Gospel Thoughts 3

The Holy Bible (AV1611) is indeed the words of life. Trust and act on God's words, this is Faith. Christ's atoning work on my behalf is my only Hope of eternal life. The world is now groping in darkness, it is incurably religious, attempting to deal with its guilt by religious ceremonies, and to deal with the intuitive sense of their sinfulness with superstition.  The Gospel of Christ is the only Remedy for your guilt and sinfulness.  There is forgiveness for your sins only in the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Right now, Jesus is my eternal defense Attorney.  Jesus will stand by me at the Judgment, and defend my case before God. Jesus knows all about my life and guilty record, but He still cares deeply about my future, and His legal services are absolutely free, but only to the guilty.  Jesus makes intercession on my behalf in Heaven now.  Satan is my accuser before God, and I have given the devil plenty of ammunition against me. I was in deeper trouble than I could ever imagine, but I trusted to Jesus Christ the Righteous as my Attorney. Jesus knows the Judge of all the Earth intimately and has continual access to His chambers.

My sins are all offensive, blasphemous, cruel, insensitive, wicked and self-centered.  I am guilty, but for Jesus' sake I am forgiven.  Jesus Himself is the Propitiation (satisfaction) for my sins.  He has satisfied the divine wrath of a holy God against me on my behalf.  I am guilty, but Jesus paid the penalty; I deserved to die eternally, but Jesus died for my sins, and now my past criminal record is cleared forever before God. I have broken God's Law, but I have trusted to Jesus' blood as my Defense, and now God sees me through Immanuel's Atoning Sacrifice.  Jesus is the one who paid the sentence of eternal death that was coming to me.  Jesus exchanged places with me.  Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, including mine.  Jesus' blood is unlimited, but it is also limited to those who accept His free pardon of sin.

No one can come to the Father and find satisfaction from the penalty due to sin except through the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.  There's only one plan of Salvation for sinners, there is only one Defense Attorney for the guilty, there is none other name under heaven whereby I must be saved, there is only one Savior who can satisfy the claims of the broken divine Law and the record of my sin that is against me.  There is only one person who stands between me and Hell, and that is Jesus Christ the Righteous Advocate, the Incarnate God who died for sinners.  Religious do-gooders wind up in Hell.

Jesus my heavenly Defense Attorney has never lost a case yet, and He will not lose mine.  Every time you look at yourself, take ten looks at the Crucified and Risen Savior. My sinful soul is counted free before God, because Jesus loved me and gave Himself for me.  God is now just and the Justifier of the ungodly, for God looks on Jesus' wounds, and then pardons me freely only for Jesus' sake.  Jesus paid it all. Jesus' forgiveness has no limits.  He will not lose my case.  He will never leave me, nor forsake me. He won't go back on His word. Jesus will never tire of covering for my sins, I have permanent coverage through His Precious Blood for my transgressions, He will never drop my coverage like some car insurance company, no matter how many claims or crimes I have piled up.  I have simply trusted to Jesus, and now I am safe forever.

Human nature says, "Lighten up, loosen up, live a little."  But Grace says, "Steer clear of sin and avoid sinning against a forgiving Savior."  Don't let your life be directed toward sin, but daily follow after and love the Savior God.  A slave obeys out of fear of being punished, an employee obeys because he has to for his paycheck, but a friend obeys out of love because he wants to.  A Christian can avoid sinning against God, because he has the Holy Ghost within him to help him to do right.  After we are born again, we must learn daily the habit of obeying Christ's commands, and to stop obeying the old man, the flesh, that is, our sinful inclinations and desires.