We spent Tuesday and Wednesday on the road, driving home. Outside of a couple of construction zones and a few spots of congested traffic the drive was uneventful, just the kind we like.
I have no idea how many thousands of miles we have traveled over the years. God’s hand of protection has guided us. Protection. A gift that I never take for granted.
I was reminded of another gift that God has blessed us with when I was reading this morning, The gift of righteousness. Simply put, righteousness means right-standing or acceptable.
“There is a lot of difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gift. That one sin led to punishment. But God’s gift made it possible for us to be acceptable to him, even though we have sinned many times. 17 Death ruled like a king because Adam had sinned. But that cannot compare with what Jesus Christ has done. God has treated us with undeserved grace, and he has accepted us because of Jesus. And so we will live and rule like kings.
18 Everyone was going to be punished because Adam sinned. But because of the good thing that Christ has done, God accepts us and gives us the gift of life. 19 Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God.” Romans 5:16-19 CEV
God’s gift of right-standing isn’t seasonal; it’s a gift 24-7-365. Every day, all year long. Right-standing with God has been granted and as the verse says, “made it possible for us to be acceptable to him, even though we have sinned many times.”
The reason Christ came was to pay the price for our sins. Something we were and are unable to do on our own.
“ When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. 20 So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. 21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21 ERV
This was God’s plan from the beginning; He wanted us to be a part of His family and to live with Him in His home. The gift of right standing with God is like coming home!