Living Justified: Embracing Grace and Humility in Christ
Devotional
Day 1: Transformation Through the Holy Spirit
The new covenant invites believers to emulate Jesus in purity, a task that seems daunting but is made possible through the work of the Holy Spirit. This transformation is rooted in grace, which is described as God's riches at Christ's expense. By embracing this grace, believers can live as the richest individuals in the universe, not in material wealth, but in spiritual abundance and fulfillment. The Holy Spirit empowers us to reflect the character of Jesus, enabling us to live lives marked by purity and righteousness. [00:26]
Ephesians 3:16-19 (ESV): "That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Reflection: In what specific ways can you invite the Holy Spirit to transform an area of your life where you struggle to reflect Jesus' purity today?
Day 2: Understanding Justification
Justification is a profound truth that begins with acknowledging our sinfulness and recognizing that Jesus took God's wrath upon Himself. This act of propitiation allows us to stand justified before God, free from the eternal separation that sin brings. Justification is not just a theological concept but a reality that transforms our relationship with God. It assures us that despite our shortcomings, we are seen as righteous because of Jesus' sacrifice. This understanding should lead us to live in gratitude and humility, knowing that our standing before God is a gift of grace. [03:32]
Romans 5:9-11 (ESV): "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
Reflection: How does understanding that you are justified by grace change the way you approach your relationship with God today?
Day 3: Living Justified
Living justified means living as if we have always obeyed, a reality made possible by Jesus' death and resurrection. Our faith, like Abraham's, is credited to us as righteousness, allowing us to stand before God clothed in Jesus' righteousness. This truth calls us to live in a way that reflects our justified status, not out of obligation, but out of gratitude for what Christ has done. It challenges us to align our actions with our identity in Christ, living in obedience and faithfulness. [12:06]
Galatians 2:20-21 (ESV): "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose."
Reflection: What is one specific area of your life where you can begin to live more fully in the reality of your justification today?
Day 4: The Necessity of Humility
Humility is essential in the Christian life, as pride excludes us from the race to be like Jesus. Pride is like dust, easily creeping into our lives and hindering our spiritual growth. True justification leads to humility, as we recognize that our standing before God is not based on our achievements but on His grace. Embracing humility allows us to grow in our relationship with God and others, fostering a spirit of servanthood and love. [19:54]
James 4:6-7 (ESV): "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Reflection: Identify a recent situation where pride may have influenced your actions. How can you choose humility in a similar situation today?
Day 5: Running the Race of Purity and Obedience
The race set before us is to be like Jesus, who never sinned. This race is not about earthly achievements but about living a life of purity and obedience, starting with the understanding of our justification and the grace given to us. It is a lifelong journey of becoming more like Christ, marked by a commitment to holiness and a desire to honor God in all we do. This race requires perseverance, focus, and reliance on God's strength to overcome the challenges we face. [18:42]
Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV): "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to run your race with greater focus on purity and obedience?
Sermon Summary
The essence of our faith as New Covenant Christians is rooted in understanding the profound truths of the new covenant, which is the new agreement between God and humanity. This agreement calls us to be like Jesus in the purity of His character, a seemingly impossible task made possible through the Holy Spirit. Just as Mary conceived Jesus through divine intervention, we too can be transformed by God's grace, which is His riches at Christ's expense. This grace allows us to live as the richest individuals in the universe because of what God has done for us through Christ.
A key aspect of this transformation is understanding the concept of justification. Justification is not merely a theological term but a reality that we must grasp deeply. It begins with recognizing that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. However, the story doesn't end there. Through Jesus, we are justified as a gift by His grace. This means that Jesus took the wrath of God, which was directed at us due to our sins, upon Himself. He was the propitiation, the one who absorbed God's anger, allowing us to stand justified before God.
Justification also means living as if we have always obeyed. This is not just about Jesus dying for our sins but also about His resurrection, which is integral to our justification. We are called to believe in this truth, just as Abraham believed God's promise despite the improbability of it. This faith is credited to us as righteousness, allowing us to stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.
Moreover, true justification leads to humility. Pride has no place in the life of a Christian because it excludes us from the race to be like Jesus. We must hate pride as it is like dust, easily creeping into our lives. Our journey begins at the starting line of being justified and filled with grace, and it is a race to be like Jesus, who never sinned. This race is not about earthly achievements but about living a life of purity and obedience.
Key Takeaways
1. The new covenant calls us to be like Jesus in purity, a task made possible by the Holy Spirit's work in us. This transformation is rooted in grace, which allows us to live as the richest individuals in the universe because of Christ's sacrifice. [00:26]
2. Justification is a profound truth that begins with recognizing our sinfulness and understanding that Jesus took God's wrath upon Himself. This act of propitiation allows us to stand justified before God, free from the eternal separation that sin brings. [03:32]
3. Living justified means living as if we have always obeyed, a reality made possible by Jesus' death and resurrection. Our faith, like Abraham's, is credited to us as righteousness, allowing us to stand before God clothed in Jesus' righteousness. [12:06]
4. Humility is essential in the Christian life, as pride excludes us from the race to be like Jesus. We must hate pride, recognizing it as a barrier to our spiritual growth and a hindrance to our relationship with God. [19:54]
5. The race set before us is to be like Jesus, who never sinned. This race is not about earthly achievements but about living a life of purity and obedience, starting with the understanding of our justification and the grace given to us. [18:42] ** [18:42]
What does Romans 3:23-25 say about the state of humanity and the role of Jesus in our justification?
