Understanding Your Standing
Our standing before God is based on the grace to which we have constant access, and we must appropriate the benefits of justification by faith to enjoy the freedom Christ has made available.
Theodore Epp emphasizes that our standing before God is rooted in the grace we have through Jesus Christ, which is constant and does not require new credentials. He explains that while God accepts us in Christ, we must actively appropriate the grace and blessings available to us, much like accessing funds in a bank. Epp encourages believers to come boldly into God's presence and to drink from the well of grace that God offers. He highlights that justification by faith secures our standing, but we must take action to enjoy the accompanying benefits. Ultimately, our assurance in God's grace is as steadfast as God Himself.
Text
Romans 5:1-5
Our standing before God is in the grace to which we have constant access (Rom. 5:2). We do not need new credentials each time we come to God, because our standing is constant since we come by means of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us. God does not accept us as we are, but as we are in Christ Jesus. God makes His grace abound toward us (2 Cor. 9:8), and we are able to come boldly into His immediate presence (Heb. 10:19). All of this is available to us; our responsibility is simply to act on the basis of what God has made available. We need to follow the principle stated by Jesus: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" (John 7:37). Through grace, God has made all the benefits available to us; we now need simply to appropriate them or to act on the basis of what God extends to us.
God's grace is what He is; therefore, our standing is as sure as God is. Inasmuch as justification is by faith, it is already securely ours when we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour. The benefits, or blessings, that accompany justification are also ours, but in order to enjoy them we must appropriate them for ourselves. To fail in appropriating these benefits is like having money in the bank but refusing to use it or having water immediately available but refusing to drink it. Wonderful as these blessings are, they benefit us personally only as we appropriate them.
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" (Gal. 5:1).
Sermon Outline
- I. Our Standing Before God
- A. Based on the grace to which we have constant access (Rom. 5:2)
- B. Through what Jesus Christ accomplished for us
- II. God's Acceptance
- A. Not as we are, but as we are in Christ Jesus
- III. The Benefits of Justification
- A. Made available to us through God's grace
- B. Must be appropriated by faith
- IV. The Importance of Appropriation
- A. Like having money in the bank or water immediately available
- B. Must be used to enjoy the benefits
Key Quotes
“God does not accept us as we are, but as we are in Christ Jesus.” — Theodore Epp
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” — Theodore Epp
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” — Theodore Epp
Application Points
- We must act on the basis of what God has made available to us.
- We must appropriate the benefits of justification by faith to enjoy the freedom Christ has made available.
- We must not fail to use the benefits God has made available to us, like having money in the bank or water immediately available.