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Monthly Archives: December 2020

A Promise to the Nations

30 Dec
A Promise to the Nations

In my last post we saw that Abraham is our father in the faith.  His blessing is passed down to us because of the work of Christ on the cross.  We receive this promise by the same faith that brings our righteousness.

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham.  He is the father of us all.  As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”  He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

Romans 4:16-17

This is a beautiful portion of Scripture.  Because of his faith, God sees Abraham as the father of all those who walked this path after him.  If I walk in that same faith towards the Lord, I become a part of Abraham’s family.

God said that He would make Abraham the father of many nations.  I believe that God was not only talking about his life in the physical.

As it was, three different Middle Eastern nations came from his line.  They were the Israelites, Ishmaelites, and the Edomites.  In my way of thinking, if God promises many nations, than it would mean more than just three.

On the contrary, there are many nations that have become his children.  He is now the father of the faithful Americans, Italians, Jamaicans, Koreans, Navahos, Russians, and any other national group you can think of.

I personally praise God for this.  I wasn’t born into the physical family of Abraham.  But, by trusting Christ to save me, I have been adopted into his lineage with all the promises and blessings that accompany it.

The last line of this passage gives two descriptions of the God we serve.  The first is that this is the God who gives life to the dead.  This literally means that He can take a corpse and make it alive.

You may think that everything around you is dead.  Your dreams, desires, and hopes may have slowly died off because of circumstances beyond your control.  But the God we serve is well able to bring them to life again.

This verse also says that the Lord is the God who calls things that are not as though they were.  This is a calling out of creative power.

Unfortunately, many times we get it backwards.  It does not say that He calls things that are as though they were not.  That’s denial.  Scripture never tells us to deny that our problems exist.

It’s absolutely proper for me to admit that I’m sick.  In the same breath I can also declare that Christ is my Healer.

We don’t deny what’s happening.  If I was never sick, how could Jesus Christ get the glory for my healing?

Because of faith, we’re the children of Abraham.  We inherit the same blessing that was given to him.  We need to start living up to it and walking in it.

It’s this promise and blessing that will cause the world to look at us differently.  They’ll want what we have.  Then, they’ll be attracted to Jesus Christ by our testimony.

Question: How would walking in this blessing change the way others view us?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 30, 2020 in Faith, Healing, Sonship, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Promise

28 Dec
The Promise

In our journey through the book of Romans, we’ve been seeing that we can’t work for righteousness.  It can only come as we put our faith in Christ.

Paul uses the life of Abraham as an example to us.  He is aptly called the father of our faith.  Now Paul brings us another step further along this path.

It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

Romans 4:13

The apostle now uses a new word.  This is the first time, in the book of Romans, that Paul mentions the promise.

This is an important word.  It literally means an announcement.  However, a promise from God is not like a promise we’re used to receiving.

For us, a promise is based upon mistrust.  You don’t believe me so I try to gain your trust by saying, “I promise.”

God, on the other hand, makes an announcement of His intentions (We call it a “promise”).  It is absolute truth.  It’s now up to you whether you believe His Word or not.

The good news is that now, all of God’s promises are fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:29

Because of His work on the cross, Christ has fulfilled the requirements for the promises.  This teaching is carried on throughout the New Testament.  It’s not just a verse pulled out of context, but a scriptural theme that has been all but ignored by the church.

Paul continues with this thought.

For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath.  And where there is no law there is no transgression.

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring – not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham.  He is the father of us all.

Romans 4:14-16

This is a foundational passage in our knowledge of how the promises are obtained in Christ.  The blessing is received, not by my working to do the requirements, but by faith in the One who has already fulfilled them.

This truth is not only given to us by Paul, but also by Peter as well.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

2 Peter 1:3-4

The phrase, through these, obviously refers to the glory and goodness of God, not our works of righteousness.  According to this verse, the reason God blesses us is so that we might actually be participants, sharers, in His divine nature.  You will not find the call for us to fulfill the requirements of the promises anywhere in the New Covenant.

If that’s true, then what are the promises for?  We can look at it this way; each promise has two halves.  There are the requirements and the blessing.

According to the New Testament, Jesus came to fulfill the requirements of the promises.  Because of His finished work on the cross, we receive the blessing of the promise because we’re in Him.

Question: Why is it so hard for us to accept that Christ has finished this work on the cross?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 28, 2020 in Faith, God's Provision, Sonship, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Christmas Birth

25 Dec
The Christmas Birth

Today is Christmas, so I decided to post some thoughts about the day.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18

This verse tells us that this is how, or literally, this is the manner in which it happened.  There’s a pattern that the Lord uses in bringing about His will.  It’s important that we see it.

