JUSTIFICATION & REGENERATION

This is what we are using in the ladies' Bible study to lead us through the Scriptures to get a thorough look at the doctrines of Justification & Regeneration.  Chapter 1, which we covered last week, was all about sin.  A few quotes that stood out to me from that chapter...

"... lost men imagine themselves to be "basically good," unless God in mercy reveals to them the true condition of their blackened hearts.  Sin is the ultimate and only problem of humanity.  It is my ultimate and only problem and your ultimate and only problem" (17). 

"None can free himself or escape from sin's bondage.  Sin "reigns" over the sinner and rides on his back like a tyrant until it eventually brings him down to the pit of destruction and death" (19).  -- Rom. 5:21

"We must face the fact that the world is not the way it is because it has a few bad people like Hitler; the world is the way it is because it is made up of multitudes of people just like us!  There is deep wickedness in each of us" (20).

It's not very uplifting to look at the truth of sin.  Some things Leiter teaches through the Scriptures are that sin is:

1) Absolutely universal

2) All-pervasive

3) Irrational

4) Deceitful

5) Hardening

6) Enslaving

7) Debasing

8) Defiling

The application of this chapter in my life, is that in seeing sin for what ugly, darkness it is, it will make me tolerate it even less in my own life.  I desire, through the power of Jesus, to kill it at the first sign of it and not allow it to be present, no matter how big or small.  My desire is to grow in holiness, and I recognize this growth will contine for the rest of the days I have breath!   Also, I am even more grateful for the gift of grace given to me and the righteousness of Christ that covers me.  It also makes me see the lost with more compassion and a desire to show them there is freedom from the tyrant riding on their backs!

Chapter 2 gives us the hope of how Christ is the only One who can free us from this tyrant because of that word... propitiation!!!