Who can believe this? When God justifies, He has made us clean. By Alonzo Jones
how can we believe And what can faith do?
"Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5,1:XNUMX) To be justified means to be declared righteous [clean], righteous by faith.
'Whoever... believes in him who justifies the ungodly, he shall be Faith reckoned as righteousness [purity].” “But I speak of righteousness [purity] before God that is coming by faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.« (Romans 4,5:3,22; XNUMX:XNUMX)
God's offer for your heart: whiter than white
So this righteousness takes the place of all our sins. What does the Lord do with our sins? "Though your sins be blood red, yet they shall be white as snow; and though they be crimson, they shall be like wool." (Isaiah 1,18:XNUMX)
The new condition is exactly the opposite of the old: however dark the sins, they are made snow white. We shall be clothed in white robes, our blood-red sins shall be taken from us, our filthy robes shall be turned into snow-white wool. So when we ask for our sins to be taken from us, we are asking for cleansing.
What does it mean to be made snow white? "His robes became white and very white, such as no bleacher on earth can make them white." (Mark 9,3:XNUMX) This very robe is put on us, which is whiter than any bleacher can make. Is not this promise beneficial? Whoever believes leans on this promise.
Away with the darkness!
“I will blot out your iniquity like a cloud and your sins like a fog. Turn to me, for I will redeem you.« (Isaiah 44,22:22 a) The LORD has already paid the ransom by the death of the Messiah. Now he says: "Turn back to me, for I have redeemed you!" (verse XNUMX b) The thick, black clouds and the dense fog dissolve, are wiped out.
“Where is such a God as you are, who forgives sin and forgives the guilt of those who remain as a remnant of his inheritance; who does not hold fast to his anger forever, for he delights in mercy! He will have mercy on us again, trample our iniquities underfoot and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.« (Micah 7,18.19:12,17) Whom does he forgive? The ones left behind? The rest? Those who keep the commandments and have the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14,12:XNUMX; XNUMX:XNUMX). So this promise is for us. He makes us up for himself. He takes away our sins. He delights in treating us better than we deserve. He delights in us when we believe him. All our sins are to be thrown into the depths of the sea, the deepest depths imaginable. Isn't that a wonderful promise?
Continuation: The theme of the loud call: freer than free
Slightly shortened from: Kansas camp meeting sermons, May 13, 1889, 3.1
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