Here's Some Good News!

When I was five I got my first bee-sting. A honey bee was the culprit who landed on my ear. So I slapped him/her? It's stinger was left stuck in my chubby right hand and the bee died.  Honey bees usually sting only once because they have jagged barbs on the end of their stinger that get stuck in their victim, which happened to be a chubby five-year old.  In 1 Cor. 15: 54-57 Paul speaks of the victory we have in Jesus in similar language when he says,
"Death is swallowed up in victory, Oh death where is your victory, O death where is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."


The law points out that we have sin, and sin leads to death.  The law condemns each of us.  That's the bad news.  The good news is that Jesus was pierced by the stinger of the law, and the law only has one stinger. All of it's venom was injected to Jesus as he took the wrath upon himself, "my God, my God, why have you forsaken me."  Colossians 2:13-14 states, "having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with it's legal demands.  This he set aside nailing it to the cross." 
The law has been fulfilled by Jesus.  He took the sting. Those who believe they are walking a tightrope of performance to secure their salvation or usefulness in the kingdom do not have a correct understanding of the gospel (good news).  "There is now therefore no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus"(Rom. 8:1).  What does it mean to be in Christ Jesus? It means to trust and believe in Him.  When this happens we are given the Holy Spirit who will begin to make us more like Jesus day by day(sanctification), by convincing us, convicting us, encouraging us, comforting us, and leading us into the truth.  Because of this truth you can leave what's in the past in the past and press into the never stopping grace of God.  Preach the gospel to yourself today and to others!