Jesus the Justifier

we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2.16a)

It is crippling to realize when we are powerless. Within ourselves, as incredibly fearfully and wonderfully made we are, there is no action, no amount of work, no good deed that can place destiny in our own trembling hands. Countless millions set out each day to redeem their own souls; good deeds buried underneath intentional desperation. Still millions others resolve themselves to eternal damnation because the weight of their sin has left them hopeless.

Even among the followers of Christ, we can fall prey to the draw of self-salvation. We subconsciously think there must be some deed we can perform to place power in our grasp. We sing songs of personal empowerment. We write tall tales of strong heroes. We build enduring statues, cast in iron, of men and women who personify strength. And yet we know deep within our souls that our works yield no justification; no observance of ancient law can purchase salvation.

Faith alone. And not misdirected faith in self, in reincarnation, in personal action, in faith itself. Only faith in the person of Jesus can we find justification. Jesus Christ is our Justifier. Our Lord and Savior whose self-sacrifice has become our eternal redemption. The cross is our altar where the perfect sacrifice took our crippled legs and lifted us to our restored feet. Fearfully and wonderfully made for relationship, body and soul. It is healing to realize we are powerless.

Jesus, I praise you for placing my life in your all powerful hands, justifying me from all sin!

Jesus the Energy of Apostleship

For he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles. (Galatians 2.8)

How is Jesus involved in our mission to reach the lost? We know He is the one who called His disciples to the great commission. As His feet left the mountaintop and ascended into the heavens His words echoed into their hearts to go and make disciples of all nations. We are commanded to baptize them in His triune name; to teach the way. In our fervor to go we skip the first words Jesus speaks, the words that carry all the weight: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

He is the source of all authority. The Father has placed all authority into the hands of the Son, just as He did with the creation of the world. When Jesus tells His disciples to wait for His empowering Spirit, He is telling them to wait on His timing, His indwelling authority to enter their lives. As we see Jesus as the source of our authority we recognize He pours out the empowerment of His Spirit in our lives and witness.

As Paul puts it to the Galatians, Jesus is working through the apostolic ministry of Peter and Paul. He is active, efficient. He is fervently effectual. He demonstrates to the family in the church and the unreached world outside that He is the energy that drives the apostolic ministry of His people. When we look at the task of reaching the unreached, of entering the hostile nations with the gospel, may we be reminded that Jesus, the eternal source of all authority is at work in our apostolic work.

Thank you, Jesus, that you are working through me to reach the nations.