THE SOLUTION

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26

What God did for us in Jesus’ death and resurrection defies our imagination! By making His son the Christ and enthroning him at His right hand, God secured the salvation of every person in Christ. God declared to Abraham what He would do through Abraham’s descendants, and He did it! We are saved because God sent Jesus to be the Christ.

God did for us what we could never do for ourselves! He provided us a salvation that is founded on Who He is, not what we are. He is absolutely just and righteous; we are sinners. All humans need God’s solution because all humans are sinners!

God founded our salvation on His character, not on our failure. He gave us Jesus the promised Messiah. He gave us Jesus’ atoning blood. The righteous God sacrificed His son that we might be saved from our sins.

In the one act of Jesus’ death God provided us salvation and proved He was just. For a human to accept this God-given salvation does not begin with some colossal acts to prove the person’s worthiness. There are no initiation rites! Salvation begins with confidence in what God did in Jesus. We trust the fact that God loves us enough to give us redemption and grace in Jesus Christ. We trust that God justifies the individual in Jesus Christ.

It is confidence in what God did in Jesus’ death that moves us to repent. It is trusting the gift of Jesus’ blood that produces our baptism. We understand that in Jesus’ crucifixion, God accepts Jesus’ innocence for our guiltiness as sinners. We are saved through Jesus’ atoning blood. We anticipate resurrection because Jesus was resurrected.

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:21-24

“Thank You, God, for all You did and continue to do for us in Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ exists to be our Lord and to defeat Your enemies. We exist to serve You. Lead us! Help us be Your people as we serve Your purposes and live by Your values.”

David Chadwell

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Bulletin Article, 1 January 2009
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