#DailyDevotion You Need A Different Type Of Righteousness Before God. Yours Won’t Do.

January 12th

Read Rom 3:19–31

Rom 3:20-25  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.  (21)  But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it–  (22)  the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:  (23)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  (24)  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,  (25)  whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

 

St. Paul continues his logic of salvation based on the Law and the Prophets.  Where last we left off, all of us were condemned and we are reminded of that in verse 23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  So there is no boasting before God.  We cannot show ourselves before God and say, “Look what I have done!  I deserve eternal life.”

 

And no amount of  law will make us better people.  The law gives us knowledge of sin.  This means as we are confronted with the law of God it makes guilty.  We realize where we have fallen short.  The Law has no power to change us for the better.  In chapter seven we shall see it even incites us to sin because of our fallen human nature.  No one is declared righteous before God on the basis of their life.

 

If we are to stand before God we are going to need a different type of righteousness.  The righteousness that stands before God is his very own righteousness.  It is made our own through faith in Jesus Christ.  That is to say when we trust that Jesus won and purchased for us righteousness and gives it to us freely then it is ours.

 

So we are declared righteous by grace that is as a free gift of God.  By God’s good favor we hear the good news of Jesus and are given faith to believe we are now declared innocent before God and have been clothed in the good works of Jesus.  Jesus has bought us, redeemed us from sin, death and the power of the devil through the blood of Jesus.  Jesus’ blood like that of the bulls and goats covered the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies has been poured out over the throne of God the Father in heaven and He no longer sees our sin.

 

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for covering us with you blood that the Father may only see your righteousness when he looks at us.  Amen.