Brother Michael's Devotional

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Romans 3:24-25

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What is of primary importance in relation to the remission of sins and the work of Christ on the cross? Some may say it is the cleansing of the saint or the salvation of the sinner. But what is of more importance, the holiness of God or the salvation of man?

As to the cleansing of the saint, let us look to 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." As we look at this passage of scripture we see it begins with the confession of sins and ends with the cleansing of the saint. But what is the fulcrum, the hinge of this verse? It is the faithfulness and justness of God. There is a popular notion that a "saint" can live like the world and only has to come to God and ask for forgiveness and God is somehow obligated to forgive the individual. May I say, friend, God is under no obligation to forgive sin on the basis of allowing us to live like the devil. God will never compromise His holiness for the sin of man. God has indeed made a perfect provision for the cleansing of the soiled saint through confession while maintaining His attribute of divine justice as the judge of the universe. But God makes no provision for the sinning reprobate who intends to trample upon the blood of Christ through willful sin.

We see this same principle in Romans 3:25-26. Here the Apostle Paul lays the ground work for the great declaration of the propitiation as "to declare...at this time his (God's) righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Some may be under the impression that God's chief concern in this universe is the salvation of sinners. While it is indeed true that God is deeply concerned with the salvation of man, there is something even greater than man's salvation that God is concerned with, and that is His own righteousness. If man's salvation compromised the holiness of God there would be none that would be saved. What is the first thing that God declares when listing the motivation of the propitiation? Was it the justification of the sinner? No, it is the righteousness of God, that He might first be just, and then after His justice is satisfied He justifies them which believe in Jesus.

Friend, God loves you, and His great motivation in delivering up His only Son was His great love for you. But He will not compromise His holiness with your sin to slip you in the back door of heaven.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14