First, there was an unexpected pregnancy.  This is interesting.  The pregnancy wasn’t expected.  Yet the Messiah was foretold hundreds of years before.

Just like today. God promises things, and then we forget it…or write it off.  Israel was captured and conquered many times.  Would the fulfillment ever take place?

And yet, in the fullness of time…Mary was found to be with child.

There is a supernatural announcement.  Angels appeared to both Mary and Joseph on separate occasions.

God usually doesn’t do things in the dark.  He always announces His plans.  That’s why we need to be a people who not only pray – but listen.

When the birth was imminent, it was announced to shepherds and wise men.

Then it came to pass.  What God promises, will happen.  Even though we don’t always know the how or why.

Finally, when Christ was born, there was a reception of joy.  “Joy to the world…”  He who is born must be received and with that receiving comes great joy.

God wants to do the same in us right now.

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…

Galatians 4:19

God’s work in us is a birthing process.  There’s a promise.  But then – an unexpected pregnancy.

I wonder sometimes; with all the prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament, did they think He would just appear out of thin air?

There are many great and precious promises God has for us.  We think the same thing sometimes…that they’ll just happen.  No, there’s a process.

It involves birth pangs.  There’s breathing, pushing, work, and sweat.  They come in waves, right up until the time they’re birthed in or through us.

When you think about Christ being born in a manger…think about the same process for His will being born in us.  Wait patiently for the fullness of time – then the rejoicing.

Have a very blessed Christmas as you celebrate what Christ has done!

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 25, 2020 in Encouragement, Faith, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Signs of Christ

23 Dec
The Signs of Christ

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.  At this time of year our thoughts turn to the Child born in a stable in Bethlehem.

This is the day everything changed.  Christ was born.  God made flesh.

And yet, many people miss the significance of the events that occurred that day.  Sometimes the smallest detail can make a world of difference.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:8-12

At night in Bethlehem, everyone was asleep in their beds.  Well, not everyone.  There was a group of people who couldn’t sleep.  They had a job to accomplish.  They were shepherds watching over a flock of sheep.

Suddenly the unexpected occurred.  They had a supernatural encounter.  An angel showed up with an important message for them.  The Christ was born.

But more than that – there was a sign.  That means there was a special thing they were to look for to prove they were in the right place.  A baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.

This sign to the shepherds was more than just proof for them.  It was a sign of things to come.  This baby was placed in a manger – not a crib or cradle.  A manger is a fancy way of saying a feeding trough for livestock.  It’s a place for animal food, not babies.

Yet this was the “Bread of Heaven” who came down to give us life.  So for Christ, this was an appropriate resting place for Him.  The Bread of Life lying in a feeding trough.

The strips of cloth were another sign. It wasn’t the normal kind of baby clothes of that day.  Strips of cloth were used to clothe the dead, not the living.  This baby was dressed as a corpse.  Again – it was a sign of things to come.

Here was the Lamb of God.  He has come to take our place on the cross.  Even as a baby, His calling was revealed.  Death, burial, resurrection and ascension – all for our sakes.

On this great day, amid all the activities and excitement you may find around you, don’t lose sight of the signs.  This child we celebrate is no longer a baby.  He is King of kings and Lord of lords.  He is our Life and Light.  This season is all about Him.

Have a Blessed and Wondrous Christmas Eve!

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 23, 2020 in Encouragement, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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Follow the Footsteps of Faith

21 Dec
Follow the Footsteps of Faith

In my last post, I talked about receiving God’s righteousness by faith and then walking it out as a sign of a changed life.  That’s an important concept for us to understand.  So many believers try to serve God by their own good works.

Hopefully, by this point in the book of Romans, you know the fallacy of this kind of spiritual journey.  We must trust the Lord to impart His righteousness to us.

But there’s another problem many face on the other side of the road.  They trust God to make them righteous, but then they begin to struggle to make themselves better.  We have to realize that faith is not a one-time thing.  It’s a way of living.

I want to take us back to the verse we left off with in my last post.

And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Romans 4:12

We need to really follow the example of Abraham.  His life is a pattern for how we should serve God even in our generation.

The word, footsteps, in this passage actually means a path that was created by many people walking the same way over time.

Abraham wasn’t the only one to ever walk this way before God.  Over and over again there were men and women who followed the same path of faith that Abraham used.

