The Good, Wonderful News

3/27/2001

So Paul has been lifting up this glorious truth of beginning in faith by the Spirit, and also walking in faith by the Spirit. It’s Jesus who fulfills the requirements of God for salvation. And it’s Jesus who provides everything that pertains to life and godliness. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Peter 1:3-4). Great and precious promises! Promises that allow us to be partakers of the divine nature so we don’t have to be nearsighted, blind and unfruitful in our way of life. God can now well up from within us as we believe Him by faith to not only fulfill the requirements of God, and to justify us and free us from the death penalty… but also to bring us to Himself in the stature of Christ, with the personality and character and fullness of Jesus. That’s God’s heart and will for you and it’s accessible by believing Him, (the God who said, “Let the light shine out of darkness!”), by beholding the person of Jesus and by trusting Him completely for that transformation.

That is really good news to me. It’s a whole lot better than having to “be somebody,” and “know” things and accomplish 10,000 things and avoid 10,000 others! I can saturate my heart and life with the Son of God, and He will transform me from one degree of glory to another as I behold Him, as I trust Him, and as I lay down my appetites and no longer offer the parts of my body as instruments of wickedness. I offer myself to Him and call on the name of the Lord, trusting Him and believing in Him with all my heart to transform me and change me. He’s able to create the galaxies so I believe He’s able to change my heart. No matter what’s ever happened, or what anyone ever says to me, no matter how bad I’ve ever felt about myself or how others have felt about me… I believe He can change my heart.

I start by acknowledging that His ways are right and true. I look at Romans 1 through 3 and say, “Apart from Him I can do nothing. It’s true. We’ve altogether become worthless. There’s nothing good in me, nothing good that dwells in me. I acknowledge that. There’s no pride in my heart. I empty myself of pride.” And then I believe in Him as my only hope. I believe in Him for justification, and then believe in Him for character, growth and fullness. That’s the good news that sustains us and draws us across a lifetime, that Jesus demonstrated for us in His 33 years, and that He desires for us and wants to fulfill in us. “When I return, will I find faith on earth?”

•  Part 6: The Law Satisfied