Justification By Faith Brings Us To Newness Of Life

If the only true justification available to a human being is a faith justification (that is what I wrote about yesterday) then the only true walk is a resurrection walk...

"...And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness," - Romans 4:5 ESV

"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." - Romans 6:4-5 ESV

Romans is building a case for us. It is a very legal and mechanical book. A religious person is convinced that what they do makes them acceptable to God but this book reproves them.

We must die with Christ in order to be raise with Him and any hope of self-righteousness must die with us. Once dead we can be raised and walk with God in newness of life.

All of humanity has died with Christ. He became a man to represent all men.The moment we believed the gift was placed on our account.

"For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." - Romans 6:7-11 ESV

This translation says 'you also must consider' but the KJV says 'reckon yourselves' and I like that better. Reckon makes it sound like a math problem and that is just what it is. We remove our self and add Christ.

We have a God who will only justify those that say, 'I won't justify myself. Instead of doing that I will reckon myself dead with Christ and let God justify me by His power.'

Can we shift from a, 'You are Good therefore I like you.' mentality to a, 'God has justified the ungodly.' one? It will take dying to self but it will mean that we can be raised in newness of life.

God. Please help us to think like you do. We want to live in a justification that comes by faith and not by performance. Quicken us by your Spirit. Raise us from the grave of our old way of thinking and into the newness of grace thinking. Thank You God. Thank You.

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Teraphim

"Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him." - 2 Kings 23:24-25 NASB

Josiah was a unique king. He went against the current of the time.

I picked this version because it left a word untranslated that interested me. Teraphiym (Strong's H8655) is used 15 times in the old testament and is often translated image, idol or household god. It is plural for the Hebrew root Rapha (H7495) with means healer or physician.

In other words he took away the things that people used to self medicate. He removed public idol worship and private idol worship. Oh, how people would be up in arms if that was attempted in most societies today. I am not recommending this course of action. Josiah was unique and Israel was unique.

I do think that there is much value in separating our own household from idols and teraphim. Self medication cuts us off from receiving true comfort. Josiah knew this. The people could not worship the true God but have all these idols around. It was one or the other.

Perhaps I don't speak about my own hobbies here very much but I have some things I enjoy and derive great pleasure from. I am in my forties and I'm learning my first musical instrument and discovering the joys of reading sheet music. Most days these halls echo with the sound of a clarinet for a short time. As the weeks go by I'm getting more proficient. The dog doesn't howl like she used to. I still get her going from time to time and I have a long way to go. It is new territory and a different avenue for me to worship God and I just love it. I listen to more jazz, big band and klezmer music and find the different instruments as I listen. I am developing the ears of a student.

I'd love to go listen to live venues but where is most jazz played? In bars. So guess what... I don't go to those places to listen. Not gonna happen. I won't cross the line. I don't want to take home what is being served there.

I see a lot of posts on social media about wine. Wine is a classy way for women to self medicate but do people know that there is a Comforter in Heaven and here on Earth inside each one who believes? When we find comfort in other places we are committing adultery the same way a married man or woman runs to the arms of a strange lover.

I don't say this to condemn anyone or bash your lifestyle. Do what you do. We will both stand before God some day and make an account for the choices we made and didn't make. Some folks would tell me that my love of the clarinet is wrong because I enjoy it so much but it isn't about the pleasure of a thing. I speak about wine this way because the Bible gives clear definition.

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise." - Proverbs 20:1 ESV

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart," - Ephesians 5:18-19 ESV

There it is. Do with it what you will. I see a stop sign. What do you see?

I see music that glorifies God as a recommended pastime.

When I was young mockery and brawling were fun activities. Not anymore.

I want the teraphim out of my house. If the public idols were taken away our streets would be safer and our children would have a better chance at life. I have a God and He is amazing. I don't want to worship anywhere else or anyone else. There are pain relievers on a shelf in my bathroom. I use them when needed but by God's grace they will never come before Him. If they ever do then I would rather live in pain. I am thankful that there is a provision for pain available.

Josiah was a unique king and we are unique people with a unique sphere of influence. I want to share God's grace with people and recommend the great Comforter as a remedy for what ails them.

Let's live like royalty today. If we have control over our space then we can exercise that control like royalty.

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The Idea Of Substitution

In the original perfect environment substitution seemed unknown.

Adam did not even seem to think of giving himself for Eve. We don't see anything given in exchange for anything else yet. It seems the human race had no need for trade, exchange or substitution until this instance.

"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." - Genesis 3:6 KJV

Adam just joined Eve.

"Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them." - Genesis 3:21 KJV

God showed the human race substitution. An animal's blood was shed for them so they could be warm and survive their new environment. God didn't sell them anything. The serpent was selling something to Eve apart from Adam and God. God gave them both something.

"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." - 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 KJV

"But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." - Matthew 20:26-28 KJV

The living soul joins and dies but the quickening spirit dies to self through identification without compromise and lives.

Jesus became the ultimate substitute. He walked the Earth as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Soulish life looks prosperous until the road block comes. Spiritual life looks to the One who gave all. It dies, gets buried and is raised three short days later. Spiritual life sits in Heavenly places because the right substitute is already sitting there.

"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:6-11 KJV

Grace is intertwined with this idea. God gave great grace when He gave His Son to us. Jesus had an attitude of grace that went hand in hand with the idea of giving His life.

"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." - 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 ESV

"And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." - Hebrews 10:10 ESV

A once and for all sacrifice has been made by the once and for all substitute.

Have we as individuals learned the lesson or will we just bite the apple that is handed to us?

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