Cornerstone

Romans 5:12-21 (16)

[16] And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

One company advertizes, “Why not clean just once and not have to clean again for awhile?  Wouldn’t that be much better?  Now, you clean it once with Power Green Cleaning products then you use our sealers and forget.  It will stay for clean for years.  All you will have to do is wipe it off.”  This is a weak comparison to what Paul described in Romans 5.  Adam’s sin stained the whole human race but God’s cleansing grace was greater.  Jesus on the cross provided salvation that was able to undo Eden’s tragedy.

Julia Harriet Johnston described this beautifully when she wrote:

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.          

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Dr. Gayle Woods

Psalm 51:1-19 (14)

 [14] Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

The idiot lights on the dashboards of our car are placed there for a purpose and yet often they are ignored.  Maybe you like others have taken a piece of electrical tape and covered up the light so it would not be so annoying.  Guilt is like the red warning light on the dashboard of the car. You can either stop and deal with the trouble, or cover up the light.  The only way to find peace in the matter is with the cry of the Psalmist, “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God”  Coco Chanel a French Fashion designer though not a Christian understood the dynamic of guilt when he said, “Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion of death.”  He probably was describing the pain of his own soul.  One of the rewarding advantages of salvation from sinfulness is a complete dissipation of guilt.  Minnie A Steele expressed this divine relief when she penned the immortal words to her hymn.

 I remember when my burdens rolled away;
That I feared would never leave, night or day.
Jesus showed to me the loss,
So I left them at the cross;
I was glad when my burdens rolled away.

Dr. Gayle Woods