April 5, 2015
Hymn 140 - Will your anchor hold in the storms of life
Prayer
This week we will look at another Christian blessing: justification.
Romans 4:1-5
Abraham was a man from the Old Testament. Abraham believed God, and his belief was counted unto him for righteousness. It wasn’t because of his works; because he believed God, he was counted righteous. We know that “there is none righteous, no not one”; we are all sinners. But there is a way to be righteous, not just forgiven. A person can be justified by believing. This is faith, not works.
Abraham’s faith was counted to give him something: righteousness. Last time we talked about forgiveness, and how it took away our sin. They are remembered no more. This time, we are given something. We, the children of God, are given righteousness, and are made righteous. We are now fit for God’s presence. In an airport, you can’t get on the airplane if you have weapons or other contraband items; you also can’t get on if you don’t have a ticket. This is a good example of salvation: we have our sins taken away (forgiveness) and righteousness given to us (justification).
I heard a story of a couple who purchased a new truck; the salesman told them when it would be ready to pick up. He wouldn’t be there, but told them that another salesman would help them. The day came: the other salesman helped them get the truck, and they were very pleased with it. Shortly after, they came out of a store and found their truck surrounded by the police. They were quickly wrestled to the ground and handcuffed. The officers claimed that the truck was stolen, but the couple showed them the papers to prove that they were the rightful owners. The officers called the dealer and found out that the couple had been given the wrong truck! In a situation like this, would you expect the officers to tell the couple, “You’re forgiven”? If they did, the couple might protest, “We didn’t do anything wrong!” Instead, you could say the couple was justified: they were accounted righteous. It has been said that “justified” means “just as if I’d never sinned.” We can be accounted righteous by Christ’s work.
Romans 3:21-24
Those who believe have the righteousness of God by faith. We are justified by His grace.
Romans 5:1 & 9
This verses say we are justified by faith, and justified by His blood. We are justified by grace, faith, and His blood. It is God’s grace, your faith, and the blood of Jesus. This qualifies me to be in heaven. This is a Christian blessing. I did sin, but I’m accounted righteous. I am justified.
Acts 27:9-26
Last week we mentioned that Paul’s shipwreck story can parallel the letters to the seven assemblies in Revelation. Those seven periods are a road map for us. We need to stay on track!
We can learn either ecclesiastical or personal lessons from this chapter, but either way, it’s good to listen. Paul told the centurion that it wasn’t a good time to be setting out on a voyage, and warned that there would be loss of life and goods. Julius didn’t listen, though. Instead, he listened to the wisdom of the captain (the world). The captain thought that a different harbour would be better to winter in. We need to be careful when we combine human thought with the word of God. Sometimes human thought is good, but not always. Watch out!
The south wind started to blow softly, and the sailors sailed with it, only to have it turn into the tempestuous Euroclydon. The sailors tried to use helps to under-gird the ship; but, besides that, they eventually needed to drop the sails and let the wind drive them. We can be driven about by life’s circumstances, but it’s better to have the Lord’s mind in decisions. Proverbs tells us that there is a way that seems right to to a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death.
Finally, the sailors need to lighten the ship, and began throwing things overboard. You don’t want this to happen in your life! These men threw out valuable possessions, and finally lost all hope.
It was then that the sailors started to listen to Paul. He became the captain. They were at wit’s end corner; and that’s when we usually remember to pray. Though no one listened to Paul at the beginning, he didn’t lose hope. He told everyone that all lives would be saved; and life was their most precious possession at that point. This wasn’t the power of positive thinking, this was the power of positive praying. We are really in God’s hands, and belong to Him. He has a purpose for us. Paul believed God, which was a contrast to Julius, the centurion, in verse 11. This chapter is an encouragement for when our lives bring situations that only God can get us out of.
Paul knew that he was in God’s will, and that he would make it to Rome. Things turned around, and the prisoner became the commander. When times get tough we need to remember the “fear not”, the “be of good cheer”, and the “I believe God”. God gave Paul the right word at the right time. It’s a picture of Philippi, a testimony in the darkness.
Hymn 293 – A little ship was on the sea
Prayer