16 JUL 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 16 JUL 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.  As a result, all who believe in this are made right with God.” Romans 10: 4

There are so many in this world who labor to gain the attention and favor of God.  They religiously attend meetings, worship, and prayer times, and try to do good works.  They are under the impression that there is a scale that determines the fate of their life if they can only “do” enough to outweigh the bad deeds they have done.  When Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and Muslims connect with me in conversation they are quick to say what they “do”.

They must feel worn out checking the boxes on their self-righteousness menu, always hoping, yet never securing eternal life for themselves.  At the end of the day, they hope in the mercy of God to save them.  Have they “done” enough to get them over the bar? The answer is, no! No one is made right with God through good works, no one.  The scale is crushed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ work on the cross accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.

Any good works we do are considered dirty rags. (Isaiah 64:6).  No one is good or does good, not one. (Lk 18:19, Rm 3:12) All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Rm. 3:23) If we say that we are good when God says that we are not, then we are self-righteous and call God a liar.  This should strike us with fear and humility which points us to our need for Jesus.

Jesus is good, holy, and righteous.  He lived a life among his creation and did not sin, thus fulfilling the law.  Only he was able to do this.  The wonderful news is, we can be made right with God by believing in Jesus for what he did on the cross for us.  He exchanges our sins and gives us his righteousness so that we can be presented to the Father holy and blameless.  Our task is to hear, believe, and obey his word, plus pass it on to everyone we know. (HBO-Plus)

Do you have HBO-Plus?

Reading Plan: Psalm 148, 149, 150; 1 Sam. 17:50-18:4; Rom. 10:4-17;  Matt. 23:29-39