ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Monday April 3, 2017

“What we deserve is divine wrath”

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,"

- Romans 1:18

Justification

What is Justification?

The power of Justification

How can God Justify?

God does not justify us because of what we are or what we have done. The whole point of Paul’s argument in Romans 1:18 – 3:20, is to demonstrate the sheer impossibility of such an event. Rather than justification, it is divine wrath which man has merited. Romans 2:1 – 16 presses this point home by underlying of four great principles of divine judgment:

1) men are judged according to truth or reality so that nothing can be hidden (Roman 2:2)

2) judgment will be according to works and since “none is righteous, no, not one” Roman 3:10), all will stand condemned (Romans 2:5 – 6).

3) God’s judgment will be according to the light which men have received (Romans 2:12 – 15). But this will inevitably lead to condemnation for those who have sinned without knowing the law, as well as those who have had the Lord revealed and broken its dictates.

4) God will judge men according to Christ Jesus (Romans 2:16). In that light, men are without excuse. To stand before God on the grounds of what we are or have achieved is to expose ourselves to the thorough- going condemnation of the God against whom we have sinned.

Challenge:

Grateful men & women who have come into God’s favor, through Christ find today’s lesson “hard-hitting” reality! Where shall we stand and not be condemned? Oh, for grace to find us wanting and bring us into His fold by sheer mercy is beyond our comprehension. Praise you Father for your goodness through your blessed Son who has counted us as His own.

This Day in Christian History:

The Death of Jesus – April 3, AD 33

What we do know is that Jesus died when Caiaphas was high priest (dates uncertain), Pontius Pilate was governor (AD 26 until sometime before Passover AD 37), and Tiberias was emperor (AD 14-37). Working with astrophysicist Graeme Waddington, physicist Colin J. Humphreys was able to narrow down the possible dates of Christ’s death to just two: 7 April 30 and 3 April 33.

Using careful examination of the available records and astronomical evidence, Humphreys argued that April 3, AD 33 not only fits best with all the evidence, but also experienced an eclipse of the moon—an event known in ancient literature as “the moon turning to blood.” Showing that the ancient calendar of Moses differed from the official Jerusalem calendar of the first century, he was able to eliminate the discrepancies between John’s Gospel and the synoptics. John reports the official Passover as it would have been observed at the temple, whereas the other three writers use an older calendar.

It seems, then, that on this day, 3 April 33 under the Julian calendar, Jesus died.

Memory Verse:

"KO ia, tau tuku ke fakatonuhia‘i kitautolu ‘i he tui, ka tau ma‘u melino ai mo e ‘Otua ‘i hotau ‘Eiki ko Sīsū Kalaisi;" - Loma 5:1

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" - Romans 5:1

Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)

Week 14 – Joshua 18-21; Psalm 15; Luke 18