saved from a to z
"All men are now undeservedly justified by the gift of God, through the redemption wrought in Christ Jesus." —Romans 3:24
"You were dead because of your sins and offenses" (Eph 2:1). You "sinned and [were] deprived of the glory of God" (Rm 3:23). Because you sinned, even if it were but one sin, you have "become guilty on all counts" as a transgressor of God's law (Jas 2:10). When you sinned, you turned away from God's integrated plan of holiness and bought into the system of sin. You were then connected into the fabric of sin, plugged into sin rather than God, joined to all sins ever committed (see Lk 11:50).
This is what Jesus means when He says our "guilt stretches from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah" (Lk 11:51). He says, in effect, that when we join in sin, we sin from A to Z.
The good news is that Jesus is the new A to Z, "the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End!" (Rv 22:13) Through His blood, Jesus expiates and forgives sins from A to Z (Rm 3:25). If we believe in Jesus and repent sincerely of sin, He justifies us in the sight of God (Rm 3:24, 26). Accept Jesus as your Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. Be a new creation —from A to Z.
Prayer: Jesus, I want to belong to You with all my heart. I abandon myself to You. Use me according to Your will.
Promise: "If You, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand? But with You is forgiveness."—Ps 130:3-4
Praise: St. Margaret Mary was used by God to help others understand the mercy and love Christ had for all, especially through the manifestation of His Sacred Heart.
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by one of our editors.) (For a related teaching, order our tape Effects of Sin on audio AV 81-3 or video V-81.)
Rescript:
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Giles H. Pater, April 24, 2003
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 28, 2003