but Jesus can meet every need of the human soul. Have you ex changed all of your human assets for Christ? Lay your goodness to one side so that Cod can credit Jesus Christ to your account. Are you ready to meet the Lord? If God should call you today, are you assured of your eternal des tiny? Paul's highest goal was to be found in Christ (Philippians 3:9). This should be our earnest pur pose as well. We should recognize the difference between grace and law as the Apostle has defined it clearly. It has been well said that the true understanding of the Bible consists in a true understanding of the meaning of the words of Scrip ture. These include such terms as sin, salvation, justification, sancti fication, redemption, imputation, the new birth, and similar terms. While we may update these words we should never change their or iginal meanings. This ninth verse is really a very short and succinct commentary on the whole book of Romans. It deals with the heart of salvation in cap sule form. Consider what the Apos tle wrought, "But now the right eousness of Cod without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets" (Romans 3:21). Everything was changed by the death, burial and resurrec tion of Jesus Christ. For Paul, all time was divided into "then" and "now." First for himself in his own personal experience, and second theologically into the period be fore Christ had made the joy of salvation possible. The cross of Calvary brings all of the plan of Cod into present focus. Like the blind man who was healed by Je sus, he could cry out, "one thing
I know, that whereas once I was blind, now I am able to see!" With Christ's atonement a new dispen sation had been brought forth. Incidentally, the word dispensa tion in the Bible is a translation of an interesting Greek term from which we get our English word "economy." It had to do with the method of governing the affairs of a household. Thus it means God's methods of administrating His plans for governing these believers who are now in the household of faith. The usage given to it shows that God has administered His plans differently from one time to another, depending on the degree of His revelation. As an example, if you recognize that the gospel of Jesus Christ is open and avail able to all men, instead of merely to members of one certain race, then you are recognizing the prin ciple of dispensations. There was a drastic change made at the time when our Lord Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead. At the same time we must never fall into the error of believing that man has ever been saved in any other way than that set forth through faith in God's eternal plan of salvation. Moses way back in the Old Testament was saved by looking forward to the promised Redeemer, just as you and I are saved by looking back to the cross. Christ has always been in the cen ter and circumference of God's program. There is absolutely no salvation apart from Him. Paul ultimately wanted to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness which was of the law, but that which is by faith alone in the Saviour. May this be our earnest purpose and consuming
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