In what truth does faith rest?

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

“And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

It is true that we are “justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28); and that is at the very heart of the Reformation, over against the false doctrine being taught that one is justified by faith and his own works.

Therefore, we do not place our faith in our own works under God’s law, for “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight” (Rom. 3:20; cf. Eph. 2:8-10). But in what does our faith rest? In what truth do we trust, enabling us to live in the confidence that God the Father accepts us as His own dear children and will not condemn us to eternal suffering in hell along with the devil and the evil angels but will receive us to Himself in heaven (cf. Matt. 25:41)?

We trust in the reconciliation accomplished by Christ Jesus, for “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” Our faith rests in the completed work of Christ Jesus, God’s own dear Son who came into this world a true man, born of the virgin Mary, and then fulfilled all God’s commandments in our stead and suffered and died upon the cross to pay in full for the sins of all the world - for your sins, for my sins and for the sins of all people of all time (cf. 2 John 2:1-2; Rom. 3:23-26; Eph. 1:3ff.).

The Gospel message which was proclaimed to us and the Gospel message we proclaim to all the world is “that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” Jesus paid in full for the sins of all the world and God, as a result, no longer holds our sins against us. He forgives us and accepts us and reaches out to us with open arms, ready to receive us!

When we preach the Gospel, we proclaim the message that God’s wrath against sin is satisfied. He is reconciled unto us and all the world for Jesus’ sake. In faith, we take hold of and receive God’s pardon and forgiveness. And, we proclaim that same pardon and forgiveness to the world that they too might believe God is reconciled unto them, forgives and accepts them. We call upon them to believe and so be reconciled also in their own hearts unto the LORD God who is reconciled unto them through the shed blood of Christ Jesus.

We praise You, O God, that You gave Your Son to die for all that we might be “Redeemed, restored, forgiven, through Jesus’ precious blood … [and] heirs of His home in heaven.” Keep us trusting in the fi nished work of Christ Jesus and move us to proclaim the reconciliation accomplished by Him to a lost and dying world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

News, Pages 2 on 10/30/2013