January 24, 2018
“By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. Romans 5:1-2 The Message
Justified: It’s more than just a word. It’s what Christ has done for you. It’s how you are supposed to live and love today. It’s not a word you’re going to hear today. But it declares something about your life that you could never achieve on your own. The insides and outsides of your life are standing free in the wide open spaces of God’s grace. All your efforts to set things right didn’t set things right. It doesn’t matter how hard you tried .. how sincere you were .. how pure your intentions. Christ’s life was the only way to set you free .. to bring real peace in your life .. and find yourself unbound from sin’s relentless claim upon you. The Spirit of Christ has cleared the air for you to breathe grace .. live in grace .. and freely share this indefatigable gift. You’re set free to live true in everything you do in your life. That’s where you’ll find the law of the Spirit of life in Christ. It’s where He wants to live in you. It’s how He wants you to live. It only takes a moment …
“A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.” … “because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. ” Romans 8:2 The Message/Christian Standard
Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent to Wide-Open Followers of Jesus (kchesterp1@gmail.com)
