(Part 1/3 – A summary of the Sunday morning teaching on 08-Nov-15, in AFT Church, English service. From the series The Foundation For Victorious Living)
We have been learning about the different revelations of God’s love. Last week, we learnt about the dimensions of God’s love. Today, let’s study the Word to understand yet another aspect of this love of God.
Right from the first page of the Bible we see this love etched deep. The first clue is at the Creation story. God created a special garden stocked with every imaginable and beautiful thing that man would ever need! Interestingly, this love didn’t run out when man disobeyed and sinned against God. It has patiently and graciously been flowing ever since that fateful day!
We need to only look around us to see proof of that unfailing love. The shining sun, the changing seasons and rhythmic patterns of sowing and reaping – they all point to a God who continues to love us.
In the midst of all this, God chose a man named Abraham from a community of people who knew nothing about Him. God blessed him and his descendants abundantly. Then, many centuries later, we see the ultimate proof of God’s love for mankind – Jesus Christ! He lived, died and rose again displaying the love of the Father God!
THE ULTIMATE PROOF
Let’s try to refresh our understanding of this love once again.
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26
If we notice carefully, we will find the word righteousness appears constantly.
What is righteousness?
It means standing before God without any guilt or condemnation. Well, by that simple definition alone, all of mankind will be eliminated at one blow. We are all fallen sinners.
Yes!
Every. Single. One. Of. Us.
Now, if we think that the Law of Moses gives us any standing, we are mistaken. Because by giving the law, God proved that we could not keep or obey it!
So, the only way we have any semblance of standing is through the righteousness of Jesus Christ, through the living sacrifice of the Beloved Son of God.
DARKNESS TO LIGHT
That raises another interesting point. How does God actually take an ungodly sinner and justify him? Or how is this righteousness reconciled to God’s standards? Essentially, there are three probable scenarios. Let’s examine them one by one.
1) JUSTICE BUT NO MERCY
We know that God is not only a God of love, but also of justice and righteousness. Therefore, if only His standard of justice was employed with no touch of mercy then we would all die!
…to be continued…
