this relationship alive. We are standing in His grace, and therefore it is, "no longer of works, otherwise grace isn't grace any more. " (Romans 11:6)

#3 We are rejoicing in our expectation ad hope of one day sharing in the glory of God in heaven. In the present we have peace and grace, for the future we have a sure hope of glory. What more could we ask?

Now we go on to a surprising statement in Romans 5:3-4. We might think that having God on our side, and standing in His grace would guarantee that our life would be "problem-free." No more worries about financial problems. No more concern that we might get cancer or die in a war or lose our job or have a divorce in our marriage or a problem with a child on drugs or in prison.

That's what I thought when I became a Christian. I thought that all my problems would be solved because now God is my Father and He's going to bless my life with abundance in every way---abundant health, finances, love from family and friends. All the good things in life would be mine. If you believe that, you're going to have some big problems in the Christian life! Just read the next verses--Romans 5:3-4:

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

There you have it: Tribulations are part of the christian life--and Paul even welcomed them! If anybody ever tells you that problems are not going to be your lot when you're saved, just remember these verses. God says that tribulations are part of His plan for us and that we should welcome them because He allows them to come into our lives for His good purposes.

Of course, whenever we're facing problems, especially long, hard, problems that just seem like they're never going to be solved, we begin to wonder, why did God do this to me? Did I do something that caused Him to turn against me?

The devil just loves when we begin to question, and doubt God. If he can drive a wedge between us and God, he's got us beat.

At times like that we need to review verses I and 2. "I have at all times as my permanent and constant possession peace with God. He is on my side, He has nothing against me, it was all paid for by my Savior at the cross. And I am now standing in the same grace that I was welcomed into on the first day that I believed. And I am going to glory. So how can I think that God has somehow now turned against His word and His promises and has somehow turned against me?" Impossible! Unthinkable! "God is faithful.... "

So Paul writes, tribulations are part of life even for us who have God on our side, even while we're standing in His grace and on our way to glory.

Paul even says, don't just groan about those tribulations, but actually rejoice in them! They come for a good reason even if they feel awfully hard to accept. God uses tribulations in our lives to cause us to grow. "Knowing that tribulation produces perseverance ... character ... hope. "

Its "knowing" God's purpose in allowing the tribulations that causes us to have a new attitude about them.