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Scripture Reading:
Romans 5:1-2 (English Standard Version – ESV)
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1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
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Thought for the day:
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I guess I don’t watch television as much as some people I know and very rarely do I watch ‘Live TV’. Almost everything I watch has been recorded and I put it on when I have the time/opportunity. That means that I can fast forward through the advertisements! I really dislike the commercial breaks and often wonder what value they provide to the advertisers.
Of course, the statistics are clear – advertising works. If this were not so, companies would not pay the huge amounts of money to push their products onto our screens. I’m no expert in this field, but I believe that one of the goals of advertising is to get you to purchase the product by demonstrating your need of it.
However, sometimes even the requirement of a product isn’t enough for a purchase to be made. So, the advertisers switch strategy to show its desirability. Once we really want it, then it’s much harder to refuse it. In some cases, this desire overrides the ability to pay for it and therefore payment terms can be entered into forcing the consumer into debt.
Throughout the book of Romans, God’s Spirit has been inspiring Paul to establish our need of justification. It is necessary and based entirely on God’s Word. We all NEED to be justified. Unfortunately, not even that is enough to convince some people to respond to God’s call to repentance and faith.
Praise God, that this isn’t just something that we need but it’s something that we should want because it provides so much for us! It is hugely desirable! One commentator says that it produces the fruit of peace and all the following by-products: freedom of access to God’s throne, an exalted status and position in God, firmly anchored hope and complete assurance of Salvation.
Justification by faith is beneficial, effective and fruitful.
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Prayer and Application:
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Over the next few days, we’ll be looking in detail at these various fruits, but for today, please spend some time in prayer meditating on what it means for you to have peace with God.
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