October 24 – No Condemnation but Intercession

“Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” – Romans 8:33-34 (NASB)

The setting can be visualized as being in the divine courtroom. Those charged are “God’s elect.” It is impossible, to avoid that each believer is elected (chosen) by God for salvation. Also each person must believe and is held responsible if they do not. Yet our election by God does not stop the charges brought by our enemy Satan. We already stand justified for each charge. Justified by the one who justifies and who is also the one who condemns those who will reject God to their end. If we who believe were due to be condemned it would be by Christ Jesus. Jesus intercedes on our behalf and the charges are dismissed. But according to Colossians 2:14, when Jesus was killed on the cross, he also nailed all charges for all believers to that cross by His death. When we are condemned, He steps forward and intercedes for us because Jesus holds the debts and paid for them all.  He is the only one who can intercede successfully. Romans 8:1 tells us that for each person in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation because Jesus has already paid the penalty for every charge the enemy can bring.

198

October 21 – The Promise Chain of Salvation

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” – Romans 8:29-30 (NASB)

Some commentators and theologians call this the “The Salvation Chain” but we call it “The Promise Chain.” Promises every faith believer can trust and cling to. These days we might have a difficult time knowing just what to believe. The dishonest media, the nefarious social justice erroneously labeled “woke” invades our lives without warning. It has conceited confidence that it is correct and right.  It isn’t. Being unsettled, worried, anxious about our future need not overwhelm our lives with fear of the future. We may not believe we will ever see the world the way we want it to be. But we can know our glorification, our justification, our calling by God to become his children is certain and permanent. God planned us to be conformed to the image of his Son, Jesus the Anointed. He is the preeminent one, the only rightful heir of God who has adopted us and made us co-heirs with Christ.  God our Father knew before the foundation of the earth that He would choose, us to be conformed to the image of His Son; so He marked out, appointed, and determined beforehand that we be justified now and eventually glorified.    

196

September 15 –Blood Shed For Us

“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” – Romans 5:9  (NASB)

In the fifth chapter of the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul wrote to faith believers in the city of Rome, confirming promises we have: 

  1. The promise of a relationship of peace with God. 
  2. The promise of grace, providing standing before God. 
  3. The promise of hope that will never cause us to be disappointed. What He has said He will indeed do. 
  4. The promise of God’s perfect love as it is poured out and into our lives. God’s love for us is eternal and permanent. 

Today in the ninth verse, a fifth promise. We are saved from the wrath of God as described for in Romans 1:18 is not an impulsive outburst of anger aimed capriciously at people whom God does not like. It is the settled, determined response of a righteous and just God against sin. Faith believers have been, are being, and will be saved from God’s wrath through Christ’s violent, substitutionary death. References to the blood of the Savior include the reality that He bled in His death. The term “blood” is used as a graphic way to describe violent death in our place.

191

September 10 – It’s An Objective Peace

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” –  Romans 5:1 (NASB)

Today’s verse, reveals an awesome promise for all who have by faith believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It’s awesome because it gives us assurance of forgiveness. That’s important is because itis the foundation to our security in Christ Jesus.  “Therefore having been justified by faith.”  That’s the premise: If we have been justified by faith, if we have been declared righteous through faith, in other words, if we have been genuinely saved, then we have laid the necessary foundation and we are held in that relationship eternally. Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God.  Now that is a very important thing for us to understand.  We have as a present possession peace with God. This is not talking about psychological tranquility.  It is not feelings of confidence or well-being.  It is not subjective at all.  It is not the kind of peace we feel or the kind of peace we experience.  It is talking about an actual relationship that can be defined as a relationship of peace. Before justification we had been at war, we had been the enemy of God, we are now at peace.

194

June 6 – Absolutely Truthful


“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” – Romans 5:8-9 (NASB)


Truth has always been absolute – even when mixed in with untruthful statements, the part that is true is absolutely true. Today we hear that there is “my truth” and “your truth” even when they contradict one another. This leaves “truth” that cannot really be trusted, doesn’t it? It’s relative truth which isn’t truth. A politician’s promises are spoken and we understand that there is little if anything to trust in those false promises. We learn to distrust because of the pattern of untruthfulness. God has a different way His truth is absolute and based on His character. We can trust Him because of His pattern of truthfulness. When God says He loves us, we can know it is the truth. He demonstrated and proved His love before we were redeemed by Him, when we were still separated from Him by our sin. Doing nothing for it, God demonstrated His love toward us. We have been justified by Christ’s shedding His blood His death and resurrection. The promise He gave us is that we will be saved from the wrath of God’s judgment through believing in Christ Jesus. We’re secure in His Absolute Truthful Word.

194

   

May 24 – Unbounded Grace


“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” – Romans 5:1-2 (NASB)


Day to day we may not, very often, think about the grace in which we stand. Considering that grace in our lives is pretty much limited to the word “gracious” which, means kind, polite, civil, tactful, and courteous. Grace, however, is much more than politeness or civil behavior. Our promise in today’s verse is powerful because it explains what grace brings to us. Because of the grace God has for us we, who in faith believe in Jesus and His words, have been justified. Notice the “have been” there? It is past, it is a done deal. Being justified provides for us peace with God which is also by grace, our possession. We have such a possession of peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and it is through Christ we were introduced by faith into this marvelous grace. We really need to think about this deeply and frequently. It is a gift which continues to develop into more gifts from God. The last promise is hope, and hope is ours because of what God has fully done for us by grace. It a hope for which we can triumph in the glory of God.

196