If there is anything Saint Paul in Galatians or Martin Luther in the Reformation should impress upon you, it is the fact that when it comes to our redemption, when it comes to the King reclaiming His once-usurped kingdom and citizens, when it comes to being saved, God is the prime mover. The LORD is the primary actor. God determines the appropriate moment for the new age to break into the old and how it will be so. It is the Father who sends first His Son and then the Holy Spirit (we cannot get them to come). God set the terms of the Covenant (not us). The Lord fulfills the Covenant (not us). The Lord applies the Covenant (not us). The Lord determines the composition of His family (not us). God gets all the credit (we get none). He gets all the glory (we get all the benefit). There is no, “I got saved.” Rather, it is: “You have been saved.” This is why it is called Good News! What this means is believers baptized into Christ do not have to scrutinize the verity of their salvation, of their being adopted by God, of their family status, of their being justified before the holy Law of God because of their doing, their skin color, their diet, their religiosity, and/or their asking Jesus into their heart. All of it is like circumcision or uncircumcision: They mean nothing in the economy of salvation. Christ busies Himself with accomplishing salvation (race, age, sex, ability, or even intelligence notwithstanding). The Holy Spirit busies Himself with applying that salvation, without notice of race, age, sex, ability, or intelligence. The Father busies Himself with basking in the glory of it all because everything is a gift! The answer is, “Everything is already done,” by Christ!
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