Complimentary Story
April 2026Who are the justified? They are the ones of faith stayed upon our God “the Author and Finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) and “our salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). Those who choose to live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4). “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is a reward of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6).
Paul states in Romans 4:3-5, “For what saith the Scriptures? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness (right thinking). Now to him that worketh (of the flesh, is but filthy rags, as stated in Isaiah 64:6 and) is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (“For the wages of sin is death” as Romans 6:23 states); But to him that worketh not (in the flesh), but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness,” right thinking and justified. Only right thinking is just! (Romans 4:7) “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” For “if we confess our sins (state we are sinners in repentance), He is faithful and just (because the price He paid, it makes Him just) to forgive us our sins, and to cleans us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
We are considered just by God (justified) in II Corinthians 5:17-21. “If any man be in Christ (by one’s faith in Christ), he is a new creature (born again): old things (the way we used to think); are passed away; behold all things are become new.” (2537-new as in a different way of thinking than how we used to think). For “all things (now) are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Christ Jesus (reconciled means we now think the same), and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation (making disciples of others with right thinking). Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ (in taking this gospel of repentance and forgiveness to the entire world, Luke 24:47), as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He (the Father) hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the (right thinking) of God in Him.” Justified by our faith in His work, and living by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,” as Jesus stated in Matthew 4:4.
Why would anyone, after experiencing the results of God’s divine nature, and seeing His will and purpose worked out in our lives, want to walk away from our Creator and Savior in search of other gods that are not gods? Again, Paul states in Romans 8:31-35; “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intersession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Paul, of all people, knew what it was like to go through these things. Read II Corinthians 11:23-33, of which he also said in Philippians 4:11-13, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everyone where and in all things I am instructed (of God) to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Romans 8:36-39)
“As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death (which is our gain, Philippians 1:21), nor life (for to live is Christ), nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers (the workings of Satan and his demons), nor things present (what I now face), nor things to come (as bad as it could get), nor height (5313-lifted up), nor depth (899-deep poverty), nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Paul also stated his confidence in God in II Corinthians 4:6-10, 11-18; “For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side (the evils at every turn, shootings, wars and rumors of wars), yet not distressed; we are perplexed (evil cannot be rationalized because it is the result of much deception), but not in despair: Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body (to keep in mind) the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest (5319-made visible or apparent) in our body,” emulating the divine nature of God.
(Verses 11-18) “For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” Again all this is for one purpose, that in us the divine nature might be made manifest (apparent) in our mortal flesh! “So then death worketh in us, but life (also) in (us). We having the same spirit of faith (one with Christ as also stated in Ephesians 4:1-6), according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken: we also believed, and therefore speak; knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall present us (to the Father) with you. For all things (that we experience) are for your sakes (also stated in Romans 8:28), that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many rebound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not: but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment (compared to eternity), worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for all things that are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seem are eternal.”
With much undeniable confidence that Paul had in Christ; Why would we choose to allow our faith to shift to other gods, turning our heart away from Almighty God, our Creator, to other gods; denying the very purpose we are called out from the world?
