“Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.” Romans 3:25
October 31, 2022
The wonderful gift of eternal life! In no uncertain terms we are told that God justifies the sinner through faith in Jesus Christ. But yet the simplicity of receiving the forgiveness of sin and eternal life is too often obscured. We hear “ask Jesus into your heart,” commit your life to Christ,” and the generalized declaration, “people of faith.” These popular appeals to come to Christ orbit the truth of the message, but do not lend clarity to what sinners are called upon to do in response to the cross and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Three times in Romans 3:22-28 (vv. 22, 25, 28), which presents the very marrow of the gospel, it is made abundantly clear that works of any kind cannot earn what is a gift. We are saved by trusting in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sin and eternal life (repeated here for emphasis). Faith must have the right content and calls for our adherence to the truth about Jesus Christ. No sacrament, promises to God, church membership, baptism, or sacrifice of any kind can buy God off for our acceptance by Him. It is not our good works that save us. It is Jesus’s good works on the cross, not ours. Are you relying on Christ for your salvation? H
“The weakness of your faith will not destroy you. A trembling hand may receive a golden gift.” C. H. Spurgeon