- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 1
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 5
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 3
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 6
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 4
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 7
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 6
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 13
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 7
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 17
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 8
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 21
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 9
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 24
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 11
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 25
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 12
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 26
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 15
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 27
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 18
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 28
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 21
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Mark 6
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 22
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Mark 8
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 24
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 1
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 27
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 2
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 28
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 4
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 37
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 7
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 39
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 15
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 40
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 16
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 41
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 18
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 42
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 19
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 43
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 20
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 44
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 24
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 45
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 1
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 50
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 3
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 1
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 4
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 2
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 6
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 3
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 8
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 4
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 10
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 5
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 13
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 6
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 14
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 7
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 15
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 8
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 16
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 9
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 17
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 10
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 20
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 11
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 21
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 12
- Acts 1: The Ministry of the Gospel
- Exodus 13: Paying the Price
- Acts 2: Faith Founded on Fact
- Exodus 14–18: When Security Vanishes
- Acts 7: Eternal Glory
- Exodus 19: The Covenant to Come
- Acts 8: Counterfeit Gospels
- Exodus 20: The Holy Splendor of God
- Acts 9: From Persecutor to Proclaimer
- Exodus 32: God’s Inexpressible Glory
- Acts 10: The Gospel Goes to the Gentiles
- Leviticus 16: The Holiness of God
- Acts 13: Paul’s Missionary Journeys
- Numbers 13: The Book of Wanderings
- Acts 15: How Are We Saved?
- Numbers 14: The Faithfulness of God
- Acts 16: Interrupted Plans
- Deuteronomy 1: “Beware Lest You Forget”
- Acts 17: How to Spread the Good News
- Deuteronomy 2: Knowing God
- Acts 18: Encouragement through Fellow Believers
- Deuteronomy 3: Mercy and Judgment
- Acts 19–20: The Power and Word of God
- Acts 20–21: The Cost of Following Christ
- Deuteronomy 4: Leaving a Legacy
- Acts 22: Common Ground without Compromise
- Deuteronomy 5: The Purpose of the Law
- Acts 23: The Centrality of the Resurrection
- Deuteronomy 6: The Pitfalls of Prosperity
- Acts 24: Living in Light of the Resurrection
- Deuteronomy 7: Warnings about the World
- Acts 25: The Witness of Waiting
- Deuteronomy 8: Our Daily Bread
- Acts 26: Agents of Eternal Change
- Deuteronomy 27: A Covenant of Obedience
- Acts 27: Surviving the Storm
- Deuteronomy 28: Idolatry of the Heart
- Acts 28: Service and Encouragement
- Deuteronomy 29: Anticipating the New Covenant
- Romans 1: A Practical Theology
- Deuteronomy 30: God’s Merciful Covenant
- Romans 2: The Universal Moral Law
- Deuteronomy 32: Learning from the Past
- Romans 3: Righteousness in Christ
- Deuteronomy 34: The Death of Moses
- Romans 4: The Grace of Justification
- Joshua 1: Listening to the Lord
- Romans 5: Reconciliation with God
- Joshua 2: Rahab’s Faith
- Romans 6: Fighting the Flesh
Paul often begins his epistles with the phrase “grace and peace to you” (see 1 Corinthians 1:3). While we may be tempted to skim over these greetings, they reveal an important concept: The grace of God brings about peace with God—apart from His gracious work, we would not be able to have peace with Him.
The Work of Christ
As we come to understand the work of Jesus Christ, we can see that it has many facets. For example, on one level His life ought to be a moral example for us. We see the way He lived and how He died for us, and we ought to act out of that same love for others in our lives. Another aspect of His work is that of Christus Victor—He has defeated Satan through His life and death and has conquered the grave. Neither of these aspects by themselves are enough, however, to understand Christ’s work.
In Romans 5, Paul focuses on the aspect of penal substitution, which is how we are reconciled to God. Because we cannot achieve the righteousness that God requires, we stood in need of someone to achieve that righteousness for us. Jesus Christ, the God-man, is the only One who could do so. He paid our debt to bring us near to God.
We cannot understand this mystery fully—when we finally come to dwell in the presence of God, we will continue to unpack the beauty and the glory of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
Reconciliation with God
Sin had entered the world through Adam, and we were in his line, the line of death. But Jesus, who is the second Adam, has brought us into His line instead. With undiminished deity, He took on humanity in order to reconcile us to God.
Because Jesus Christ has reconciled us with God, we are being transformed even in this present darkness. We are declared righteous, and we are still growing in righteousness. These are not two opposite ideas; rather, they focus on the truth of our life in this soul-forming world. Our position is in Christ in the heavenly places, and we grow in our practice of that identity.
This teaching is based on Ken’s Handbook to Scripture.
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