Faithfully Yours Forever

Verses: Romans 4:23-25 (NIV)
The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

When we are being justified through the act of another, it means we are being held blameless for something we did wrong because someone else stepped in and assumed responsibility for whatever it was that we did.  Jesus did that for us.  He took responsibility for our sins because we repented and asked Him for forgiveness.  Being justified is as if we had never done that wrong thing.  We have a clean slate.  Because of Jesus, we have been made holy or righteous in the eyes of God – opening up the door for us to have a relationship with Him.

Verses: Romans 4:20-21 (NIV)
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

While we may sometimes doubt the things of God or be uncertain about what is true, may we be fully persuaded that God has the power, through the work of the Holy Spirit, to remove our unbelief?  We do need to do our part.  We need to discover the promises that He makes to us that are written of in the Bible.  In faith, may we claim those promises – giving glory to God for His faithfulness.

Verses: Romans 4:7-8 (NIV)
Blessed are those
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord will never count against them.

May we be counted among those whose transgressions have been forgiven!  Thankfully, our sins have been forgiven based on what Jesus Christ did when He took His place on the cross for us.  He became the final blood sacrifice.  To be counted among those who have been forgiven, we need to turn from those sinful things we have done to instead follow Jesus Christ and His ways.

Verses: Romans 3:22-24 (NIV)
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

One of the attributes of God is that He is holy, so holy that we must be holy to have a relationship with Him.  Fear not!  Thankfully, as believers, we have Christ.  Our belief in Him has cleansed us of those things that have prevented us from having a relationship with God.  Nothing that we have done is beyond the redemptive power of Christ!  Blessed are we, who by God’s grace, have been justified by Christ Jesus.

Verse: Romans 1:20 (NIV)
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Everything in creation points to the power of God to create such things.  What He created speaks to who He is.  Life is a miracle and all of creation is so complex and beautifully made.  We must not be in denial about the need for a Creator.  For those who believe, the existence of God is obvious.  May we see You, Lord God, in the natural things around us.  May we have a greater awareness of Your presence in the world.  May we, empowered by the Holy Spirit, help others see what, for them, has been previously unseen.