Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Saturday after the Fourth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: Romans 3:1-31 (NKJV)

3:1 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:

“That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.

10 As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one;

11 “There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.

12 “They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”;

14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 “Destruction and misery are in their ways;

17 “And the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Devotion

There is no one who is righteous according to his own works. If one desires salvation by the works that he does, he will be sorely disappointed come the Last Day. Our works are soiled with sin. Even our good works are useless apart from faith. We should never place our faith and trust in the good works that we do. We should never think that we are “good Christians” simply because we live a certain way that pleases the understanding of the flesh.

Salvation is found only in the works of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His perfect obedience to the Law and will of God that saves us. It is His sacrifice for us on the tree of the holy cross that redeems us. When we trust in our good works instead of the perfect works of the Christ, we are trusting in the wrong thing. When we, however, trust in the perfect works of the Christ, we are justified, made right with God.

True faith clings to the works and merits of the Christ. We cling to what He has done for us. In His blood shed for us He reveals His righteousness. He suffered and died without any guilt in Him. He died for us, though He was innocent of the charges against Him. This death reveals the true nature of His works, that He is truly righteous and without sin. This righteousness He gives to all who believe on Him and His works. Let us therefore confess our own unrighteousness and cling to our Lord Jesus, the Christ.

Prayer: Grant, O Lord, we beseech Thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by Thy governance that Thy Church may joyfully serve Thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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