Romans 3:19-28
Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For ‘no human being will be justified in his sight’ by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
Righteousness through Faith
But now, irrespective of law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.
Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.
Reflection
We are all in the same boat as far as this goes. We all have sinned. All of us. Even the "Church Lady" can't escape the fact that she too is a sinner. Some of you may need to Google the "Church Lady" because it dates me. But the fact remains that we are sinners. Sinners that God loves not for our sins but for the fact that God graciously chooses to love us.
God loves you and I so much that he sent his son in the flesh of Jesus to save us from our sin. God came in the form of Jesus to the creation God created to save, those that he gave free will, from sin. God became that sin that we are and died in our place. Through Jesus alone we are made worthy to sing before the throne to Jesus the Lamb of God. It was the work of God that saves. It wasn't anything at all that we have done.
Just as a baby is brought before the baptismal font by parents and sponsors; we are brought before the throne of God by Jesus. And just like the baby, God washes with those ever cleansing waters, we are saved through what Jesus has done for us. Not one thing in our salvation is due to something that we could ever do on our own. The decision was made by God to save the people. The gift was given.
Yes, we still have a choice. Will we live the life of the saved? Or will we continue in our sin. Actually, it's a little of both. The attitude makes all of the difference. With a thankful heart and attitude we can live this life of the saved knowing that God through Jesus has taken care of the sin. We can turn from sin and continue our walk with Jesus growing into what God wants us to be knowing that we are saved.
Or, we can take advantage, so we think, of the situation and live a life of intentional sin. We can revel in the wonders of this world and plunder the poor and take advantage of every angle we can think of, to live in luxury and wealth and freedom. We can run from God and spoil what God has given us in this world to our own advantage and satisfaction. However... death will still come. Someday death will come.
But when I reflect on the love of God in Jesus and the movement of God in the Spirit; I choose to accept that gracious gift of salvation. I choose to rejoice in what God has done. I choose to follow Jesus as a disciple and live my life for God doing what God calls me to do, in my life, in the day, in the moment. I choose to reflect upon the sin that God points out to me and repent. I choose to run to the foot of the cross and kneel at the foot of my Savior with a thankful heart. I choose to sing the song of all of the redeemed that proclaims "Glory to the Lamb." I choose God and what God has done rather than anything that I could ever do.
In this passage of Scripture we are made aware of the Law. No one can keep the Law except for Jesus. No one can do this and we are now aware that we can't keep the Law and be saved by our own actions. But God draws us into a relationship with him not based upon the Law, but based upon a relationship with God. God draws us into a relationship through God's righteousness. God's righteousness is provided in Jesus through faith. Righteousness isn't from those who are the "Church Ladies" who think they keep the Law; it is for those who believe through faith in Jesus. And that includes all of the people, because all of the people are sinners. Righteousness is through faith in Jesus, not the keeping of the Law. Our sin is passed over by the righteousness of God in Jesus the eternal Sacrifice for sin. So we are justified by the grace of God, not anything that we can do or say.
Through the blood of Jesus as the sacrifice for our sin we are redeemed and brought into relationship with God. It's all God's action and our gift. It's a merciful God that saw that we could not become perfect on our own and keep every letter of the Law, that God gave Jesus as that sacrifice for our sinfulness. And through Jesus we are brought into that personal and that corporate relationship with God. That close and intimate relationship with our Creator and Redeemer, is our free gift. A gift for which our lives change and we live for God in joyous union and thanksgiving for all that God has done. God chose to meet us at the cross and chose to meet us through the blood of the Lamb. Jesus our Lamb, our Priest, our Savior! And in this alone are we also righteous.
We are put right with God by faith alone. We respond in faith through actions of love toward God and those God gives to us each day, each moment. And in this all are brought before the throne of God. All are brought to the foot of the cross. All are saved through the blood of Jesus. Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Lord, you wear me out! Your Love is more than I can handle. Your Love is more than I can take. Your Love overflows in me and through me. You fill me with your love and your grace and your righteousness. Lord you are my Savior and my God! You are the one in whom I have faith. You are my all... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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