Daily Bread – October 22, 2022 (The Seventh Day – Genesis 2:1-3) Romans 5:1 – Therefore, having been made righteous by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Exchanging Our Unrighteousness For His Righteousness To be justified one must be forgiven by God. God’s forgiveness, provided for us through the blood of Jesus, erases the sin – and as a result, there is a verdict of innocent. However, if a person then sins after being forgiven by God, then they are guilty and must seek to be forgiven again (1 John 1:9, 2:1; James 1:14-16; Romans 6:23). God does not justify a sinful lifestyle. He justifies the repenting sinner seeking forgiveness. The concept of being justified includes not only being forgiven of sin, but being dead to sin (Romans 6:6-7). When God justifies the wicked man who repents, he puts the sin to death by putting the sinner to death in Christ Jesus (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3; Romans 6:4). Thus, reconciliation, or the exchange of life, takes place (2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Romans 5:10). The sinner exchanges his life of unrighteousness for the life of Christ and His righteousness. The miracle of salvation allows us to be crucified with Christ and buried with Him by baptism into His death, so we can also be raised up together with Him (Colossians 3:1-4, 2:12; Romans 6:4). The newness of life we receive in salvation is the very life of Christ – insomuch, we can now say we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. Through sharing this life of union with Christ Jesus, we are shown to be righteous (justified) (John 14:20, 17:21-22, 6:56; Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:10). The life of Christ becomes our life because Christ Jesus is born into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:27). This life of God imparted to us brings forth a brand new inner person (soul, spirit, heart, mind, and conscience) ruled and governed by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Ezekiel 36:26; Ephesians 6:6; 1 Peter 1:9; John 3:6; and Acts 15:8-9; Hebrews 8:10; 1 Peter 4:2; Hebrews 9:14, 10:22; Philippians 4:7). Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 10/22/2022
