In Christ

Jesus Christ is a great Savior. Consider with me the text in Romans 5:8-10…..Notice here that it is crystal clear that salvation comes through the person of Jesus Christ, and is on the basis of His life and death only.

Romans 5:8-10 – 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. NASB

Here in this text we see three very important points. We are, according to the Bible here…

·        Christ died for us so we are justified by His blood

·        Saved from the wrath of God through Him

·        Reconciled to God through the death of His Son

Now here Paul is discussing the demonstration of the “love of God” and tells us that it is seen in the fact that while we were “sinners, Christ died for us.” Christ did NOT die for good people who were already righteous before God, but rather He died for the “helpless and ungodly” (v-6), and the “sinners” (v-8), who were under “the wrath of God” (v-9), and who were God’s “enemies” (v-10). Moreover, He did “die for us” and because of this we have been “justified by His blood.” That means His death, (the shedding of His blood), brings “justification for us.” And this he says, saves us “from the wrath of God through Him.” Notice we are saved from the wrath of God “through Him.” It is through Jesus, and His death, the shedding of His blood that we are saved. Furthermore, it is from the “wrath of God” that we are saved, yes even from God Himself that we are saved. Make no mistake about it, there is a Heaven to have and a Hell to shun. You need a Savior to save you from the wrath of God, and you need one real bad. The good news of the Gospel is, all you need to do to be saved is believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ! Look at verse 10….It is through this faith in Christ that you can be “reconciled to God.” Yes and amen, we can have our relationship with God restored and we can be at peace with Him, forever. But look again how this comes to us verse 10…. “through the death of His Son.” Make no mistake about it family, it is crystal clear in this passage that salvation, justification and reconciliation all come IN CHRIST ALONE.

And this brings us to our last point, that salvation is by grace, through faith, in Christ…..

Plus Nothing

This is to say that Christ’s life and death are sufficient means to save us. Nothing needs to be added to Jesus life and death to save us from God’s wrath and reconcile us to God. Jesus death on the cross was a sufficient price to cancel the debt of our sin and redeem us from the curse of the Law. As the old hymn says, “it is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me.” The fact that our sins have been canceled by the sacrificial death of Jesus is only half the story. Jesus also lived a perfect life of obedience to the Law which is imputed to us and our righteousness before God. In Theology we call this the active and passive obedience of Christ for believers. In His passive obedience He died in our place for the debt which was due to our sins and paid the redemption price in full. But in His active obedience He lived a perfect life which is now granted to us as our righteousness before God. Look with me at the passage in Romans 5:19.

Romans 5:19 – 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. NASB

Now this passage again makes it crystal clear what our righteousness is before God. In no uncertain terms Paul describes it as “the obedience of the One.” It is through the obedience of Christ that we are declared righteous in the sight of God and right here in Romans 5:19 that is as clear and bright as the noonday sun!

So here is your answer family when you kneel down in your prayer closet to pour out your heart before God and you wonder if it is right between you and Him…..“the obedience of the One.” Or when you stand before God on the great Day of Judgment and God asks why He ought to let you into His glorious Heaven…..“the obedience of the One.” …..Or when that old Devil comes pounding on your door laying some huge guilt trip on your back because your such a sinner and telling you that you have done nothing acceptable to God and asking how God could ever forgive you of the terrible things you have done….God forgives me for “the obedience of the One.”

Here is the answer….

“My faith has found a resting place, From guilt my soul is freed;

I trust the ever-living One, His wounds for me shall plead.

I need no other argument, I need no other plea,

It is enough that Jesus died, And that He died for me.”

Now that is the Christian Gospel and that is the good news!

Jesus is a great savior…..AMEN.