Redemption and Forgiveness

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7.
The grace of Christ is freely to justify the sinner without merit or claim on his part. Justification is a full, complete pardon of sin. The moment a sinner accepts Christ by faith, that moment he is pardoned. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to him, and he is no more to doubt God’s forgiving grace.
There is nothing in faith that makes it our saviour. Faith cannot remove our guilt. Christ is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe. The justification comes through the merits of Jesus Christ. He has paid the price for the sinner’s redemption. Yet it is only through faith in His blood that Jesus can justify the believer.
The sinner cannot depend upon his own good works as a means of justification. He must come to the point where he will renounce all his sin, and embrace one degree of light after another as it shines upon his pathway. He simply grasps by faith the free and ample provision made in the blood of Christ. He believes the promises of God, which through Christ are made unto him sanctification and righteousness and redemption. And if he follows Jesus, he will walk humbly in the light, rejoicing in the light and diffusing that light to others.
Let the repenting sinner fix his eyes upon “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” … When we see Jesus, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief, working to save the lost, slighted, scorned, derided, driven from city to city till His mission was accomplished; when we behold Him in Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood, and on the cross dying in agony—when we see this, self will no longer clamor to be recognized. Looking unto Jesus, we shall be ashamed of our coldness, our lethargy, our self-seeking. We shall be willing to be anything or nothing, so that we may do heart service for the Master. We shall rejoice to bear the cross after Jesus, to endure trial, shame, or persecution for His dear sake.
The Faith I Live By p. 107
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Lori who fell and broke her ankle and leg. Pray that she will recover quickly. Rose
—-Please pray for the safety return of my daughter. She went for her walk this morning but never return. She always come back from her walk arround 10am. Pleasr I need your earnest prayers for my daughter’s safety. We are new in the area. Julia
—-My mum is unwell, asking for prayers for her at the moment. Daniel
—-Please pray for David who is battling depression. Buck
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Dear Friends,
My grandmother had two sisters. They were about as opposite as any two people could be. Blanche was always the lady. She always held herself like a queen. She did this naturally. She was not self-centered at all. She was very loving and kind and a real joy to be around. It made me happy just being around her and loved to visit her in her upstairs apartment that her son-in-law let her have even after her daughter had died.
Bessie, on the other hand, was a very comical character that seemed to be slightly out of sync with the rest of the world. She always said the wrong things at the wrong times without meaning too. She was often a great embarrassment to her sisters. This usually was very funny and entertaining after the fact, but she had one annoying habit that caused the rest of the family a lot of distress. She never was prepared for anything. She would wait until everyone else was ready to go and then decide what to wear. She wouldn’t just look at the dresses in her closet: she would try each one on. This took a great deal of time and caused the whole family to be late for everything. By the time she was ready, the whole family would be tired and out of sorts.
Just as Bessie was unprepared for anything the rest of the family wanted to do, so we are in danger of being unprepared for the final events of this world’s history. There will be people who were planning to meet Jesus, who will mournfully cry, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Jer 8:20 They always intended to follow God completely. They always wanted to be saved, but they just never got around to accepting Jesus as their Saviour. They loved the things of this world too much. They were not willing to give themselves completely to Him. They held on to that “darling sin” too long until it became so strong that it held them tightly in its grip.
Our Dear Saviour told the parable of some who appeared to be His followers, but they were not. They did not have that close and loving relationship that is so necessary. They went through the motions of being a Christian but did not their heart and will to Him. They had “a form of Godliness” without that oil of the Holy Spirit flowing out through themselves to others. (2 Tim 3:5) “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matt 25:1-13
Now is the time to obtain the extra oil of the Holy Spirit. Now is the time to “give diligence to make [our] calling and election sure.” 2 Peter 1:10 Now is the time to do as did the apostle Paul who said, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:8-14
Instead of sleeping as did the virgins in the parable, our Great Redeemer bids us to reach out to those around us and bring them to the foot of the cross that they, too, may be saved. “He which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:20 Yet this promise should not be out motive. We must be filled with a love and concern for those around us who are perishing in sin and desire their salvation as much as doe our Dear Saviour.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him in all that we do, all that we say, all that we think. Let us make sure that we have the oil of the Holy Spirit in our vessels, that we may be shining lights to those around us. “Let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. . . .putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” that we and they may be ready for His soon coming.
Rose