June 9th. Day 9 of walking through “Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily” — Part 1 of “A Gospel Primer for Christians” by Milton Vincent.

Today’s reason — Enslaved by Christ’s righteousness.

After reading and writing about yesterday’s reason to rehearse the gospel daily, I must admit today’s title alone kinda threw me for a loop.

So, about this reason to rehearse the gospel daily, Vincent says this...

“The righteousness of God, credited to me through Christ, is not merely something I rest in, but it is also the Premier saving reality by which God governs me. According to Romans six, when I obeyed the gospel call I was both declared righteous and “became a slave to righteousness” at the same time. {Romans 6:17-18} Quite literally, the righteousness that God credited to me became my master on the day I was converted! And now I am daily called by God to surrender the members of my being as slaves to do whatever this righteousness dictates.” {Romans 6:19}

He goes on to say...

“That I would be called to present my members as slaves of this imputed righteousness implies that my justification has something to say to me by way of directing me how to live my life each day. What it directs me to do is to be holy; and what results from my obedience to its rule is sanctification, or holiness of life. {Romans 6:19} Hence, it could be said that ‘sanctification’ is merely the lifelong process wherein I joyfully surrender myself to God’s imputed righteousness and then do whatever this righteousness directs me to do. Indeed, God has clothed me with His righteousness. Now He wants this righteousness to master me.”

Vincent concludes with this...

“The more I exult in the reality of my justification in Christ, the more I position myself to experience the full governing force of it sanctifying power in my life. And the more sanctified I become, the more I experience the full breadth of eternal life that God has given to me in Christ.”

Wow. I get it now. There are so many things in God’s Word that at first glance seem a bit contradictory, but with deeper examination and with the help of the Holy Spirit, God shifts our perspective from our natural way of seeing it to a supernatural way of experiencing it because we have believed and received!

So, yes, one reason to rehearse the gospel daily is resting in Christ’s righteousness, and yet another equally important reason is that we are enslaved by that same righteousness. By His power and action alone are we justified. By our ongoing actions (of surrender and obedience) fueled by His power are we sanctified.

I’ve also heard it explained this way...

Justification is when we receive eternal life; sanctification is when we learn to live within eternal life; and glorification is when we fully experience eternal life.

I know, I know...word choice, semantics, and nuance have fueled many a great debate as of late, but the Word says what it says, and it says, “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” ~ Romans‬ ‭6:17-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

So yes, we rest in it and we are bound to it. Clothed in His righteousness. And praise God for it for it is the power of the Gospel!