Pioneer Christian Monthly - September, 1990

Restored In His Image
William Bakelaar

Romans 3:9-18, 11 Corinthians 5:17,18

Paul in this chapter of his letter to the Romans gives them a collection of O.T. quotations that underscores his charge that both Jews and Gentiles are under the power of sin. He is saying here that we also are no good in ourselves. No one can lay claim to the title of saint. There is no righteousness in us unless we are in Christ - unless we are a new creation.

Some questions have been raised lately: Do we tell people only or mainly what they would like to hear? Tell them only that God loves them, as many preachers do, even in our own denominations? Should we only try to make them feel good? Is it because they feel good about themselves that going to church, studying God's Word, or having personal devotions and prayer is not that important for many people?

In order to appreciate more fully God's gift of his Son Jesus Christ, and to experience a higher joy and a greater happiness than what is commonly associated with these words - a joy that is experienced in tribulation and a happiness that reaches beyond, debt, disaster and even death - to experience the joy and comfort of belonging to Christ we need to know our true condition before God. Even before it becomes a question of faith, it is brought to our attention that we must acquire an understanding of our true condition before God (Answer 2 H.C,). Unable to love him and our neighbour as he requires.

God does not leave us in ignorance of our sins. The good news is, that he gave us His Word to make us understand and realize our true condition. It is God's grace and mercy that opens our eyes, to see our sinfulness and our true condition before Him, in order that we may be brought back to repentance by the saving grace through his Son Jesus Christ - to become a new creature, to have true joy and happiness and be restored more and more in His image.

"Behold, the dwelling of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death should be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore... " (Rev. 21:3,4).

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