KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Saturday, December 09, 2017
Chapters: Romans 5-8
Message: Much More Than Justified
Hello My Friend,
I realized something after all these years of reading the Bible through, if anyone has any questions about their salvation, the answers are all contained in the Book of Romans. Not that I question my salvation, I know my Saviour, but every once in a while the devil pops it in my head, “Did you really get saved?” The devil loves to place doubt in our heads, especially we are facing difficulties. That is when I remind him of the day that God told me to get up because He did not bring me here to die the way I was lying in bed in excruciating pain after having had an allergic reaction to a mixture of diet pills. We are not saved by any good that we do, we are saved by the grace of God through the finished work of the Lord, Jesus Christ, when He gave His sinless life as the sacrifice we need for atonement. And that is what it is all about, justified, in fact, more than justified, being reconciled with God. “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” – Romans 5:9-11.
“but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Joy; To rejoice; to be glad; to exalt. Let me tell you, it is hard to joy in life when you feel like everything is falling apart around you. There is something about Jesus that no matter what you are going through you can rejoice, you can be glad, you can exalt Him, even though every other minute you may be in tears. How? Because you know He is with you, you know that there has to be some explanation that only He can explain, and you have hope of a better outcome. Paul explains how we can find joy through our faith, even through tribulation.
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:1-8.
“but we glory in tribulations also:” Everything we go through in this life is not by chance, and while God does not want to see us suffer, He allows everything we go through in order for us to grow, to flourish, to strengthen, and to depend solely upon Him. When my heart is broken I feel betrayed, that everything I did was for nothing. You know the five stages of grief? Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. That is exactly what you go through, and it is tough, but by the time you accept what happened you will learn that Jesus loves you more than anything, and will help you get through everything. That is the power of grace, and how you find joy. “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.” – II Corinthians 4:15.
“For all things are for your sakes,” Sake; Final cause; end; purpose. There is a purpose for everything, and let me tell you, we will never understand every purpose, but we can understand that grace will see us through. I know, the first reaction is, “Did I really have to go through this?”, and this is where a lot of people lose their faith in God. Not everything we go through happens because we sin, sometimes we make the wrong decisions, sometimes we are in the wrong place at the wrong time, sometimes God is actually protecting us from much worse. But sometimes it is because of sin, many Christians are content to live like the world, just because we are saved that does not mean we are to live in sin and not face any consequences for our actions. We may not face hell, but what we get here is a lot of tribulation until we stop sinning. Paul reminds us that while we are saved by grace, it is Christ who gave His life to give us life.
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” – Romans 6:1-6.
“even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Do you know how many people have no regard for what Jesus has done for them, even though they are saved. They do not value their own life as they are content to live an immoral, wicked life, why would they value the life of another. An amazing thing happens the second we realize just what Jesus has done for us by saving us and decide to live our lives with Him in them, we change. Do we always like change? Absolutely not. However, we learn to adjust, or we ought to, and when we do we actually do become new people. Think about it, we were dead in our sins, even if we were saved, if we were living in the world, our sins were the death of us, but Christ removes all that when we receive Him as our Saviour, and actually brings life not only to our soul, but our spirit as well as we start to remove that sin from our lives. We will never be sin free, we are not perfect, not by a long shot, but that is what Jesus is for, to perfect us.
“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” – Romans 7:14-20,24-25.
“but I am carnal, sold under sin.” We, by nature automatically gravitate to things that are sinful, while we know to do good, that does not always happen because of our flesh. That is where the Holy Spirit comes in, He keeps us in check, so when temptation does come He will give us the means to resist. While we do not need the Holy Spirit to know right from wrong, we do need the Holy Spirit to connect with God. We do not fall into temptation because there was no way out, we fall into temptation because we stopped connecting with God. Yes, you can mimic all the ways to connect with God and still not be connecting with Him. Sometimes we just do things out of habit, I know not to eat gluten because it will cause me to be in severe pain, and yet I still sit here eating pop tarts because I am hungry and do not want to cook anything at four o’clock in the morning. And that is why we are not justified by the good or bad that we do, the flesh is too weak.
“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” – Romans 8:3-10.
“the body is dead because of sin;” Think about it, saved or not, living in sin literally kills the body, those who are living sinful lifestyles are going to learn that it will be the death of them if they do not get their act together. Once we receive Christ, He enters us, removing that curse, and while the physical body will die unless Jesus returns before then, the soul will remain alive through Him. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – I Corinthians 15:55-57.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8.
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your grace, there is no greater joy that comes from knowing that by grace we are saved and not of our own works. I am so glad for that because I know I mess up every day, and yet, by Your grace I am still saved. I am justified, pardoned of every sin I ever committed and will commit as long as I live in this flesh, I am more than justified, I am reconciled with You, Amen! I have great joy in knowing where I am going, and I have great joy in knowing what You have done for me over the years, I know I never want to be where I was before I dedicated my life to You, but trials and tribulations want to strip me of that joy. Lord, walk with me, talk with me, get my spirit right with You so that I connect with you and resist all temptation. Fill me with Your mercies and grace, Your power and might, Your wisdom and instruction, let me never lose sight of the joy that comes from knowing You as my Saviour. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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