Christ Church

Wordly Wisdom from Michael Perry

Juneteenth

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." — Romans 5:1

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, legally freeing enslaved people in the Confederate states. However, because Texas remained under Confederate control, that freedom was not enforced for more than two and a half years, until June 19, 1865. These people were free and did not realize it. They continued living in the condition of slavery, unaware that their status had changed.

Similarly, many Christians continue living in bo***ge to sin, guilt, and condemnation, not realizing that Christ has truly set them free once and for all.

Forgiveness is a wonderful gift, but forgiveness alone is not the reason we go to heaven. Only perfect people go to heaven. Sin creates a debt. Forgiveness releases the offense, but the debt must still be paid.

If you hit my Celica, dent the car, and break my Pittsburgh Steelers tag, I can forgive you, but the dent still needs to be repaired, the tag still needs to be replaced, and somebody has to pay for it. A debt was created.

God says we are justified by faith in what Jesus has done. A simple way to remember justification is: just as if I'd never sinned. God not only forgives the offense, He removes the dent. Through faith in Christ, His righteousness is credited to our account. We stand before God in a completely new condition—not merely forgiven, but in the very righteousness of God.

Through the finished work of Jesus, He has emancipated us from the penalty and condemnation of sin. The debt has been paid, the record has been cleared, and we now have peace with God.

Hallelujah!

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Christ Church VBS Step through the mist into Rainforest Falls, overflowing with wild waterfalls, towering trees and colorful creatures. Beneath a canopy of chattering birds and howling monkeys, kids plunge into a life-long adventure, discovering the nature of God, and exploring what it means to be rooted in relations...