God is not a respecter of persons.  He doesn’t ask everybody to do something different.  He requires the same from all of us – faith.  We must learn to trust God in all things, just like Abraham had to.  Each new generation of believers can see where others have walked before.

Sure, the technology changes.  We use new words and have new concerns to deal with.  But our God doesn’t change.

The same God, who took care of Abraham in the wilderness, is the God who will see us through the challenges of the times we live in.  Only He knows the end from the beginning and can safely take us through to an abundant life.

Think about it!  This path of faith that we’re walking is the same path that Abraham trod thousands of years ago.  Over time, with each new believer adding their steps, the path has become clearer and clearer.  It led them to see the glory of God and it will take us to the same location.

It’s very unfortunate that so many believers don’t look at the path in that way.  They think it’s too narrow and constrictive.  They want to see more than just the view from this trail.

We must keep reminding ourselves that this path is the one that can truly lead us to the abundant life.  If it brought Abraham there, then with God’s help, I can reach that destination as well.

By exercising my faith towards the Lord, I can see lasting change in my life.  It may not come about as quickly as I would like, but it’s there none the less.

As I said previously, faith is not a one-time thing.  It is a continual walk of trust in God’s ability to bring you to that place of maturity and victory in Him.  We just need to keep holding on to His Word.

Question: What changes are you trusting God for right now?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 21, 2020 in Faith, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Which Came First?

18 Dec
Which Came First?

As we continue to look at the book of Romans, Paul asks another important question about the righteousness God imparts to us by faith.  He has already pointed out how blessed we are to receive it.

Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?  We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:9

The apostle asks us who, exactly, is blessed by this righteousness.  He’s been using Abraham as an example for us.  But, what was it about Abraham that put him in a position to receive this righteousness?

Was it because he followed all the religious rules that he’d been given?

Under what circumstances was it credited?  Was it after he was circumcised, or before?  It was not after, but before!

Romans 4:10

Paul answers the question for us.  God credited Abraham with righteousness before he ever started following any religious observances.  All he needed to do was believe that God’s Word was truth.

That’s good news.  There’s no indication that Abraham had to continually try harder and harder until he was finally good enough to please God.  He was declared righteous in his uncircumcised condition.

If that’s the case, then why are there so many religious things that people do?  Is there a place for them?  Or are all religious observances to be done away with?

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.  So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.  And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Romans 4:11-12

Here Paul explains the place of religious observances.  They come after faith has been given and righteousness is received.

According to Paul, circumcision – the religious act is a sign.  This means that the outward observance is an indication of the change that took place on the inside.

What we do on the outside, is a seal of the righteousness received by faith.  A seal is the official stamp that confirms the genuineness of the item in question.

If I really believe that God’s Word is truth, then it will show up in my actions.  I don’t live right to obtain God’s blessing.  I live right because I’ve already received it.

There are many so called “religious” things that Christians do.  What we need to realize is that we don’t do them to get God to accept us.  These observances only serve to support the fact that we are accepted already by faith in Jesus Christ.

Don’t get it backwards.  That only brings frustration, guilt, and condemnation.  Come to the Lord in faith, trusting Him for His righteousness.

Then allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen you to walk in obedience to God’s Word.  That will be the outward sign of the inner transformation that’s taken place within you.

Question: How do you yield to the Holy Spirit’s life-changing work?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 18, 2020 in Faith, Legalism, Spiritual Walk

 

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Gifts and Wages

16 Dec
Gifts and Wages

We’re continuing our walk through the book of Romans.  Paul is using Abraham as an example of the faith that brings righteousness.

Paul explains…

Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.  However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Romans 4:4-5

This is something that we need to come to grips with as believers.  We need to understand the difference between wages and gifts.

As Paul says, wages are obligations.  I do some sort of work and the person I do it for is obligated to pay me.  It’s a very simple concept.

However, the blessings of God, righteousness included, are not wages.  They’re gifts of God’s grace.

Wages are earned.  Before I even start, I know exactly how many hours I need to work to make $1000.  Then, if they don’t pay me, I can take legal action and demand my wages.

This is something that was very hard for me to learn.  I remember an incident that happened very early in my marriage.  I’ll try to shorten the story.

After we had been married a few years, the Lord called my wife and I to move from Boston, the area we grew up in, to Baltimore.  There was a ministry there that the Lord was using to train us.

While living down there, we experienced some financial hardships.  At one point, both our cars had broken down and we had no money to fix them.  We had to borrow a car that was not ours, just to get to work each day.

