“This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction, since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus’ crucifixion]. It was to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus [and rely confidently on Him as Savior].” (Romans 3:22-26 AMP)
REFLECTION
I have a past that was so saturated with sin that I can fully relate to how the apostle Paul referred to himself, as being “the chief of sinners” (see 1 Timothy 1:15). So, when I had a profound spiritual awakening years ago and deeply repented of my past sins and fully turned to know, love and follow Jesus, I was so deeply grateful that since then my heart has been set on pleasing the One who saved me from sin. And while I experienced (and continue to experience) remarkable inside out transformation as I seek to stay close to the Lord through all the various tests and trials that come with living by faith, there have been times when something triggered memories of my past to come flooding in, which left me feeling sad, deflated and full of regret, which made me want to hide instead of serve in faith. But, the Lord stood by me and made me brave. He helped me stay close to Him and connected to fellow believers (regardless of how I felt), and increased (and is increasing) my faith to deeply believe that I am indeed forgiven and free in Christ. He taught (and is teaching) me how to deeply and truly renew my mind (and help others renew theirs too) by praying and pondering His Word, aligning my thoughts with His truth and making new, marvellous memories. And I can testify that our merciful Maker “…[who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.” (Romans 8:28 AMP)
PRAYER POEM
Loving Lord Jesus ~ I’ll forever Your praises sing, for You are indeed the King of kings. You alone can sin atone. In You I truly belong and it’s You who makes me strong to love and serve, as You restore beauty to my story, for my good and Your glory.
🔗Helpful links:
👉https://www.gotquestions.org/way-of-salvation.html
👉https://www.ficm.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/who-i-am-in
