James H. Cagle
[email protected]
The Bible (KJV) says, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.” (Ps. 119: 1).
Justification is the blessed standing of the Christian (Ps. 32: 1, 2; Rom. 4: 7, 8).
“Justification is the act of God in which the sinner, hitherto condemned on account of his sin, upon condition of faith in Christ, is forgiven and received into the divine favor.”
Justification is something that takes place once for all. It can never be repeated. It brings one into a new relationship with God that is never reversible. The Christian is in Christ and in God the Father and the Holy Spirit is in them (1 Thess. 1: 1; 2 Thess. 1: 1; 2 Cor. 1: 22; Eph. 1:13, 4: 30). Un-condemned is the blessed standing the Christian has before God (Rom.8: 1)..
Undefiled is a blessed state of the Christian. The undefiled state is conditional and is enjoyed on the condition that the Christian, in the way of life, chooses to walk in obedience to the Word of God.
Unlike the Christians standing which can never change, the state of the Christian can change. All changes in the Christian life come as a consequence of their choices. Choosing to live by God’s Word results in a life of holiness because it sets them apart from those things that defile. The Christian can choose to disobey God’s Word as well and be in a state of sin and worldliness (Jms. 4: 1-4). But the Christian cannot remain in this state. They will return to a state of holiness through God’s chastening, or will be taken home to Heaven early (Heb. 12: 5-9).
The state of the churches addressed by Christ in Revelation 2 and 3, whose standing was in Christ, was the direct result of the choices that members of those churches made.
In order to enter and live daily in the blessed state we must choose as the Psalmist did, “I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me” (Ps. 119: 30).
Home Is Oh So Close
Home is oh so very close,
A little further down the road,
‘Round the bend and beyond the sunset,
Is my eternal abode.
♢
Heaven’s just beyond my reach,
I can all but smell the roses,
Hear the gentle river flowing,
Where the day never closes.
♢
I know how far away,
It is to that bright shore,
One more step or one more breath
‘Fore I step through Heaven’s door.
♢
Home is oh so very dear,
For there fam’ly and friends await,
There inside that celestial city,
Where very soon we’ll celebrate.
♢
Heaven’s only seconds away,
A mere twinkling of an eye.
And we’re transported into glory,
And tell this old world goodbye.
♢
Yes we must fly from here,
To pass through those pearly gates.
But it will take only a moment,
In our glorified state.
♢
Heaven’s oh so very close,
And pain and sorrow are not there.
For it’s a city built by love,
And the curse of sin can’t enter there.
♢
Heaven’s just a heart beat away,
The songs of Zion now I can hear
The place of endless peace and joy,
Is just beyond this veil of tears.
♢
Home is oh so very close,
And I am ready now to go.
I listen for the trumpet sound,
And look for Jesus, Who loves me so.
James H. Cagle