One Sunday, during that time, someone got up at church to give a praise report.  He explained how he had just learned about tithing a few weeks ago.  He then started to tithe 10% each week.

Since then, a few weeks, he had been amazingly blessed.  Someone gave him a car (he already had two).  Someone else decided to give him a huge sum of money.  He exclaimed, “See what tithing does.  Now I’m Faith Man!!”

You have to understand my thought process listening to him.  My parents had taught me to tithe when I was a teenager.  I had been tithing faithfully for my entire life since then.

When you look at the blessings of God as wages, life can get very frustrating.  I got mad at God.  “What gives?  He’s only been tithing a few weeks.  Where’s my blessing?”

I’ve since learned the mature view of God’s New Covenant grace.  The blessings of God are based upon a combination of faith, obedience, and the lessons God is currently teaching me.

Once we understand that the Lord purchased these gifts on the cross, it’s easier to receive them.  I don’t get mad and frustrated looking at what others are doing and receiving.  I can actually rejoice when other people are blessed, even if I need the same thing they just received.

David understood it.

David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

Romans 4:6-8

Righteousness is simply one of the many gifts that God has for His children.  I can’t work for it or earn it.  So, don’t frustrate yourself trying to be good enough.  Let the Holy Spirit do His work in you.

Question: How have you been frustrated trying to earn God’s gifts?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 16, 2020 in Encouragement, Faith, Legalism, Spiritual Walk

 

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Abraham’s Example

14 Dec
Abraham’s Example

We’re continuing to go through Paul’s letter to the Roman church.  He’s laid a foundation by explaining the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus Christ.  He now gives us an example of how this works.

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?  If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about — but not before God.

Romans 4:1-2

Paul brings us back to the start of a legacy of faith.  Even though people like Noah believed and obeyed God, Abraham was considered the father of God’s family on earth.

It seems clear that Abraham was the first to trust God and walk that faith out in a way to bring others along with him.  In that sense you could say that Abraham discovered the faith-walk.  Each new day seemed to bring him a new discovery about walking with God as a friend.

So, in his walk with the Lord, how was Abraham justified before God?  Was it because he worked hard at being good?  Not according to Scripture.

He did have some incredible works.  By faith, he left his ancestral home.  He even offered up his firstborn son.  But, even in all of that, he would have only been able to boast about it to other human beings.  God would not have been impressed.

What was it about Abraham that got God’s attention?

What does the Scripture say?  “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Romans 4:3

To explain it, Paul quotes a verse from Genesis 15:6.  This should be the foundation for all that we understand about walking with the Lord.  Everything else is further along the path.

In Genesis, the Hebrew word used for credited means to think about or regard.  Immediately, when Abraham decided to trust what God spoke to him, God regarded that as righteousness.  That happened even before Abraham did anything to walk in it.

I like the way Paul translates that word (credited) for us in the Greek.  He uses a word that means to estimate or take an inventory.

I see it like this.  When we have faith, it’s directed towards God.  So Abraham sent his faith off in God’s direction.  When He received it, God listed it, in Abraham’s heavenly inventory, as righteousness.

This is an awesome truth.  When we have faith towards the Lord, He takes it and converts it into righteousness which He then places in our account.

Too many believers spend their lives trying very hard to purchase righteousness to send to God.  The unfortunate thing is that God will never accept that kind of righteousness.  We’re only spinning our wheels trying to please God in that way.

The only righteousness that God accepts is that which is found in Him.  The only way to purchase this righteousness is to direct our faith toward Jesus Christ.  There’s no other way.

Our good works are only a basis for boasting toward each other.  They hold no attraction with God.  We need the righteousness that can only come by faith.

Don’t spend all of your time chasing a losing cause.  Place your hope fully in the completed work of Christ on the cross.

Question: Why is righteousness by faith the best road to change in your life?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 14, 2020 in Faith, Legalism, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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Prayer and Boasting

11 Dec
Prayer and Boasting

In the book of Romans, Paul talks at length about the righteousness that only comes by faith in Christ.  He takes us now to the next truth that we must understand.

Where, then, is boasting?  It is excluded.  On what principle?  On that of observing the law?  No, but on that of faith.  For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

Romans 3:27-28

Paul asks us some important questions here.  They need to be answered correctly if you’re going to progress in your walk with God.  Fortunately, he gives us the answers so we don’t have to guess.

In this whole discussion of righteousness, he now asks where boasting fits in.  It’s obvious why he does this.  Paul was a Pharisee.  The entire lifestyle of that sect revolved around boasting.

