Devotion for Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014 Faithful to Transform Us: God Justifies Us by Faith Read Romans 3:20–31 A person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. In the popular television show Extreme Weight Loss, people who have struggled for a lifetime with obesity determine to shed the pounds. They are paired with a trainer who gives them rules to follow. Over and over again, the contestants fail to follow the rules, and the scale ruthlessly reveals the measure of their success. Frequently the contestants weep as they describe their struggle to change lifelong habits in order to comply with the trainer’s discipline. As we continue to read this passage in Romans, we see Paul describe the perceived conflict between fulfilling the Law and walking in faith. He reminds believers in verse 20 that we are not declared righteous by fulfilling each detail of the Law. In fact, the Law highlights our sinful nature because it is impossible for any of us to keep the Law. The “good” news is that this Law does not play favorites; it disqualifies everyone. It does not matter if you are born Jewish or Gentile. It does not matter if you come from a religious family or an atheist one. We have all fallen short of God’s ideal. Our sinfulness stands in stark contrast to the righteousness of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Our redemption does not come through great effort on our part but was completed by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the shedding of His blood (v. 25). That perfect sacrifice paid for all of our sins. Our debt, tremendous as it was, has been forgiven. Such news should elicit a response of great faith. We do not boast that we accomplished this on our own. We boast in the One in whom we believe. By placing our faith completely in Him, we are transformed. Do you get discouraged by your inability to follow God’s commands perfectly? The key is to look at the end goal, in faith, and not to focus on your failures. We have also been given a “personal trainer” in the Holy Spirit. Pray that God will enable you to hear His guiding voice, to walk in faith. Remember that our relationship with God depends on Christ’s work, not our perfection.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 08:18:29 +0000
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