In his epistle to the Romans, Paul speaks at length about justification by faith, the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and the means by which we are saved – by grace through faith. To condense this, Paul was educating the believers that through faith in Jesus, God pronounced or treated us as righteous, so long as they (we) believed, trusted and looked to Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation.
In Romans 1:16 he wrote, “for I am not ashamed of the gospel (the Good News) of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to anyone that believes”. The blood of Christ, the spotless Lamb given as a sacrifice, is the means by which God sought to save us.
Saved by Grace
“For we are saved by grace through faith and not of ourselves, lest anyone should boast”
Ephesians 2:8-9
Salvation is explicitly, purely, completely through Jesus Christ and not due to any action on our part. Our works, regardless of how pious they may seem, can never earn us salvation. Period. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23). Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us [through His shed blood] from the penalty of our sin (Romans 3:24).
Mercy
As descendants of our first parents, Adam & Eve, one thing is certain – we are all sinners. Psalm 51:5 reminds us, ‘Behold I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me”. In spite of this heritage, the epistle to the Romans is a reminder that God is merciful and just because while we are all sinful beings and deserving of His wrath (Romans 6:23; John 3:36) He made provisions for us. In His unconditional love for us and through His character of LOVE, He provided Jesus Christ who is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
“No sin can be committed by man, for which satisfaction has not been met on Calvary”
E.G. White
This sacrifice guaranteed salvation for those who would receive it through faith. By accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, by believing on Him, through faith his righteousness is extended to us. Amazing right? What is more pleasing to know is that this righteousness, is available not for some but for ALL who will receive it.
Jesus Saves
Have you ever thought that something you did was unforgivable? The grossest, most horrific sinful act? Believe me when I say that the blood of Christ covers it. King David was willful, an adulterer and a murderer but he had total confidence that the promised Messiah to Israel would make atonement for his sins. In Psalm 19:14, David spoke of the Lord as His redeemer. The word redeemer means ‘deliverer, rescuer, SAVIOUR’. That is exactly what Jesus is for all of us – our rescuer, our Life-saver.
Romans 5:20 tells us, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound”. There is no sin too great for the grace of God, for the saving power of Jesus’s shed blood. Lest we forget, His blood was shed for SINNERS – He knew the nature of the ones He was giving up Himself for, yet was unmoved and resolute in His goal.
The Blood
We all, from time to time, think that we have committed an offence against God that He will not forgive us for. Guilt and shame causes us to shrink away and run from the grace of God that covers ‘a multitude of sins’. Take this as your reminder – no matter how big or deep-rooted your sin might be, Jesus can handle it and His blood covers it. Adultery – covered. Fornication – covered. Covetousness – covered. Slothfulness, waning faith? Run to Jesus! Whatever the malady may be, He has the cure. The blood of Jesus is the universal cure for every brand of sin.
The next time the thought arises that your sin might be too much for God, I challenge you to turn to the book of Romans for a reminder of how God held nothing back to guarantee you (us) salvation. His grace will always be greater than any sin we may be harbouring.
Pray: Father in heaven, when my guilt and shame threaten to separate me from your grace, remind me that you’ve already made provisions for all sin, both present and future. Help me to believe with confidence that your grace will always be greater than my sin. I thank you for Jesus and His shed blood on Calvary’s cross that gives me direct access to salvation and your unconditional love. Amen.
