A Year with Jesus

Note from Jesus

Dear Partner in Grace,

You and I are joined!

You believe that I died for your sins, was buried, and was raised from the dead. By now, you should have shared in baptism with Me based on that faith. In immersion based upon your faith, we are "joined" together! Not only are you saved by My death, burial, and resurrection, but you also shared them with Me when you called on My name for salvation and were baptized.

As you saw two days ago, the good news story of My saving grace is built on My death, burial, and resurrection. Your faith in Me and what I did make salvation from sin and death available to you. Your baptism is not just a step or a symbol, and it is not a work that merits your salvation. Rather, because of your faith in Me and through your immersion, we were joined in My death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-7). My sacrifice on the cross and My resurrection are what save you.

Your faith that what I did - on the cross, in the tomb, and in being raised from the dead - satisfied all of God's demands for righteousness is how you receive My grace. By faith, as you are baptized, we are joined together in these events and My new resurrected life becomes your new life. My future is now your new future. You don't have to earn this grace. You don't have to win the Father's favor. You don't have to pay for past sins. You are joined to Me. I paid the debt. I defeated death. I AM alive forever to the glory of God. And you are joined to Me and share in each of these eternity-changing realities!

Paul explained it this way:

Therefore, if anyone is united with the Anointed One [Jesus], that person is a new creation. The old life is gone - and see - a new life has begun! ...

He [the Creator God] orchestrated this: the Anointed One, Who had never experienced sin, became sin for us so that in Him we might embody the very righteousness of God.
(2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Verses to Live

Notice the simplicity of the message and how you are "joined" with Me in My sacrifice to save you and "united" with Me as in the verse above!

Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
(Romans 6:3-4 NLT)

For I passed down to you the crux of it all which I had also received from others, that the Anointed One, the Liberating King, died for our sins and was buried and raised from the dead on the third day. All this happened to fulfill the Scriptures; it was the perfect climax to God's covenant story.
(1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Response in Prayer

Holy and Almighty God, I know that You are awesome in holiness and completely righteous. I confess that it is hard for me to understand how Jesus could become sin for me so that I could become Your righteousness. But, dear Father, I recognize Your overwhelming grace given to me in the gift of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. I come to You in prayer rejoicing that I am joined with Him and share in His triumph over sin and death. I am thankful that I don't have to earn your love and grace. I am thankful that you chose to pay the price for my sins through the sacrifice of Jesus. I ask for the power of the Holy Spirit so I will live up to what You have made me by Your grace. In Jesus' name and because of Jesus' sacrifice, I thank You. Amen.