Day 39 "Justified by Faith" (Romans: Chapter Three)

Chapter three of Romans is rich in provid- ing insight that we are to live by faith, not by our works (human effort).

Verse 9: "We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles (non-Jew) alike are all under sin."

Verse 10: "There is no one righteous, not even one."

Verse 20: "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his (God's) sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

Verse 21: "But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known."

Verse 22: "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

Verse 24: "and all are justified freely by his (God's) grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Verse 25: "God presented him (Jesus) as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood."

Verse 27: "Where, then is the boasting (on our part)? It is excluded (if we didn't earn it we can't boast about doing it)."

Key verse for me:

Verse 28: "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law."

God through Christ made possible what we could not do by trying to follow God's laws and ways. All that the law was good for was defining and showing to us our inability to keep it. By our own merit, we could not have reestablished a relationship with a holy and just God. But God through his mercy and grace made a righteousness available to us, not by works but by faith in his provision for us- namely, Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice upon the cross.

Verse 24 states that we are justified freely by his grace. We have been delivered from the consequences of our sins and set free to enjoy an eternal relationship with God that will last forever. This, indeed, is "Good News!"

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This eternal life has already begun for the believer in Christ. Yes, there is death. But for the believer, death is just a doorway through which to pass into God's kingdom. Our relationship with God has already begun on this side of death's door. Either one believes that this is all there is to life, and then we die to be no more, or, one believes that life goes on after this life and that through belief and faith, the best is yet to come!

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

If you are facing a trying day today, let the knowledge of knowing that there is a God who loves you so much that he allowed his Son to die in your place. Take comfort and be at peace today.

Carpe Momentum in love!

Be back tomorrow...