Yesterday’s meditation focused on a vital point: righteousness is not a pre-condition for salvation. Instead, an awareness of our own unrighteousness is what leads us to accept God’s free gift of salvation.
While righteousness doesn’t lead to salvation, salvation does lead us to righteousness.
The old hymn Rock of Ages puts it well: “…let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.”
The first effect of Christ’s sacrifice is forgiveness of sins—what the hymn calls “save from wrath.”
That means that we have been granted pardon for sin.
In criminal law, a pardon isn’t given to someone who is innocent; it is given to someone who is guilty. It doesn’t erase the wrong that has been done, but it erases the punishment for it.
But the sacrifice Christ made goes further than that. It doesn’t just remove our guilt for past sin—it breaks the power of sin itself.
This is the side of salvation that is so often missed.
In the words of the first letter of John, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Don’t miss the last five words of that sentence—they will reshape your world.
God promises to “purify us from all unrighteousness.” That’s not talking about the past. That’s not talking about guilt for future sins. That’s talking about freedom from having to sin at all.
The second chapter of Titus makes it even clearer: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…”
“In this present age” is important. Freedom from sin isn’t something for some distant other-worldly future. It’s for here and now.
Galatians chapter 5 talks about the fruit of the Spirit being love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Those fruits—those gifts—allow us to obey the law without resorting to legalism. We attain righteousness in the same way we attain pardon: through the grace of God.
– Rev. Mark Fleming
This is part of a sermon/reading series in July-August, 2024, looking at some core Christian beliefs, along with distinctive emphases of the Methodist branch of Christianity.
The daily readings are my own, but they are loosely based on the topics covered in the Catechism of the Global Methodist Church. The column at the right contains the questions from the catechism and the sources it lists.
You can find the full catechism and other information about the Global Methodist Church at globalmethodist.org.
I invite you to join us for worship and other church gatherings at China Methodist Church and Forest Park Methodist Church.
Respectful conversation is welcome. Use the comment section at the end of this post.
From the Catechism of the Global Methodist Church:
54. What is Salvation?
By salvation, we mean, more than the promise of eternal life, but a present deliverance from sin, a restoration of the soul to its original purity; a recovery of the divine nature; in righteousness and true holiness, in justice, mercy and truth.
Romans 5:10 For if, while 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!
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodlines and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…
Titus 3:5 … he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit…
1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
59. What does this justification do?
It grants us pardon for sin.
Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 4:6-8 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
Romans 5:9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
Hebrews 9:26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
1 John 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Book of Doctrines and Discipline Paragraph 102 Read it here