“My brothers, I [Paul] want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38–39, NIV 1984).
My Musings – To be justified by the law, we must “be careful to do everything written in it.” (Joshua 1:8, NIV 1984). “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10, NIV 1984). And we demonstrated in the garden that we were not capable of obeying the “just one point” we were given.
By these standards, no one can say they have never sinned. So, we need forgiveness. To have our sins taken away and be justified. Just as if I’d never sinned. Yet “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins, ” (Hebrews 10:4, NIV 1984), and there is nothing else we could offer in exchange that could once for all wipe the slate clean.
Left in our sins, powerless to effect a change. But thankfully, “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for [us]. [Demonstrating God’s] own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6, 8, NIV 1984). It was the “right time,” because we were “powerless” to do anything about it. “While we were still sinners” because we could not change that. That’s grace!
My Advice – The next move is ours. It’s the “right time.” For, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2, NIV 1984). For “everyone who believes.”
The Brew Is A Musing 