ODJ: restored

July 16, 2015 

READ: Romans 5:1-11 

Our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son (v.10).

Bob Goff travelled to a country where he witnessed extreme human rights violations. In response, he chose to live out the call of Isaiah 58:3 by seeking justice on behalf of the oppressed. Goff founded Restore International to “fight for freedom and human rights, working to improve educational opportunities and to be helpful to those in need of a voice and a friend”. For more than a decade, Restore has helped to free those in bonded labour and sex trafficking, along with other exploited men, women and children in select troubled countries.

The definition of restore is to “return (someone or something) to a former condition, place or position; to repair or renovate so as to return it to its original condition”. In Romans we read of the ultimate restoration: the relationship between God and man. Though we were originally intended for relationship with Him, our sins separated us from our Creator (Colossians 1:21). Yet, “when we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners” (Romans 5:6).

Jesus didn’t shed His blood for us because of our goodness but to demonstrate God’s love for us “while we were still sinners” (v.8). The blood of Christ makes us right in God’s sight and saves us from spiritual death. And a relationship with Him that was severed by sin can be restored as we believe in Jesus and accept His gift of salvation.

Paul wrote that “our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies” (v.10). And now “we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” (v.11). We’ve been restored!

—Roxanne Robbins

365-day-plan: Mark 6:14-29