Romans 4:25

God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and he raised him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God.

Matthew Henry Commentary on Romans 4:25

“In Christ’s death He paid our debt; in His resurrection He took out our acquittance.”

Definitions of acquittance

1. A legal document evidencing the discharge of a debt or obligation
2. A writing which is evidence of a discharge; a receipt in full, which bars a further demand.
3. A document freeing a person from liability

EXPLANATORY PARTICLE

This morning I was listening to a respected and seasoned radio preacher. I was getting into the flow of his message and he mentioned the term explanatory particle.  My ears perk up when I am going to get a mini Greek grammar lesson. He was pointing out the word for, and that you must pay close attention to what is said after that word, because it will explain the previous thought of the text.

At that point my mind started to drift away from the lesson and started to think on the Gospel reading for the 2nd Sunday of Lent. The Gospel of John… Chapter Three…

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven–the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Now here are the explanatory particles…

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

and…

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

(I have always thought that verse sixteen was incomplete without verse seventeen. Whenever I hear someone quote John 3:16 my mind automatically plays John 3:17.)

This brought home once again how we should pay close attention to the scriptures, especially when there’s an explanatory particle, and keep out ears and hearts wide open to what God wants to say to us.

This Year I Was In the Brood

Read – Mt 3:1-12

I have heard and read this gospel reading so many times and I was always the one saying… “Go John!” “Give it to those Pharisees!” I always saw myself as the bystander watching the forerunner of Christ really giving it to those guys and I really enjoyed hearing them get what they had coming to them. “Preach it John!” But, this year there has been a great shift. As a result of learning and understanding more about God’s holy attributes I could now see that John is talking to me. It’s true. All that I can bring to God is my sin. Because of Christ, it is removed and I now have Christ’s righteousness. Now my lips can sing praise to God for what He has done. Praise to God is the fruit of my repentance.

What Were They Thinking?

Read – Luke 17:11-19

I have been thinking about the ten lepers that Jesus healed. I began wondering what the ten lepers were thinking after they realized they were healed. The Bible only tells us what one of the ten did. Preachers ponder and preach these scenarios and I bet we all muse over the way it might have gone down. Here’s what each leper might have been thinking on their way to show themselves to the priest…

“I‘m going to hang out at the temple and never leave. I’ll be safe there.”

“My first book deal. I sense a best seller. I’ll be rich.”

“Now I can party with those chicks I always see hanging around the temple.”

“Why should I go show myself to a priest? That’s never been my thing.”

“Now it’s all about me.”

“My skin is looks ok but I know a doctor near the temple who can work wonders.”

“I knew my positive attitude would make it all work out my way.”

“I’m going to be the next American Idol.”

“I need to be appointed to public office to keep all lepers off the streets.”

“I must run back and fall on my face at the feet of God to worship Him and give Him thanks.”