Justified Freely

 

Seek Glory and Honor...Eternal Life

 We were made a little lower than the angels… angels were made spirit beings… we were given spirit and flesh upon our creation.  Also upon creation we were crowned with glory and honor.

Glory and honor. 

What comes to mind when you think of glory and honor?

To my mind when I think of glory I think of God. The dictionary states- glory is exaltation, achievement, praise of deity, awesome, splendor. Honor- personal integrity, respect, dignity, reputation, source of pride, mark of distinction, great privilege, 

Glory and honor. 

Such magnificence was given to us upon our creation. We were GIVEN glory and honor, we were CROWNED with glory and honor. Crowned. There we were, a newly created being shining in the magnificence of being created by God and crowned by GOD with such exceptional gifts - glory and honor! We need to comprehend our beginning. We weren't dirt created creatures with dust coating our new flesh. We were glorious, honored by GOD!  

Then sin wiped that all away.

From glory and honor to shame. 

And now, we have to SEEK that glory and we find it only in CHRIST. 

(Excerpt)

Romans 3:22 …There is no difference; 23 for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

"The Glory of God." 

From the text we learn that the glory of God is his righteousness. Notice, the reason why all have come short of the glory of God is that all have sinned. The fact is plain that if they had not sinned they would not have come short of it. The coming short of the glory itself consists in sin. Man in the beginning was "crowned with glory and honor" (Hebrews 2:7)

Heb 2:7  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands

because he was upright. In the fall he lost the glory, and therefore now he must "seek for glory and honor and immortality." Christ could say to the Father, "The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them," because in him is the righteousness of God which he has given as a free gift to every man. It is the part of wisdom to receive righteousness; and "they that be wise shall shine."

Rom_2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life

Joh_17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one

Dan_12:3  And they that be wise shall shine…

No Difference.

 All, leaving no one out, have sinned.

All, no matter race, sex, creed, nothing exempt… all have sinned.

No one person, no matter the circumstances, not a single person can escape their sinner status.  No one can buy sinlessness. No one can give another sinlessness. You birth does not matter, your station in life doesn't matter, absolutely nothing will keep you from being a sinner.

When Christ saves us He is saving a sinner. 

There is no difference in any human from another in the matter of needing the righteousness of Christ, not a single difference.

We are all in need of Christ and His righteousness.

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The Justice of Mercy

Romans 3:22-26

Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference

22 There is no difference; 23 for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

"No Difference." 

In what is there no difference? There is no difference in the way in which men receive righteousness. And why is no difference made in the manner of justifying men? Because "all have sinned."  

Peter, in relating to the Jews his experience in first preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, said, "God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." Acts 15:8, 9. "Out of the heart of men," not of one class of men, but of all men, "proceed evil thoughts," etc. Mark 7:21. God knows the hearts of all men, that all are alike sinful, and therefore he makes no difference in the gospel to different men.

"One Blood." 

This lesson is one of the most important to be learned by the missionary, whether laboring at home or abroad. Since the gospel is based on a principle that there is no difference in men, it is absolutely essential that the gospel worker should recognize the fact, and always keep it in mind. God "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth." Acts 17:26. Not only are all men of one blood,  but they are also of "one kind of flesh." 1 Cor. 15:39.

The great burden of the Epistle to the Romans, as has appeared up to this point, is to show that so far as sin and salvation therefrom are concerned, there is absolutely no difference between men of all races and conditions in life. The same gospel is to be preached to the Jew and to the Gentile, to the slave and to the freeman, to the prince and to the peasant.

If We Continue...

 Col 1:19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell

(((The Father God knows and wanted all in all to be in Christ))))

Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 

(((The blood of Christ, the sacrifice of Christ for us brings the peace of salvation. Jesus Christ our Savior alone can reconcile us to God.))))

Col 1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 

(((Separated from God by our own wickedness, we can be reconciled to God by our Savior.))))

Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 

(((JESUS' death allows Him to present US holy, unblameable, unreprovable!  Think about that!? You and I, HOLY, UNBLAMEABLE, UNREPROVABLE! The magnitude of such a miracle is truly beyond our ability to fully comprehend.))))

Col 1:23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister

(((IF…IF… IF….IF….IF…  I can't stress this IF enough! IF WE CONTINUE IN THE FAITH.

Continue in the faith! Endure to the end! Confess always to be cleansed always! 

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

WE must continue just as we began in CHRIST, that belief, that zeal, that comprehension, that knowledge of being saved must be continued always. We can never get to a place we believe we are sinless and not in need of forgiveness. While we strive against sin, we know that only Christ is sinless, and our acceptance of His sinlessness is our salvation through Him. Never ever should we condone any sin. If we sin we must confess, we must recognize our Savior as saving us, not us saving ourselves with our own power to refrain from sin. ANY ability to keep from sinning comes from the power of God and we need to keep this in mind. Christ in us is our hope, not our hope in our own power to be sinless.