How does Romans 4:22-25 describe Abraham's faith, and how is it related to our justification?
According to the sermon, what is the significance of the term "propitiation" in the context of Jesus' sacrifice? [03:32]
What does 2 Peter 1:4 suggest about our participation in the divine nature?
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Interpretation Questions
How does the concept of justification as described in Romans 3:23-25 challenge common perceptions of sin and grace? [02:58]
In what ways does Abraham's unwavering faith serve as a model for understanding our own justification by faith? [11:29]
How does the sermon explain the relationship between Jesus' death and resurrection in the context of our justification? [12:06]
What role does humility play in the Christian life according to the sermon, and why is it essential for spiritual growth? [19:54]
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Application Questions
Reflect on the idea that Jesus took the wrath meant for us. How does this understanding affect your daily gratitude and relationship with God? [06:16]
The sermon emphasizes the importance of starting each day with the awareness of being justified and filled with grace. How can you incorporate this practice into your morning routine? [17:55]
Consider the race to be like Jesus, who never sinned. What specific steps can you take this week to pursue a life of purity and obedience? [18:42]
Pride is described as a barrier to spiritual growth. Identify an area in your life where pride might be creeping in, and discuss ways to cultivate humility. [19:54]
The sermon mentions the importance of recognizing ourselves as the richest individuals in the universe because of Christ's sacrifice. How can this perspective change the way you view your current circumstances? [01:25]
How can you actively remind yourself of the significance of Jesus' propitiation in moments of doubt or spiritual struggle? [04:21]
Reflect on the idea of being clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. How does this truth impact your confidence in approaching God in prayer and worship? [13:56]
Sermon Clips
The new covenant is the new agreement between God and man, and a new agreement is that we must be like Jesus in the purity of his character just like Jesus who never sinned never sinned even once for 10,000 days he never sinned for two hundred and ninety thousand hours and the agreement we make with Jesus's I must be like him. [00:29:59]
Grace is that word which is God's riches at Christ's expense and I can increasingly live as if I am the richest man in the universe and the richest woman in the universe because of what God did for me in Christ and there's a word relating related to that that I want to speak about today related to grace they go hand in hand. [00:81:45]
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God all of us have seen nobody is excluded and but it doesn't start a end with a period there a lot of us tend to think we are all sinners and then we put a period there but there's a put a comma at least in my translation he says we've been justified. [00:173:209]
Propitiation means taking away the anger of God Jesus was a propitiation which means he took away God's anger and wrath wrath take her anger ticket Jesus was the anger ticker the rusticana what was God's anger directed at act it was directed at us because of our sins not because of us because of who we are God created us wonderfully beautifully. [00:255:89]
The message here is that all have sinned in Romans chapter 3 verse 23 but that Jesus came in the way the wrath was meant for me not Jesus died for the sins of the whole world Jesus died for me because the wrath of God was coming towards me and Jesus came in the way that is the beginning of our relationship with Jesus. [00:359:4]
The Christians definition of gratitude is founded in what Jesus did for me when he took away the wrath that you won't find any new age blog talking about Jesus came in the way of that bullet that was headed for me it was a spear that was headed for me we lose sight of that so easily take me back dear Lord to the time when I first believed. [00:473:37]
Propitiation means that God took the wrath I was destined for me the other thing that's the first word wrath taker dear brothers and sisters gratitude will come easy to you gratitude will be natural if you recognize what happened then there was the wrath of God that was destined for you and that Jesus stood in the way and took it he took the fall he took the hit. [00:537:62]
Justification is not just that Jesus died it's also have a component in in in that he was raised I talked about propitiation the Jews took the hit and that he did died but part of our justification is also in the component that he was raised and the next verse tells me that in verse 25 the justification of faith is verse 24 is available to us to who believe that Jesus raised him from the dead. [00:726:14]
We have to really see how God took all of the wrath that was meant for us in his son Jesus that's what happened to our sins but now we are sinless that doesn't mean we are full of righteousness taking away the sin is like cleaning a cup and making it empty so it's clean but it's empty that's just not that's not the gospel. [00:786:18]
The race is much harder than you can imagine because the race before you is be like Jesus who never sinned for two hundred and ninety thousand hours that's the race it's made very clear about it the race is not to have our time and there is not to have raised godly children the race is not to have a ministry nothing except that to run like Jesus who never sinned for $290,000. [01:119:73]
If you do not have humility you are excluded from the race where then is any pride where then is any boasting it is excluded there is no such thing as a proud Christian because a Christian is someone who's running the race to be like Jesus and pride is excluded this is why we must hate all pride my dad says that pride is like dust that is how easily bright comes into ourselves. [01:194:71]
I had to get rid of my robes all I could offer was my sin stained robes all I could offer was my sin stain crowns things that I thought were crowns full of sin filthy that's all I could give him God said it's not gonna get you in your righteousness your ministry your blogposts your sermons your mission trips to Africa and India and Asia and that's gonna get you in No. [01:457:71]