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“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” The children of Israel are not the only people who have ever attempted to establish their own standard of righteousness. This seems to be a common human dilemma. Men, in their sin, desire a god made in their own image. When we have convinced ourselves that our standard is sufficient to save us, the last thing we want to hear is God’s word. It reveals our sinfulness and points us to a source of redemption outside ourselves. The free gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ does not appeal to selfish, human desire. It is the word of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit that convicts us of the sin from which our selfishness stems, and causes us to submit ourselves to God through faith in His son. If you are making an attempt at establishing a righteousness sufficient to keep you from Hell and bring you to God, your efforts are doomed, like the children of Israel, to failure. Humble and sincere belief in Jesus Christ is your only hope. Come to Him today.

“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus didn’t accept our death sentence because He thought we were “good enough people”. The love of God took into account our wretched sinful estate, redeeming us as a result of the Father’s goodness, not our own. If we had been acceptable in and of ourselves, we would not have needed a Savior. These facts make what Jesus did all the more compelling! He was the only son of God, while we were the enemies of God. He was entitled to glory and honor, while we were deserving only death. He was capable of calling upon the hosts of heaven to prevent His death and humiliation, while we were helpless and bound for Hell. Even as we struggled against God’s will, He was suffering to fully embrace it. Jesus willingly endured the cross because of His perfect love for the world He created. To reject His sacrifice, attempting to gain God’s favor on our own is both a failing strategy, and an offense to the Savior. Men should instead embrace Him, and live a life worthy of Him.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” Every person alive is a sinner, separated from a holy God by actions consistent with an inherited sin nature. No work of our own can bridge the gap between us and God. Only one person, through His voluntary bloodshed and death could reconcile us. He was sent by God, born of a virgin, free from the stain of sin, perfect in character and behavior, and possessing the full embodiment and essence of the one true God, Jehovah. The Father chose, before time began, to fulfill His own requirement of a blood atonement in the sacrifice of His only son. Jesus Christ was fully God, born into His creation fully human, and when He died on the cross and was buried, death could only grasp Him three days. Rising from the dead He conquered sin, was proven alive by many witnesses, and returned to His father to plead the case of men who place their faith in Him. This magnificent work of love and grace has afforded us the opportunity to be saved from sin, death and Hell. If you have not placed your faith in Christ, I plead with you to call upon Him, accepting Him as your personal savior today!

“And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.” It is amazing how God displays His character in every action and instruction. His mercy was built into the plans for Israel! These cities of refuge display His concern for justice in the lives of the falsely accused. Many will read through the Old Testament, seeing only the “harsh” judgment of God. Believers should observe instead His wonderful, loving attributes. In a sinful culture, the accused are often treated with immediate condemnation, with no regard to their actual guilt or innocence. God chose to grant them a place of mercy, fair trial, and a chance for safety. This did not change the hearts of the people, but it did give them a system within which they could operate, maintaining a Godly level of fairness. I wonder how well we would work within the system if we lived in a city of refuge? Would we feel comfortable with accused murderers “dwelling among” us? That’s what I was wondering as I read this verse. Do you have an answer?

“And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” The question in verse 19 is key to understanding the theme of forgiveness. To hold a sin against another, or to take vengeance for their evil is to put one’s self in the place of God. Sins are self-centered actions; by their very nature they put us in a place (in our own minds) of equality with God. By indulging ourselves in sin, we are making ourselves preeminent. When we do this, we are both acting against our own best interest, and rejecting the potential for a wonderful working of God. Joseph chose not to put himself first, and, in God’s reverse logic, therefore obtained a greater benefit. Can’t we see like Joseph that by doing what we want we are working against God? He had a magnificent plan in mind for this young man sold into slavery. Let us not automatically assume all difficult things are bad for us. Certainly it will be hard to see good at the moment of pain, but if we take a moment to observe the bigger picture, we may realize that our Lord indeed works in the most evil of circumstances.

“Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” When a man has a heart of anger and unforgiveness, typically all he can think about is himself. He rehearses the offense over and over in his mind, remembering his pain, and dwelling on the wrong that was done him. The important thing is that the offender pay for what they have done, no matter how unjust or inequitable the payment may be. Joseph was not such a person. Here he chooses the antithesis of sin. Instead of dwelling on himself, he thinks only of the well-being of Egypt, his father, and the very brothers that wronged him. What’s even more astonishing is that he dismisses the offense, even to the point of comforting his brothers by acknowledging God’s plan to turn it around! While this is a right and holy action, it is certainly not instinctive. Our flesh automatically demands we defend and protect ourselves, laying all blame on others. This is why we must look to God for help in matters of forgiveness. His will is that we instead act after the example of Joseph.

“Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” If a man who is born again by Christ is ever tempted to look down his long nose at a sinful world, he ought to remember the theme of this verse. Many believers today are outraged by the sins of a generation without Christ. We should instead remember our own lives without Him! Christians should never be surprised that lost people engage in gross sin with no conscience or remorse. They are simply walking in slavery to “the desires of the flesh and of the mind”. This is not an excuse for secular society to do wrong, it is simply a fact of reality that should prompt us to do more witnessing than protesting. We were, and sometimes are (presently); “even as others”. Sinners saved by grace are not better than other sinners, we are simply capable of recognizing evil and avoiding it. Yet even these capabilities cannot be used to elevate our sense of self-righteousness, because they are provided exclusively by God’s Holy Spirit.

“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” The word predestinate means to “decide beforehand”; what an amazing thought! God himself, realizing who we would be, and what we would do, decided beforehand to adopt us into his family. He didn’t make the decision grudgingly, but rather according to His own “good pleasure”. The thought of it is simultaneously wonderful and ridiculous. How is it that a holy God could choose to redeem humanity, by the sacrifice of His only son? The second verse gives us a hint; it was in accordance with His glorious grace. God, taking action in perfect harmony with His magnificent character, “made us” accepted. It is by God’s choice and direct action that we are saved. Take a moment to thank Him for choosing to do what He did not have to do.