It is WHO you know that matters. Romans 11

Keeping in view the themes of Romans—such as Romans 5.1-2, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”  We have access to God through Jesus Christ; and one day, it will be because of that, we will live forever with God.  Consider this:

“Many years ago two of my daughters and I were in Washington, D.C., where I spoke at a church retreat.  Present for the weekend was a member of President Bush’s secret-service detail.  He asked us whether we wanted to visit the Oval Office the next day, since the president was out of town.  We were honored to accept.

The next morning we met at one of the gates at the White House.  When we stopped at the first guard station, one of my daughters offered her purse to the officer for inspection, but he waved her on.  “You are with him,” he said, nodding to the agent, “go on in.”

Then, as we entered the White House, we met another assembly of guards.  They looked at the agent, glanced at us, and said, “You are with him.  Go on in.”  In the hallway we met more guards.  Again they looked at the agent, glanced at us, and said, “You are with him . . . Go on in.”

By now we were nearing the Oval Office; I could already see the open door.  One more guard stood at the entrance.  Glancing at the agent, he, too, waved us on toward the door with the understanding, You are with him.  Go on in.  Then we set foot in the Oval Office, though we were not allowed to walk far beyond the doorway.

Now imagine that all believers in Christ were to die together.  When we arrive on the other side of the gate called death, Jesus comes to join us on our journey enroute to our heavenly home.  We go past one sentry of angels standing guard on the path to the New Jerusalem.  They look at Christ, then glance at us and say, “You’re with Him.  Go on in.”

Then we pass another band of angels and yet another.  Each time, they look at Christ and then glance at us and say, “You’re with Him.  Go on in.”

Finally, we near the very dwelling place of God.  We are almost blinded by what the Scriptures call “unapproachable light.”  For a moment we have a flashback, remembering our sins and failures.  Among us are women who had abortions; prostitutes; former adulterers stand with homosexuals, thieves with the covetous; all of these were redeemed and cleansed by Christ’s blood.

Among the group also are many who were spared such evils, though they struggled with similar sins in their minds.  The flashback is so powerful, so real, each of us protests, “I can’t go in!  I can’t go in!”

But the angels at the gate of the dwelling place of God look at Jesus, then they glance at us and say, “You’re with Him . . . Go on in!”  And so it is that Christ ushers us into the presence of Almighty God.

Don’t ever think there are many ways to the divine.  Jesus is the one qualified mediator, the only qualified sacrifice, and the only qualified Savior.”**

Since we have been justified through faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace

in which we now stand…Amen.

Christine

podcast:

 **from a great, informative book I am reading, 10 Lies About God by Erwin Lutzer