Welcome to Hank’s Place – In the New Year 2021
The apostle Paul has some good words for us today, today, when things seem out of control, when liars have the stage and good men are being silenced, when morally bankrupt people are in places of leadership or about to be placed there.
Today, let’s remember — Jesus — and His accomplishments.
Here’s Romans 5:17 in the Message Bible: “If death got the upper hand through one man’s wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, absolute life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides?”
Isn’t that what we all want, a setting of everything right in this crazy demon infected world? For us personally, let’s firmly grab ahold of this extravagant life-gift Jesus has given us. A part, a very important part, of that gift is – His righteousness.
As Ro 10:4 says, “Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness” – to who? – to anyone who believes. Jesus has taken our failures, our sins, their punishment, and has given us His perfect, eternal righteousness.
Having His righteousness, we can shout, “Praise God! There’s nothing wrong with me!” We can boast about what Jesus has done! The world accuses you: there’s everything wrong with you. You shout back, “Praise God! There’s nothing wrong with me!” And it’s true for you have His righteousness.
Remember 2 Cor 5:17-21? When we believed, we were transformed. The old passed away, that old, sinful, failure prone self-centered person that we were; and the new has come. New creations.
Jesus did not merely purchase for us a ‘get out of hell free’ card in the Monopoly of Life. No, Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead so anyone who believed would be translated into His kingdom and be a righteous new creation!
As new creations we can expect some outward evidence. Something. But Jesus did not give us a “New Creations Behavioral Manual” or a “14 Steps to a Better You” guide. As Paul wrote in Eph 4:20-32, Col 3:5-17, he just assumes we ARE, because we believed – and because WE ARE – WE CAN put off the old man, the old ways, and put on the new man, walking in that newness of life.
Sure, a person may struggle with putting off the old man and putting on the new – but don’t you see? Even that struggle is a kind of evidence because before the person enjoyed the sin of which they are now so ashamed.
So be encouraged today my friend. Put off the old, put on the new. Like that Nike commercial, JUST DO IT — and COME ALIVE!
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