Morning Moments

Acts 13:38-39 (KJV)
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

What an amazing truth! To be justified is to be “declared” righteous. It is a divine decree based solely on the “righteousness” of Christ. Jesus became what He never was - SIN, that we might be become what we never were - RIGHTEOUS, for He is our righteousness. That is why Jesus said that He did not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners, and we are all sinners by name, nature, and knowledge.

The problem comes for many of us when we allow our failures and sins to laden us with such guilt that we find it difficult to simply believe that God has actually done what He says He has done - forgiven all our sins and declared us right with Him.

There are those who say that when we come to faith in Christ all past sins are forgiven and from that point on we must confess each and every one and if we miss one it will be held against us at judgment. The problem with that thinking is that all my sins and failures were nailed to the cross, not just my past ones. To confess sins is merely to acknowledge or say what God has said about my sins - that they are forgiven and I have been justified. Now that is freedom.

I could give you a thousand reasons why the enemy of our souls, who accuses the brethren day and night before God, would like to keep us wondering how God could possibly do such a thing. Flesh says we must work to be forgiven and justified, but faith accounts it to be so. This may just be the greatest battle in the Christian life because our flesh agrees with the devil but our spirit agrees with God.

Satan knows how to play the guilt game with us so that our heart often condemns us, but there is now therefore NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Satan cannot change what we have become in Christ, so he attempts, with the help of our flesh, to convince us that we are not what we have become. He is the father of lies.

I believe this is one of the most critical messages for us to proclaim. There is an old song that says, “How can you say you is when you ain’t, and how can you say you do when you don’t…” and that is precisely what self and Satan sing to us when we fail. Just remember this, God knew your failures and sins in advance of the salvation He has given you as a believer in Christ. So, agree with Him and not with the enemy. God said it, and whether I believe it or not, that settles it. We can behave it when we believe it.

BLESSINGS!