There is a chapter in the New Testament that I was always scared to try to talk about because it was over my head, even after I had been ordained to the gospel ministry. Even during my 24 years in East Africa, I think I never preached about it there.
But now it has become virtually an obsession with me: Romans 5.
The first part has been easy; the problem is in verses 15-21:
(a) If the Lord’s “free gift is of many offenses unto justification” for “all men,” does that mean that “all men” are going to be saved? Does Paul teach “Universalism”?
(b) No, the fact that justification is a “free gift” to “all men” does not mean that all men have opened their hearts to receive the “free gift.” The latter is our part in salvation: God’s part is in His giving; our part is in our “receiving.”
(c) “Receiving” means making room in our hearts for His “much more abounding grace” (Rom. 5:20; there is no room for anything else! All the world and its worldly pleasures are out, in order to make room for this heavenly grace.
(d) To “receive” means a heart appreciation; a comprehension of the great extent of that “grace” which means that on His cross the Son of God gave Himself to go to hell for us, that is, He did not merely go to sleep for a weekend—He died our second death.
(e) Someone objects: how could that be when He was resurrected the third day; there is no resurrection after the “second death”!
(f) But Jesus committed Himself to the second death; hope did not present to Him His coming forth a conqueror in the resurrection; therefore His commitment equaled the act of dying our second death.
(g) Of course, we cannot duplicate that; but we can appreciate it!
(h) This little message is a call to us to stop, think about it on our knees, and learn to appreciate it.
(i) Now nothing will ever be the same again.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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