January 16, 2024 -- Romans 3:22b-25a -- Are You Bent Out of Shape?

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For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
Romans 3:22b-25a

Yesterday I was listening to a talk given by Martyn Iles. Iles is the Chief Ministry Officer of Answers in Genesis, U.S.A. Iles noted: “The day I learned I was a sinner going to hell was the best day of my life. Because then I knew where to go, where to look, where to find the Truth” (YouTube “What God’s Kingdom ACTUALLY Looks Like in Today’s World). Seems like a shocking statement, doesn’t it? Iles is making the point which Paul made almost 2000 years ago. Unless a man knows he is a sinner, violating the very purpose for which God made him, he will be rushing head-long to hell with no idea of his destination.

How many of you have bent butter knives in your drawer? You needed a screwdriver, to tighten the screw holding a loose knob in the kitchen and you were too lazy to go all the way to the garage to get the screwdriver, so you used a butter knife. It did the job. But the butter knife now has a slight bend in it. You can tell it did the job, but not well. That is not what it was designed to do, and it can’t handle the required tension.

My friends, we were designed to show off the glory of God. Sin has twisted us so that we do not walk in the glory God intends for us. When a man knows he is a sinner, like a bent butter knife in the kitchen drawer, and he confesses his sin—he is trying to do things we was not made to do—then God’s gavel goes down. “Not guilty” is the verdict God the Father proclaims, as He accepts the righteousness of Jesus in the place of the man’s former sinfulness. Propitiation means that the anger of God against our sins has been turned away, from us to Jesus. While Jesus was on the cross, He bore the full-on anger of God against all our sins. Every.single.one.of.them.

Now, we accomplish the task for which we were created—we bring glory to God. Like a butter knife smoothly going through room-temperature butter, our lives accomplish the task for which we were created. It is natural for us to give glory to God. It is what we do because we are doing the very task for which we were made.

Sometimes the knife spreads butter over hot toast—the butter smears, gets liquidy (is that even a word?) and drippy. Messy work. But the knife is accomplishing the task for which it was made. The results are not up to the knife. In the same way, we are in the hand of God, and He directs us to His purposes so that all our lives bring Him honour, and glory, and praise. If we are out of step with this glory-design of God, our whole lives are bent, twisted out of shape, because we are not doing what we are made to do. Perhaps this might be the best day of your life? If you realize you are a sinner, then you also know where to go, to look for help, to find the Truth.

Ah, gracious Father, with the psalmist we cry out
“^Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Thank You for the new life You have given us in Christ. Thank You for the re-purposing You have accomplished in those who are in Christ by which You have given us the glory You intended for us. By the powerful working of Your Spirit help us to shine glory and honour to You. Merciful Father, for our friends, our neighbours, our family members who don’t yet know You, or who have wandered away, give us opportunities to speak. Let our lives makes them curious so that they want the gift of redemption which You have so wondrously, so freely given us. Amen.
^Psalm 32:1-2a

https://youtu.be/HEV_Lj8ITX0?si=WdpT8Wj_NacNAGC- “How Blest Is He Whose Trespass”
 

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