Weekly Devotional: Saving love (3 in Romans series)

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:21–31 (NIV)

In the sixteenth century, Martin Luther read the book of Romans again and again in his quest to understand God’s grace and the role of our works in the role of our redemption. In the margin of his Bible he wrote that this passage was “the chief point, and the very central place of the Epistle, and of the whole Bible.” We might disagree that this section is the very most important part of the Bible, but I think we can agree that from it we can learn so much.

We encounter here the central themes of God’s plan of salvation (and do read the full section if you have time) – that God sees us as righteous through Jesus Christ, that we all have sinned and done wrong, that Jesus atones for this wrongdoing through his blood shed on the cross. To use more technical language, we are justified by faith in Jesus. That simply means we have been set free from the consequences of our sin – in the kingdom of God on earth and in heaven.

The gospel is a wonderful leveler, for as Paul says we all fall short of God’s glory – we all need Jesus to save us. We cannot think ourselves superior to our family or neighbors, for we know that our hearts can lead us to temptation and sin just as much as the person we see caught in a cycle of destruction. We’re led not to pride but to thanksgiving for the amazing way God sets us free – and we want to share this good news with others.

Read through the passage again if you can, and try to put it into your own words. Maybe you’ll encounter someone today who needs to hear of God’s love for them.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I think about your sacrifice of love and mercy on the cross and I am profoundly grateful. May your love mark my going-out and coming-in this day.