Romans 3:19-31 (GNT)
Now we know that everything in the law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God’s judgment. For no one is put right in God’s sight by doing what the Law requires: what the Law does is to make us know that we have sinned.
But now God’s way of putting people right with himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with law, even though the Law of Moses and the prophets gave their witness to it. God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all: everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence. But by the free gift of God’s grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free. God offered him, so that by his blood he should become the means by which people’s sins are forgiven through their faith in him. God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In the past he was patient and overlooked people’s sins; but in the present time he deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate his righteousness. In this way, God shows that he himself is righteous and that he puts right everyone who believes in Jesus.
What then can we boast about? Nothing! And what is the reason for this? Is it that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe. For we conclude that a person is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands. Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles also? Of course he is. God is one, and he will put the Jews right with himself on the basis of their faith, and will put the Gentiles right through their faith. Does this mean that by this faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all; instead we uphold the Law.
Devotion
Laws are a tough concept to grasp. While their intent is simple, implementation often is not. This passage tells us that we must not simply follow God’s laws, we must also have faith.
As a parent of a spirited two-year-old, I have gained a new appreciation for what it takes to lovingly set a boundary “law” and do my best to stick to it. I learned this especially as we were mastering two great skills at the same time: jumping and going down the stairs independently. You can only guess how much fun it was to put these two together! A few heart stopping experiments later, what started as “No jumping on the stairs” eventually evolved to “You can jump on the very last step.” This diverted the battle at the top of the stairs to sheer joy to get to the bottom and jump off the edge like the first cannon ball into the pool on a hot summer day.
I like to think of God as a similarly creative and evolving parent. I trust that God’s seemingly hard and fast rules are lovingly adapted to the audience and the times. How fortunate we are to love and serve a God who sees our lives and the world around us, understanding the deep complexities for us to navigate it all. As we head toward Easter, we’re reminded that even though we fall short, we are God’s beloved children who, with faith, will be welcomed into eternal glory.
Prayer
Dear God,
We thank you for the ways you guide us through our lives and help us to navigate the world around us, stairs and all, in your loving care. Help us trust that you will always guide our feet to the best direction, our minds to what is right, and our hearts to you. Give us peace and focus this Lent to make more room for your presence in our lives today and every day. Amen.
Corbin Rochedreux