IF we continue...

We must continue in the faith, not step outside of it onto another path.  We must be GROUNDED and SETTLED. If you are grounded and settled in something you will not be moved from it ever! We must NEVER move away from the gospel of salvation through Christ!

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 

Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 

Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily

Christ - Creator.

 Col 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, 

Col 1:2  To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Col 1:3  We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 

Col 1:4  Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, 

Col 1:5  For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 

Col 1:6  Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: 

Col 1:7  As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; 

Col 1:8  Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. 

Col 1:9  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to 

DESIRE THAT YE MIGHT BE FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL IN ALL WISDOM AND SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING

(((We need and can be filled with the KNOWLEDGE of CHRIST'S WILL - being given all wisdom and spiritual understand towards this end- knowing His will))))

Col 1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

(((Walking worthy of the LORD. Fruitful in good work. Gaining knowledge of God.))))

Col 1:11  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 

(((Spiritually strengthened with all we need- by HIS glorious power, giving us PATIENCE, LONGSUFFERING while being filled with JOY!))))

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 

(((Thanking GOD the Father who made our spiritual INHERITANCE from CHRIST possible))))

Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 

Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 

(((Delivered from SATAN, given to CHRIST for His Kingdom. REDEEMED by CHRIST through HIS BLOOD, HIS DEATH- FORGIVEN of our SINS!))))

Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 

(((CHRIST JESUS- the image of GOD the Father- invisible to us.

CHRIST JESUS- the firstborn of every creature.  Holding the position of importance a firstborn holds, but not only the firstborn power position but the power over all created, firstborn over all firstborn.))))

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 

(((CHRIST CREATED ALL THINGS. Christ our CREATOR.  All created by Him and FOR Him!))))

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

(((CHRIST before ALL things, CHRIST - by HIM ALL THINGS ARE.))))

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 

(((CHRIST the HEAD of the body.

CHRIST the HEAD of His people.

CHRIST the beginning.

CHRIST the first risen from the decreed death - God forsakened.

CHRIST truly greater than all things.))))

Gods Power, Not Ours.

 Inward truth. 

It is so much more important for us to have truth inwardly than to appear to be truth followers and not be from the heart.  

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 

Jer 17:10  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. 

We can't let our own heart deceive us. We have to pray that God creates a clean heart in us, because we cannot do it for ourselves.

Psa_51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Eze 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh

Eze 36:25  Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 

Eze 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 

Eze 36:27  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 

God does all this FOR US we have to LET HIM, and we have to LET HIM daily. We can choose at any moment to stop letting God work in us, we mustn't do that. We must learn to surrender always, recognizing all glory belongs to God!

*******

Romans 3:22 even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.

Within and Without. 

This righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ, is unto, literally into, and upon all them that believe. Man's own righteousness, which is of the law, is only on the outside. Matt. 23:27, 28.  

Mat 23:27  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 

Mat 23:28  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 

But God desires truth in the inward parts. Ps. 51:6. 

Psa 51:6  Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 

"These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart." Deut. 6:6. 

And so the promise of the new covenant is, "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." Jer. 31:33.

He does it, because it is impossible for man to do it. The most that men can do is to make a fair show in the flesh, to gain the applause of their fellow men. God puts his glorious righteousness in the heart.

But he does more than that, he covers men with it. "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness." Isa. 51:10.

"He will beautify the meek with salvation." Ps. 149:4. 

Clothed with this glorious dress, which is not merely an outward covering, but the manifestation of that which is within, God's people may go forth, "fair as the moon, clear as the sun; and terrible as an army with banners."

Keep the Faith Given to You.

 Keep the faith.

Romans 3:22 even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.

(Excerpt)

"By Faith of Jesus Christ." 

In another place Paul expresses his desire when the Lord comes to be found "not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Phil. 3:9.

Here again we have "the faith of Christ." 

Still further, it is said of the saints, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12. 

God is faithful (1 Cor. 1:9) and Christ is faithful, for "he abideth faithful." 2 Tim. 2:13. 

God deals to every one a measure of faith. Rom. 12:3; Eph. 2:8.

1Co 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 

2Ti 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God

He imparts to us his own faithfulness. 

This he does by giving us himself. 

So that we do not have to get righteousness which we ourselves manufacture; but to make the matter doubly sure, the Lord imparts to us in himself the faith by which we appropriate his righteousness. 

Thus the faith of Christ must bring the righteousness of God, because the possession of that faith is the possession of the Lord himself. 

This faith is dealt to every man, even as Christ gave himself to every man.

Do you ask what then can prevent every man from being saved? The answer is, Nothing, except the fact that all men will not keep the faith. If all would keep all that God gives them, all would be saved.