1:26
But destruction was not God’s end. His goal was to restore righteousness to the land, to the city. Restoring judges and counsellors is probably a reference to the kings that Israel mistakenly wanted, and God granted to them. They wanted to be ruled like other nations, but they are not a nation like any other. They are a nation created by God and meant to live under God’s rule, following His commands. As the church we need to pay heed to this message, for all too often we seek to be like the world, to run ourselves like the world, to succeed using the world’s methods. But we are not like the world, we are the people of God, the body of Christ. We are meant to be different.
1:27
This verse explains the nature of the salvation, and it is vital that we understand it. The salvation that is in Christ is not just a matter of being forgiven, and it most definitely is not a matter of God affirming our lifestyle, nor affirmin us! We are redeemed by justice. If one looks at Romans where Paul gives his fullest explanation of the gospel, one of the emphases is that on the cross justice is done. And it is those who repent who are redeemed, and we are redeemed by righteousness. We may never fully understand the cross, but any understanding that ignores the righteousness and justification of the cross is hopelessly deficient.
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