I hope y’all are having a fantastic summer!! Thanks for joining with me as we continue on the most beautiful place to stand - the platform of God’s total forgiveness. Let’s continue in Chapter #3 . . .
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The finished work of Jesus upon the cross destroyed the voice of guilt in our lives and the condemnation we feel. The resurrection of Jesus gives us the power to stand on His platform of unending forgiveness and the power to be transformed.[i] This is the work of His grace in our dark, from the inside out of our souls. This is abundant Christian living and reigning in life that Paul shares with us.
For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 (emphasis, mine)
Did you catch the phrase . . . much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness? Christ’s very own righteousness is imputed to us.
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
God’s righteousness is now ours, it cannot be worked for and cannot be earned. His righteousness, simply received by our simple faith, is the foundation of our right standing with God. Our filthy grave clothes of sin replaced by the snowy white robe of His “rightness,” even though our own perfection is light-years from the perfection of Him who holds the universe together.[ii]
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, Romans 4:20-24 (emphasis, mine)
The gift of God’s gracious, beyond-reason grace and righteousness are ours even in our darkest hours of sin and failure.
Priscilla Shirer writes:
But the cross really is the gift that keeps on giving. Because it didn’t just take something from us, it gave something miraculous to us . . .
When you trust Jesus as your personal Savior, the penalty of sin is removed and the gift of God’s own righteousness is given (imputed) to you. It is “credited” to your spiritual account. The perfection and holiness of God Himself has become yours in Christ...You no longer need to exhaust yourself striving for perfection. You are already completely, wholly, and perfectly righteous because of Christ’s gift to you.[iii]
[i] Ephesians 1:19-23
[ii] Isaiah 1:18
[iii] Priscilla Shirer, The Armor of God (Nashville, TN: Lifeway Church Resources, 2015), 76-77.