This Grace in Which We Stand

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5 ESV)

As those who are born again believers in Jesus Christ, we have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ. And to be justified is to be declared righteous, approved by God, made right with God, and delivered from our slavery (addiction) to sin and the punishment of sin. But this is not a status we wear after we make a confession of Christ as Lord. This requires that we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness.

For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands, in practice, then we have eternal life. For he also said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING God’s will (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

And the faith that it takes to believe in Jesus Christ is not of our own doing, so we don’t get to decide what that faith looks like. It is not of the will nor of the flesh of man. For this faith is authored by Jesus Christ, so it comes from God, it is perfected by Christ, it is gifted to us by God, and it is persuaded of God. And God persuades us as to his righteousness and holiness and of our sinfulness and of our need to turn away from our sins to follow Jesus in obedience, for faith is obedience to God. And this faith is ongoing.

[Ephesians 2:8-10; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 3:4-10]

So, when this says that through Christ we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, please understand that faith is not a one-time deal. It has to be continuous until the end. And faith is proved genuine by what we do, not by lip service only. All throughout the New Testament we are taught that we must walk (in conduct, in practice) not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, if we want to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. For if sin is what we obey, it ends in death.

Also, God’s grace to us trains us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. For Jesus shed his blood for us to buy us back for God out of our slavery to sin so that we will now honor Christ with our bodies (Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

And the reason that we suffer, as Jesus suffered, is because of our walks of faith and obedience to our Lord and to his commands. It is because we have forsaken our sins to follow our Lord wherever he leads us that we are rejected and cast aside and not wanted and hated and mistreated and persecuted. And it isn’t just the people out in the world who will persecute us, but it is many who also profess faith in Jesus Christ but who are still living like the world in ungodliness who will reject us.

And suffering, although painful, is for our good. For suffering, if responded to in the right way, produces endurance and good character and true hope. So if you are not suffering persecution for the sake of your walks of faith, it would be good to inquire of the Lord as to why you are not suffering for his name and for his gospel. And it could be that it is because you are not living that gospel out in your daily life but you are blending in with the world and so the world accepts you as its own. If so, please repent and obey God.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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