Lost, guilty, condemned, and without hope is the glaring reality of all people. Recognizing the great contrast and chasm of separation between us, miserable sinners, and Holy God, perfectly perfect in His very nature, we are completely incapable of doing anything to be released from our well-deserved sentence. We cannot buy our freedom, work to gain our freedom, successfully argue in court for our freedom, or in any way justify ourselves free. Our only future exists in the torment of the eternal hell, in unending condemnation, in forever separation from Holy God and His perfect dwelling.
However, for the believer in Jesus Christ this dismal reality was radically changed through His life, death, and resurrection. God broke into our world and lovingly intercepted our lives, rescuing us from the horror of our certain future to the safety of His eternal care. But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ… For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2.4-5, 8-9). But God – two of the most powerful words of Scripture. We have been delivered from eternal death and given eternal life; when we could not free ourselves, He powerfully and wonderfully saved us. This is the work of His loving grace, His desiring and choosing to give us the very opposite of what we have so rightly deserved. This is His rich mercy, forgiving us of all sin, cleansing us of all unrighteousness, freeing us of all guilt. This is His perfect and unconditional love, compassionately reaching out to us, enduring sacrifice on the cruel Cross that we would be made acceptable and righteous before the holy presence of the eternally Holy God. Our gracious, merciful, loving Lord then gave us the gift of faith, that we might believe Him, trust Him, and joyfully and thankfully walk with Him throughout our earthly days and eternity.
And can it be that I should gain,
An interest in my Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain,
For me, who Him, to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race.
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free!
For, O my God, it found out me.
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown through Christ, my own.
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou my God, shouldst die for me!
– Charles Wesley
Alive in Christ – we have much to be thankful for –
Terry
My Morning Desk 