The Greatest Truth - the "Secret" to true life, eternal life now and hereafter, is to receive God's verdict, by grace through faith, of "justified," ... that is, to be acquitted in God's courtroom, even though I stand guiltly in my sin, because my "life account" has been credited with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
To believe and understand this Gospel message, this truth, is life itself.
But how Satan wants in every way imaginable, making it his most passionate goal, to disrupt and disturb, to pollute this powerful Gospel message of the righteousness of Christ being imputed to the believer. Perhaps his greatest ploy is is a back door attack that goes something like this: Hell is something that I have earned and deserved myself, because I have messed up, I'm a sinner. Hell is a consequence because I have definitively, if not also deliberately, seperated myself from God.
Partially true. But unless we realize that hell is the direct, imposed judgement by a just God for sin, because of breaking God's law, the truth and beauty of justification by grace (as a gift, because of the merits of Jesus Christ) through faith is lost. In fact, would we even need it?
In other words, if hell is no longer the direct judgement of God in His courtroom but something that we alone bring on ourselves because of our sin ... does the blessing of heaven also become the result of, the reward of, our life and character. Does justification then refer to the the changing, the reclaiming, the transformation of my character through which I become righteous ... rather than to the judicial pronouncement by God in His court room. If hell is only the result of the deteriorization of my character, is heaven then the result of the improvement of my character?
What hellish lies have here been spawned ... if that is true!
The clear teaching of the Holy Scriptures, however, is that damnation and hell is the judgement, the just declaration, of God against sin. Conversely, the only way a just, but loving, God can save the sinner is by His just declaration of "not guilty" in the heavenly court room. And that declaration of "not guilty" is possible ONLY because the righteousness of Christ, brought about through Jesus' perfect life, and His innocent suffering, and death, has been imputed, given as a gift to the sinner, credited to his account, through faith. And even that faith is a gift from God. (Eph2.8-9)
What great grace and awesome love of God for sinners (for me) ... that He would give His one and only Son -- Jesus Christ, true God and true man -- the only hope for condemned humanity, into death (and Christ died for everyone) ... because the wages of sin is death (Rom6.23). Why? S0 that that "God might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Rom3.26)
Surely because of my fallen, totally corrupt, nature, I deserve hell, I earn hell, because even my best efforts are tainted with sin. (Isaiah 64:6: All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.) "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4)
Bottom Line: I am so thankful to God for His demonstrated love in Jesus for the world and for me. I am so thankful to God for His incredible plan of salvation which He accomplished in and through Jesus Christ. I am so thankful that I can know I am truly saved ... not because of anything I have done, am doing, or will do ... but SOLEY because of Jesus' blood and righteousness. Now I have certainty, because my salvation is from an awesome, loving God, who has done all for me. Now, I can be at peace ... blessed peace ... even though Satan and my conscience would haunt and attack me. I thank God for His Word, for the clear Gsopel ... and for the faith to receive and believe it.
Bottom Line 2: Can we ever hear or be exposed to and encouraged in this truth of justifcation by grace through faith enough? Can we ever understand, or embrace the beauty, of this clear teaching, this life giving, life freeing truth, of justification by grace through faith? I think not.
So I will look foward to seeing you in worship on Sunday at 8 or 10:45 am ... where together we can pray that Satan's schemes, delusions, and attacks of these life sustaining truths are held at bay ... and we may truly celebrate this Greatest Truth - The Secret to Life ... Jesus, Jesus, only Jesus!
