How amazing all of Romans 8 is! From beginning ("There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.") to end ("[nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.") it is a litany of the wonders of our salvation. Read it for yourself and marvel.
We have been set free in Christ Jesus from the demands of the law. When I didn't know Christ, I tried to attain heaven through my good works and holiness (according to my definition of it, of course). But here God says that the heart set on the flesh (and its works) is actually hostile to God! Those who insist on gaining heaven in the flesh CANNOT please God. But, since the Spirit of Christ dwells in me, I am not operating in the flesh. Praise God that I am set free from the law of sin and death. And the chapter goes on and on with all the good things that are ours only because of what Christ did at the cross.
Fast forward to chapter 10. We see that Paul is speaking of the religious people (in those days, the Jews). "They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, . . . being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes." How many zealous for God do we know (ourselves included) who are ignorant of the righteousness they have in Christ? Christ is the end of the law for us--hooray! We can now be zealous in His righteousness. Let's stop seeking to establish our own. Amen and amen.
These verses I know are true, but yet I can so easily forget from day to day. It's so good to be reminded of God's unmeasurable grace and our freedom in that; freedom to respond to His grace in a worthy manner. Thanks for this encouragement!
ReplyDeleteThanks for becoming a follower, Maggie! And for commenting. Praise God that He gives us the grace daily to follow Him. Otherwise? Impossible.
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