‘A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.’ Proverbs 17:17
“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24
” Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Proverbs 27:6
A man’s self-righteous dignity must be wounded in order for him to receive God’s love unashamedly. The love which comes of Christ alone, functions toward a sinner, toward a strengthless one, toward an enemy; all in the same way. A person may feel they have a right to be loved, or no right to be loved. Man’s rights play no part in God’s love for Men. There is none good, no not one. But, we have “been made fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” See Colossians 1:12 We qualify under the heading of “whosoever believes.”
So, let’s consider this: Which comes first, God’s judgment or His love?
Romans 5:6 teaches, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time —
“Christ died for the ungodly. “
Romans 5:8 then teaches, “But God commends his love toward us, in that —
“while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
And Romans 5:9 “Much more then,
“being now justified by his blood,”
we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Friends, our status of being “justified” saves us from future wrath. In simple terms, Christ died for us ungodly sinners equaling the justice due our sinful state. So, justice precedes love’s manifestation in this case, and offers us the status of “justification.” In addition to our justified status we are said to be “reconciled” to God meaning all barriers between us men and God have been removed at the cross. In addition, we have “atonement .” We have been made “at-one” with the Savior, Christ Himself. Romans 5:11 See Romans 6:1-3
Folks, in the next 10 verses, Romans 5:12-21, Paul introduces a new word, “grace.” Verse 15 tells us this grace is from God and is also a gift. Differing from the gift of “Justifying righteousness ,” grace in abundance is the cause of the effect; or in this case, “God’s love through grace causes the effects of God’s justice to be expressed. So, a person must receive “by grace” all that God’s justice (in the sacrificial death of Christ in our stead) procured . Yes, it must be received in grace, by grace, or in other words, “grace” must be received as the means for justification. It cannot be received through any kind of worthiness, self righteousness, pride or ego.
Beloved, unworthiness or worthiness excluded, we are asked to enjoy something that we do not deserve. Sin manifests itself in not just acts of lasciviousness. Yes, these are spoken against in both old and new testaments. But also in those self-inflating acts of religion, gaining acceptance through good works, trying to advance morally, or all that justifies self without a bloody cross, proceeds from that old sin nature.
Admittedly, a man broken by consistent acts of wantonness or self-degrading may seem to be more open to “grace.” A religious man may feel he has no need of grace. Both could be lacking the one thing which can only be given by God. Matthew describes it as “a good and honest heart.” This person, when hearing that “by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God,” in honest evaluation, receives, receives, receives. Friends, “as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become sons of God.”
In closing, Deuteronomy teaches us in 32:4, “all His ways are judgment.” In Psalm 75, God is putting down one and promoting another. Peter tells us God is resisting the proud and giving grace to the humble. God is not mocked, “whatever a man sows, he also reaps. “
Romans 1:18 reveals “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” God is drawing men. Some by compassion, making a difference, but others with fear…”Jude 22-23 , –That grace may appear to all men, and so teach us… Titus 2:11 love ya
Be First to Comment