Jesus Christ is the key to all the gifts of God. Neither prophets, nor saints, nor the Virgin Mary can mediate for you before God in grace or blessing. The heavenly Father answers our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, for he is the only one who intercedes with God for us. His name is the channel through which our prayers pass to God, and through which all spiritual gifts come. No one else but Jesus reconciled us with the Holy One. Thus, we receive from him the fullness of grace including forgiveness, peace, salvation and righteousness. All other divine blessings are but a favor, which we do not deserve.
“Grace” is the summary of Paul’s epistle. He experienced it in himself, for he was a persecutor of the church. He was saved not because of his enthusiasm, prayers, or good works, but because of the mercy of God bestowed on him in Christ. So, bring to everyone the good news of the absolute and great grace, as Christ gave you first grace, forgiveness, and peace.
As soon as you understand and confess the principle of grace, you become a bearer of grace, a preacher of the love of God, and a messenger of free justification. Did the Holy Spirit put his message into your heart? Or are you still silent, sad, and bound with the cords of your sins?
Whoever recognizes the message of grace loves God and his Christ, and obeys the laws of his kindness. The term “obedience to the faith” means to Paul the response of man to this grace. God did not ask of us obedience against our will with spite and noncompliance, but an entire dedication of our saved souls in gratitude to our Savior and Redeemer. Paul called himself a bondservant of Jesus Christ. In this title, he gave an exact explanation of the term “obedience to the faith”. Are you a bondservant of Christ? God forgave all men, in all times, all their sins for the sake of Christ. As we find no other message as useful and helpful to man as this one, we invite all those whom we know to submit to God and love his Christ, and experience the power of his grace. What a great message! Did you call your friends to obey the faith in the Giver of all grace?
The members of the church of Rome were directly called by Christ, and not by Paul or any other person. This is the mystery of the sound faith: that no man calls another man to salvation, except when the caller is at his best state, for we are instruments in the hand of our Lord. Jesus chooses and calls his followers personally and evidently. His voice penetrates to the depths of hearts, for it is the voice of Him who raises the dead. The word “church” means the fellowship of the called who left the pessimists, and assumed the responsibility of love in the service of God. Are you a called one of Jesus Christ? On the other hand, are you still useless and fruitless? Our religion is the religion of calling.
Whoever accepts and answers this call is beloved by God. How beautiful and glorious is the statement, which explains who the Christians are! They are the relatives of the Most High, and are known to him and respected by him. Moreover, God descended to their level and, because of his atonement, made them worthy of his fellowship. The love of God is greater and purer than the love of parents to their children, or the love between the bride and the bridegroom. The love of God is holy and never fails. Are you one of God’s beloved ones, filled with his love, and walking in his holiness?
Christ called us to forgiveness, obedience, and following. The summit of these characteristics is holiness. No one is holy in and of himself, but through our engagement with the redeeming Savior we became worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. Only through grace can we become holy and blameless before God in love. All the saints are separated from the world and are appointed for the service of God. They do not belong to themselves or to their relatives any more, because they became God’s own for the work of holiness. Are you one of them? Are you indeed holy by grace?