Thursday, July 31

THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014

1 Chronicles 24:1–26:11

Romans 4:1–12

Psalm 13:1–6

Proverbs 19:15,16

 

 

“Now, when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but, as an obligation.  However, to the man who does not work but trust God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.” (Romans 4:4,5)

 

 

In today’s reading in Romans, Paul discusses the extension of Christ’s righteousness to every believer by grace through faith.  This righteousness promises a right standing before God and setting aside of the wrath that we, because of our sin, truly deserve.  This offer stands open to both Jew and Gentile, as Abraham, whose faith “was credited to him as righteousness,” is father of all those who would follow Christ.

 

Paul takes great care to explain that Abraham’s circumcision, an important identification rite for Jewish males, had not come before God’s declaration of righteousness.  Rather, his faith, independent from any work or rite, had made possible this righteousness:

 

“And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.  So, then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.  And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.” (Romans 4:11,12)

 

 

Later in Romans 6:23, Paul summarizes:  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Each of us has fallen short of God’s standards and therefore sinned; the obligation owed to us for this sin is death, or spiritual separation from God.  Apart from God’s intervention, we may never heal the broken relationship with God that results from our sin.  Yet, in His grace and mercy, God offers the free gift of eternal life, dependent not on what we may offer, but rather on what Christ offered once for all on the Cross.  He testified gloriously to the authenticity of His sacrifice by rising from the dead.

 

God has extended this pattern of grace and mercy not just to Abraham, but also to us.  Due to these realities, we may not boast, but rather ought to express thankfulness:

 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

 

 

God has chosen His children to bring Him glory though becoming beautiful works of art.  Awesome!

 

 

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your amazing grace and mercy.  Thank You for Your concern for each of us, that we are not beyond Your loving concern.  Bring us in closer union with You, helping us to understand the full depth of our sin and the breadth and depth of Your mercy.  Create within us thankful hearts and wise minds, so that we may glorify You as Your workmanship.  Thank You for bringing us freedom through Your self-sacrifice.  We love You and commit this day to You.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

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