Week 3
Romans 4:7-8 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
There is no measure great enough to describe the rottenness and vileness of our sins! We are guilty before God, and our guilt is as high as the heavens are above the earth. We sinners stand before God, our Judge, as guilty and unacceptable, and to Him we will give an account for our wretched and horrible sins. Every day bears witness to our duplicity, our frailty, and our waywardness. We have no excuse, and there is no cover to which we can run for shelter from the coming torrent of the storm of divine judgment. We crumble in fear at the prospect of facing God with the deep stain of sin on our souls.
And yet, the Lord God has provided a way for sinners to be reckoned to be clean, justified, and righteous in His sight. God the Father sent God the Son in human flesh as our sacrifice for sin; the Father sent the Son as our Savior that we might through faith in Him become righteous and acceptable in His sight.
This blessed truth is so glorious that it leaves us breathless with delight! Can it truly be that I am accepted by the holy God of the universe on the basis of Christ’s death for me on the cross? Can it truly be that I am clothed with the perfection of righteousness that belongs to Jesus Christ alone? Yes, yes, YES! How incredible the gospel is that God would accept us as His own, clean and pure in His sight, on the basis of Jesus’ atoning death and shed blood for us! Paul, quoting Psalm 32:1-2, exploded with joy and pure happiness when he thought of this truth applied to him. How blessed the believer is to have his/her sins forgiven! How blessed the believer is to know that God will not take our sins into account, that our sins are covered in the shed blood of Jesus Christ! We revel in the joyful ecstasy of delight to know this truth.
How should we respond to this glorious truth? Should we not praise and worship our blessed Savior? Should we not lay before Him our lives in service and obedience? Should we not declare His glory and worthiness to others that they too might come to know the Savior who saves sinners like us? The answer to questions like this must be a RESOUNDING YES!
Christian friend, thrill your soul today in the gospel of sovereign free grace. Soak your troubled heart in the truth that you are fully and eternally saved through the cross of Jesus Christ. Then live in obedient and worshipful joy and love.
Prayer: Dear Lord, when I think of what You have done for me in Christ on the cross, I find myself so full of ecstasy and elation that I can hardly contain it. Thank You for loving me this much and help me to live my life for You to show my gratitude and love. Amen.