What Must We Do To Be Redeemed?

Tom:

For the past few weeks, in our ongoing study of the gospel of salvation, we’ve been studying Romans 5 verses 6-21 which we’ve noted the Apostle Paul presents as an advocate before the highest court in the land and of course the logic is compelling.I’ll quickly review verses 6-16 and we’ll pick up with verse 16:6) “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.10) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.11) And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13) (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.14) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.15) But not as the offence, so also is the free gift.For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”Dave picking up now with verse 16: “And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.”In other words, through Adam’s sin, mankind came under condemnation but through Christ’s sacrificial death came justification.Now we have going back and forth between those who are in Adam and those who are in Christ, this is an interesting parallel here.

Dave:

Well, I think it’s also saying that it was just one sin, in fact a very simple sin, seemingly that brought death and judgment upon all mankind.Just don’t eat of this tree.We’ve talked about it before.I think it was the easiest command God could give.There must have been thousands of trees, maybe millions I don’t know, in this huge garden, the Garden of Eden.I don’t believe there was anything special about that fruit.In other words, physical fruit isn’t going to make you wise.There may have been other trees just like it, with the same fruit all around it, but God said don’t eat of THAT tree.That’s the easiest command He could give Adam and Eve and they failed. So the problem was not that this was some magical fruit.The problem was that they had disobeyed God.But it was only one command, a simple command.I mean you wouldn’t think that would be so serious.Well, okay God, so I did eat that fruit that you told me not to.I ate of that tree that you told me not to.That was rebellion against God and that’s why James says he who offends in one point (talking about the Ten Commandments) is guilty of all.Because to break any one of the Ten Commandments is just as serious as to break any other commandment.It’s simply like thumbing your nose at God.It’s a rebellion against God.

Tom:

Dave, as a former Catholic we had venial sins and mortal sins, but sin is sin.

Dave:

Right, but it’s saying here there was only one sin.But now there are many offences verse 16 says and yet those have been overcome through Christ.You look at this world—the evil in this world is beyond our comprehension and we don’t even know the wickedness of man and what goes on in some cities and houses and secret places and the plans and the heart of man is so wicked and yet all of that, I think this is what this verse is saying—all of that is overcome by the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross who paid the full penalty for every sin.

Tom:

Right, verse 17 amplifies what you are saying: “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; (and death did reign—destroyed the whole universe—nothing like what God had originally designed or—He said it was very good at the end.)

Dave:

Adam and Eve were separated from God, the spirit of God departed from their spirit and their bodies began to die and that was all that they could pass on to their children.

Tom:

“…much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)Listen, most people would say wait a minute, what did he just say?What God offers here is not just eternal life with Him, but the gift of righteousness!We’ll have Christ’s righteousness for eternity and all the blessings that flow from that.That’s staggering!

Dave:

It is Tom and it’s the only righteousness that will stand before God.It’s not my own righteousness.If I could become righteous in myself and you know as a Catholic, that’s the teaching.It’s not imputed righteousness, in other words credited to my account that a Catholic strives for, when there’s no striving for that.It’s a gift.But its infused righteousness.

Tom:

We have to, we had to become righteous and expiation of sins was not only what Christ did, it’s what we had to do through suffering here and in purgatory.

Dave:

That’s what purgatory is all about—to purge you, to make you righteous.So you would be able to boast before God, you know.Well, I suffered to get myself here too.So I get part of the credit because I became righteous in and of myself through being purged by those things that I suffered.That is absolutely contrary to the Bible and it undermines the gospel.

Tom:

Dave, it’s not a gift.

Dave:

That’s right.The gift of righteousness it says.Wow, we have been given the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, credited to our account.

Tom

And it’s no small cost…we might think it’s a gift…at no small cost to God.He sent His Son to pay the full penalty for it which is again, staggering.

Dave:

Which we don’t understand.

Tom:

No, but we’re incredibly thankful for.

Dave:

Amen that’s why we would love Him and serve Him out of gratitude.I sometimes say that you know, Jehovah Witnesses—we were just in Europe and we were going on a train from CzechRepublic to Slovakia and you know the Lord is gracious and who does He bring to me but two young Mormon missionaries.And…

Tom:

Mormon or JW?

Dave:

No, Mormon missionaries, but it’s similar I’m saying, I often say to Jehovah’s Witnesses or to Mormon—Jehovah’s Witnesses, they are knocking on doors to try to earn their salvation.They even have to pass a test after Armageddon. But I’ve knocked on more doors than, I think, most Jehovah’s Witnesses, probably thousands of them.Back in those days when the Lord gave me time for that sort of thing. But I do it out of love and gratitude to the one who gave me eternal life.That’s a higher motive than doing it to earn eternal life.And so it’s because of this gift, that’s what wins our hearts.And now we love Him, because He first loved us, not because we managed to work this love up within ourselves. We will be in His presence forever because He has credited to us the perfect righteousness of God and is only possible because Christ paid the full penalty for our sins.Tom, that’s something to get excited about.That causes you to really be happy, to rejoice and to anticipate being in the presence of this wonderful God and Savior who loves us so much.It’s going to take eternity for Him to pour out His infinite love upon us.

Tom:

Dave, what really grieves me in this—those who do these kinds of things, whether they be Mormon works or Jehovah Witnesses out working, knocking on doors, putting in all these hours—on the one hand, yes there’s a sincerity there, but the thing that grieves me is that they don’t understand that it’s a rejection of this gift—it’s a rejection of what Christ has accomplished.So it’s grievous in that sense.

Dave:

Yes, and it grieves us because they have a false hope.The writer of the Hebrews says “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…” and they are really neglecting the salvation that God has given them as a free gift and they are trying to earn it as you said.You offer to pay anything, you’ve rejected the gift.It’s heartbreaking and Tom it is so difficult to help these dear people understand this, because as the Bible says the god of this world has blinded their minds and he has people trying to earn their salvation and that is an affront, an insult to God.

Tom:

Yes, and please for our listeners out there, don’t take our word for this.What we are trying to do is go through God’s Word to point to the Scriptures.You read them for yourself, let the Holy Spirit bring conviction here first and then understanding of these things and you’ll know.God will reveal these things to you.