Our God is in heaven
"The faithful, when they place God in heaven, do not confine him to a certain locality, nor sets limits to his infinite essence, but they deny the limitation of his power, its being shut up to human instrumentality only, or its being subject to fate or fortune. In short, they put the universe under his control; and, being superior to every obstruction, he does freely everything that may seem good to him."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
"The Remission of Sins"
Isaiah 1:18
Reading from the English Standard Version
Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
"John Calvin once said that the remission of sins was the heart of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. The word 'remission' is made up of the word mission and the prefix re-. Mission is taken from the Latin word missio, which means 'to send.' The prefix re- means 'away' or 'again.' Thus, to speak of the remission of sins is to say that our transgressions have been sent away.
"In short, being justified has to do with the reality of our guilt. In justification, God declares us righteous based on the imputed righteousness of Christ. In so doing, He also releases us from the penalty our guilt has incurred because in justification, our sins are imputed to Jesus upon whom God poured out the wrath we deserved. Our sins are sent away from us in Christ. Consequently, we are declared righteous in the eyes of our Creator."
The drastic differenc in our passage between the colors of scarlet and white shows that even the most vile sins can be forgiven. God can make the darkest stain white.
"If you are in Christ you have been forgiven of even the most heinous of sins."
Hallelujah!
"Grounded In Mercy"
Titus 3:5
Reading from the English Standard Version
he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
In Romans 12:1, Paul urged us to commit to being living sacrifices "in view of God's mercy." There are a number of things he could have been thinking about. Could have been God's righeousness that comes to us through faith. Or maybe the justification that comes freely by his grace. Or maybe God presenting Jesus as the propitiation for our sins.
In Romans 4:8, Paul declares, "blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin." "He would have thought of how we now have peace with God, having been justified through faith, and that we now stand before Him in grace every day." He carries this thought along in Romans 8:1 when he says that there is "no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." He relished the promise of future glory and "the assurance that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus."
"In short, Paul would have had in mind the gospel of Jesus Christ in all its wonderfulness when he wrote of the mercy of God."
This very mercy is the basis of our commitment to pursue holiness. It would be legalistic and oppressive if not grounded in love. And Paul continuously reminds us of God's mercy and grace.
I will press forward, Father. I will press on, as Paul commands us in the Scriptures. I will run for the prize. Let nothing hinder me as I pursue holiness in your name.
Father, I thank you for new beginnings. I pray for your body of believers that will be meeting as "Wings of Freedom Church." We are simply a small piece of your Church, and may we constantly be reminded of this. Let us love the Church as you love her.
Grace and peace, friends.