Romans 4:22-25 "Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification."
Joan and I are in the process of building a house in southern Utah. Although we're still in the foundational stages (literally) of this adventure, we have already experienced a slew of emotions.... excitement, frustration, doubt, hope, joy, to name a few. While there are many stressors in a project like this, one that keeps recurring is the need to watch the "bottom line".
The first step in our journey was to develop a construction budget. We researched websites, spoke to local homeowners and contractors, conferred with city building officials and determined a basic "per square foot" cost. With that in mind, we put together a design for our new home.
We've moved forward through all the preliminary phases and have now started the construction process. I've also started writing checks, and I'm keeping a close watch on my Excel spreadsheet. My hope and expectation is that by the end of the process, the credits will balance with, or exceed, the debits. Not knowing the "bottom line" wakes me up at night. I need to finish "in the black".
In my morning time with God, I've started reading through Romans. I love Paul's repeated emphasis of salvation by grace through faith. No matter how hard I try, I can't do enough, be good enough to deserve Heaven. If my life were to be expressed as a spreadsheet, the debits would far outweigh the credits. There's no way that the bottom line would qualify me to spend eternity with my Heavenly Father. And I'm not alone. Paul echoes the Old Testament writer's words, "There is none who is righteous, no not one..." (Rom 2:10)
I am so thankful for the truth of Rom 4:22... as with Abraham, God has credited our faith in Jesus (Who He is and What He did for us) as righteousness. Jesus' words on the cross ("It is finished!") declared it, "sealed the deal", finalized the transaction. By His death and resurrection, He erased the debits, declared my account "Paid in Full", and guaranteed a positive bottom line on my life's balance sheet.
Dear Lord, words cannot express my gratitude for Your mercy and grace. I cannot fathom the depth of Your love; it doesn't make sense to me that You would allow Your Son to take my punishment, to suffer in my place. You know me intimately and You, above all, know that I don't deserve it. I love You, I trust You, and my heart's desire is to honor and serve You. Please work in and through me today. Use me to bless others as You have blessed me. Amen.
