saved from a to z
"All men are now undeservedly justified by the gift of God, through the redemption wrought in Christ Jesus." —Romans 3:24
"You were dead because of your sins and offenses" (Eph 2:1). You "sinned and [were] deprived of the glory of God" (Rm 3:23). Because you sinned, even if it were but one sin, you have "become guilty on all counts" as a transgressor of God's law (Jas 2:10). When you sinned, you turned away from God's integrated plan of holiness and bought into the system of sin. You were then connected into the fabric of sin, plugged into sin rather than God, joined to all sins ever committed (see Lk 11:50).
This is what Jesus means when He says our "guilt stretches from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah" (Lk 11:51). He says, in effect, that when we join in sin, we sin from A to Z.
The good news is that Jesus is the new A to Z, "the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End!" (Rv 22:13) Through His blood, Jesus expiates and forgives sins from A to Z (Rm 3:25). If we believe in Jesus and repent sincerely of sin, He justifies us in the sight of God (Rm 3:24, 26). Accept Jesus as your Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. Be a new creation —from A to Z.
Prayer: Jesus, I want to belong to You with all my heart. I abandon myself to You. Use me according to Your will.
Promise: "None of those who cry out 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven." —Mt 7:21
Praise: Praise Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2).
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
(For a related teaching, order our leaflet, Accepting Jesus as Lord, Savior, and God, or on audio AV 43-1 or video V-43.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 4, 2008
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