The BIG Picture (Shorts)

Rom.5:2 “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Justification is far more than a mere cessation of God's wrath. Believers have not just been delivered from hostility; they have been brought directly into an eternal position of favor and mercy. We are the immediate beneficiaries of a complete positional status change. Because of Christ, we possess an unshakeable peace and have bold access to the throne of grace in every moment of need. Doubting this permanent standing only serves to rob God of the glory and joy that is rightfully due to Him. When you are fully persuaded of His ability to perform exactly what He promised, you can finally stop standing back in fear. We can draw near with absolute confidence, realizing we have been permanently reconciled. Learning Point: We are the immediate beneficiaries of a perfect positional favour that replaces divine wrath with permanent access. Cross-Reference: Rom.5:11 “A...

Consider the verse in the image in light of Matt 16:28 and Mk 9:1. These verses preview the glorious Second Coming of Jesus. Reading Matt 16:28–17:8, Mk 9:1-8, and Lk 9:27-36, we know how that Jesus was transformed in glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. Essentially, Peter, John, and James saw a preview of Christ coming in His glory at His Second Coming to set up His kingdom on earth. The Lord’s appearance was glowing white, and His clothes were whiter than bleached garments! Matt 25:31 says: “The Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:” Paul, in 2 Thess 2:8, refers to “the brightness of [Christ’s] coming.” Peter, describing Christ’s kingdom, writes in 1Pet 1:11, “the glory that should follow.” Many years after Christ’s earthly ministry, John later saw some of that glory when he wrote the book of the Revelation: “and [Christ’s] countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” (1:16). ______________ J...