If this is in any sense repetition, let me say that the Good News in Romans Five is so very GOOD that it deserves repetition a thousand times:
"God's act of grace is all out of proportion to Adam's wrongdoing. For if the wrongdoing of that one man brought death upon so many [everybody!], its effect is vastly exceeded by the grace of God and the gift that came to so many [that is, everybody!] by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ.
"And again, the gift of God is not to be compared in its effect with that one man's sin; for the judicial action, following upon the one offence, resulted in a verdict of condemnation [on everybody!], but the act of grace, following on so many misdeeds [all of ours!], resulted in a verdict of acquittal" (Rom. 5:15, 16, REB).
It takes your breath away when you begin to realize what it says! The Samaritans were right when they confessed that Jesus Christ is "the Saviour of the world" (John 4:42).
(a) That means that Jesus Christ already is YOUR Saviour!
(b) It means that you stand before the Father as though you were sinless.
(c) It means that the Father is free to treat every sinful human being as though he had never sinned!
(d) It means that Christ has opened the gates of the New Jerusalem so that "whosoever will" may enter (read Rev. 22:17): "Come!" say the Spirit and the bride.
(e) "'Come!" Let each hearer reply.
(f) "'Let the thirsty come; let whoever wishes accept the water of life as a gift'" (Rev. 22:17).
Not as a reward to be earned; not as something gained by living a good life; you must be humble enough to receive that eternal life as a free gift of His much more abounding grace.
(g) It does not mean that He will force anyone to live in the New Jerusalem against his personal will; everybody who will live there will be praising the Lamb of God all the time for they know that their salvation is totally due to His much more abounding grace.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
