Thursday, October 25 ~ Miriam

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Luke 10-11; John 10:22-42.

Today's scripture focus is Romans 5:9-11.

⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰ For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!¹¹ Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

These are praise and thanksgiving verses to me.  We are justified by his blood!  We are saved from God's wrath!  Jesus is alive and we have eternal life through Him!  We rejoice in God through Jesus because we are saved, reconciled, cleansed!  I looked up the word rejoice, and it says to feel or express great joy or happiness!  

MacArthur says the following:

"We also rejoice exceedingly in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received the reconciliation." If there is one thing, one emotion, one attitude, one disposition that should dominate the life of a Christian, it is joy...it is joy. What else do you want if this doesn't bring you joy? What are you holding out for? That's the issue. Salvation is not merely a future, it is a present joy in anticipation of that future. That is why Paul says, "Rejoice always, and again I say rejoice." That is why it's a sin not to have joy. What do you want out of life? More contentment? More comfort? More agreement? More stuff? More what? What is the source of your joy if it's not this? Everything else is less than this. Everything else is considerably less than this. Everything else is wood, hay and stubble.

Not only all of these wonderful things, but because of all these wonderful things, we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ because all of them have come to us through this unearned, undeserved reconciliation.

I really do believe that the single greatest mark of spirituality is joy...joy. I'm not talking about silliness, frivolity, kind of a slap-happy attitude, irresponsible mentality that doesn't take into account serious things. I'm talking about an unassailable, deep-seeded settled joy that nothing in this world circumstantially can move...can't move it. My soul will make her boast in the Lord, O magnify the Lord with me and let's exalt His name together. I will rejoice in the Lord, says the psalmist, I will joy in the God of my salvation. I will go to the altar of my God, to God, my exceeding joy.

There's nothing to boast about in us, it's all through our Lord Jesus Christ. And the end of it all is joy. And if your life isn't dominated by joy, then you've lost touch with the greatness of the gifts that come in your salvation. You are secure forever, unalterably so. You have been given divine peace, divine grace, divine hope, divine love, divine deliverance and divine joy.

Tomorrow's scripture focus:  Romans 5:12-14.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage:  Luke 12-13.