Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
A college professor friend gave me a helpful illustration of how Jesus treats us all by virtue of His sacrifice on His cross. You remember, Jesus said in John 12:47, "I came not to judge [that is, condemn] the world, but to save the world." And Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:19, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." And you remember how Isaiah 53:6 says, "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." And Romans 5:16-18 reminds us that God has given "all men" not only a grace that abounds much more than sin abounds, but that grace has also given "all men" a gift, that is justification.
My friend explained his illustration: "In my classes, I have good students and also some not so good ones. But I pronounce no judgment on their performance until the final test is taken. Then some students pass while others fail. Up to that moment they are all treated as potential successes. I use this as an illustration of how God treats us 'in Christ.' HE TREATS US ALL AS RIGHTEOUS. The separation between the goats and the sheep will come only in the judgment. Then some will be found to be 'tares,' while others will have been 'wheat.'"
I thank my friend for a precious insight into the grace of Christ. One widely read author says that God has encircled the world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air we breathe (Steps to Christ, p. 68).
Are you a sinner? Have you carried a burden of guilt? Do you feel that God does not accept you? Remember the words of Jesus: "He that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). Because of Christ's sacrifice, He treats you today as though you were righteous; He accepts you "in Christ"; He has laid your iniquity on Him, imputing your sins to Him. When He said of Jesus at the Jordan, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17), He was putting His divine arms around YOU also! Now let your life today sing a song of praise for that great salvation.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: August 20, 1998.
Copyright © 2013 by "Dial Daily Bread."
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