Many of the Pharisees made sure that they were very conspicuous during their times of prayer (Mark 12:40).  On days that they fasted, they looked like they could barely survive (Matthew 6:16).  They always kept the boxes of Scriptures they memorized (phylacteries) on their person to show how much they knew (Matthew 23:5).

Religion is a great supporter of boasting.  We want to compare ourselves with others.  We want to prove to ourselves that we’re doing better than most.  As if that gives us any points with God. (It doesn’t!)

But, the most interesting thing that I found was in the word, boasting itself.  It turns out that the Greek word used actually comes from a word that contains the word, prayer.  This is exactly where many of us get into trouble.

A good example of this is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector found in Luke 18:9-14.  This Pharisee came before God and started out by listing all the “spiritual” things he had done.

This idea brings frustration into our Christian walk.  We sometimes get the wrong impression that when we’re living right (i.e. – reading our Bible, praying, attending church) there’s a better chance that God’s going to hear and answer our prayers.

That’s actually a form of boasting.  Thinking that my good works will somehow impress God enough to make Him answer my prayer.  That’s absolutely not the case.

In actuality it doesn’t matter how religious I am.  None of my good works will improve my standing with the Father.  The key is that by faith, God sees me in Christ.  That’s what truly matters.

Paul goes on to confirm that whether you’re religious or not, it’s that same faith that makes us all acceptable to God.

Is God the God of Jews only?  Is he not the God of Gentiles too?  Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.  Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith?  Not at all!  Rather, we uphold the law.

Romans 3:29-31

That’s something the think about.  It may not sound logical, but it’s the truth of our righteousness in Christ.  If I try and put myself under the law, I’ll never be justified before God.  If, on the other hand, I put my faith totally in Christ, I’m upholding the law of God in His eyes.

Praise God for His wonderful work!

Question: How have you seen the law of faith at work in your life?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 11, 2020 in Legalism, Prayer, Sonship, Spiritual Walk

 

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God’s Self-Restraint

09 Dec
God’s Self-Restraint

As we continue in Paul’s letter to the Roman church, he’s laying out for us the righteousness that only comes through Christ.  It’s something that could never be obtained through our good works.

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.  He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:25-26

This one passage is absolutely jam-packed with truth.  We need to see it in all of its beauty.  It’s a wonderful description of God’s purpose in Christ Jesus.

The first thing Paul says is that God presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement.  Some translations use the word, propitiation.  But just what does that mean to us?

In the Greek language that word literally means the atoning victim that brings satisfaction.  Something was done to displease God.  But a sacrifice was offered to do away with that displeasure.  Jesus Christ was this sacrifice.

It’s interesting to note that this word also had another use.  When the Jews translated the Old Testament into Greek, they used this word to indicate the Mercy Seat.  That was the cover of the Ark of the Covenant.

The Mercy Seat was where the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled each year to atone for the sins of Israel.  That makes Jesus Christ our “Mercy Seat”.  His blood now covers our sin.

The next sentence in the above verse is just as important.  It explains God’s reasoning behind the Lord’s sacrifice.

Paul tells us that God felt the need to demonstrate His justice.  That’s something that many people trip over in their spiritual walk.  It’s the old argument that “If God is good, why did He allow this thing to happen?”  “This thing”, being whatever evil thing the person is using for an example.

The above passage says that God used self-restraint so that He could ignore the sins that are committed.  Understand this – God wants to punish all sin.  However, He restrains Himself from following through with it immediately.

Why would God ever choose to do such a thing?  Paul gives us the reason.  God lets all of our sins go unpunished in the short term, so that He can place them on the perfect Sacrifice; Jesus Christ.

People get upset when they see what they consider to be huge sins.  Things like drug cartels destroying the lives of thousands of people.  They see dictators murdering those who oppose them.  They say that if God is so good, why does He allow this?  These murderers should be immediately judged.

What we don’t understand is that God is perfectly just.  If He judged these evil people immediately, then He would have had to judge me immediately the first time I disobeyed my parents.  Personally, I’m immensely grateful for God’s self-restraint.

God is giving everyone the opportunity to turn to Christ in repentance.  Then, through faith in His blood, allow the atoning work of Christ to give us a “not guilty” verdict.

Even though it was my sin that displeased God, it was the sacrifice of Christ that put me back into right relationship with Him.  What a beautiful picture of Jesus’ work on the cross.

We should be proclaiming this to all who will listen.

Question: How grateful are you for this atoning work of Christ Jesus?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 9, 2020 in Faith, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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