Freedom For Today

Take a moment to read Romans 4:1-12 before reading the devotional below.

If you have never read the book of Genesis (the first book in the Bible), you may want to take time to read chapters 11-25 to understand the story of Abraham. Paul’s theological argument depends on the knowledge of that story which was (and still is) foundational for the Jewish people. Abraham had a faith in God that was pretty rare, and God chose to make a promise to him. God told him his descendants would outnumber the stars and that through his family the entire world would be blessed. Jesus fulfilled that promise, so faith in him is a continuation of the ongoing faith of the Jewish people throughout history.

Paul is making a key point in today’s passage that one should never confuse symbolism with earning favor with God. He refers back to circumcision, which God had commanded Abraham and all his descendants to do as a sign of their special relationship with God. Performing that ritual did not earn them a spot with God. Rather, the symbolic act of obedience was a reflection of the special relationship that already existed because of God’s blessing. We are in the same situation today: our faith and obedience to God is a reflection of his desire to love and save us, but our actions are not doing the saving.

Here’s your freedom for today: your spiritual life does not depend on you. Don’t give yourself so much power — God has decided that he wants relationship with you. There is nothing you can do to mess that up. He has offered salvation through Jesus, and your faith in him does not earn you a spot. Your feelings, your hard work, your church involvement — none of that is a good indicator of spiritual standing with God. The only way we are made right with God is through faith in Jesus. Having faith in Jesus means that you bank your whole life on him saving you because you realize you have no hope of saving yourself. In the end, you have to decide whether or not to believe that is a safe bet.

Take a moment to read Romans 3:21-31 before reading the devotional below.

Paul is asking and answering some key questions in this letter to the Romans, not least of which is, “How can a person become right with God?” The Jews thought the answer was in keeping the law. Yet they continually could not do it. The Gentiles didn’t know God or his law, but they did have a conscience. They knew on a basic level that they couldn’t always do what they set out to do. So no matter which group you are part of, you will fail. Where is the hope? Is God just continually disappointed with us, waiting for us to get it right finally?

Trying harder won’t get us into right relationship with God. But faith in Jesus will. How does that work? When sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, death entered the world. God had warned Adam and Eve of this tragic reality when he told them not to eat from one tree in their garden. Just that one, if you eat from that one you will surely die. (You can read the whole story in Genesis 3.) Later on, God brought further order to the earth when he established a rule of law (which we could also call a justice system). Any justice system has to have consequences or it is inherently unjust — those who harm must be punished. Death through animal sacrifice was the legal requirement for sin, a symbol of the ultimate death and permanent separation from God that every sinner faced. Until God offered a way out.

Here’s your freedom for today: Jesus paid for you. Your sin created a debt — a death was required payment. As we have established, everyone sins. Therefore, everyone dies because that is what God’s law requires. But God decided to enter humanity through Jesus, and as an inside man fulfill the payment required by the law. Showed up at the court house and paid your fines. Sealed your record. Wiped the slate completely clean. Now faith in Jesus is all you need. Just a simple yes. I want to be part of that package deal. Jesus has the authority to forgive your sins, get you off death row, and lead your life in the kingdom you were made to live in. And this isn’t just for a ticket to heaven later. The kingdom of God is strengthening right now.

Take a moment to read Romans 3:1-20 before reading the devotional below.

So far in this letter Paul has said that we all sin in all kinds of ways, that we can’t judge other people’s sins because ours are just as bad, and that Jewish people cannot assume that they have special privilege with God simply because he chose them for a purpose. We learn more about that purpose today as Paul asks, “What good is being Jewish if we don’t have a special standing with God? Did something change?” His answer: God wanted to tell the whole world something through the Jewish people. God wanted everyone to see that his law (that we could title “How to Be Perfect”) was impossible for humans to keep, even when they knew all the right answers.

Paul makes the case that God has not abandoned his special people, but rather he was faithful to carry out his plan through them and bring the long-awaited Messiah. He quotes multiple Psalms, reminding his Jewish readers that God has been saying the same thing the whole time. No one can ever be perfect, even when they are told exactly what to do.

Here’s your freedom for today: you are no better or worse off than anyone else. We all stand before God in about the same spot: missing the mark. If you are playing darts with a bunch of friends and you all miss the target completely, it really doesn’t matter which of you was more off than the others. You didn’t get any points and you certainly weren’t even close to a bulls-eye. The amazing news is that God doesn’t not demand that we hit a spiritual or moral bulls-eye to be in relationship with him or participate in his kingdom. He knows we can’t do it. He needed to prove to us (through the Jewish people) that no one could do it no matter how many times they tried. Together they couldn’t. Individually they couldn’t. So Jesus did. We’ll see more about that in the coming days…

Take a moment to read Romans 2:17-29 before reading the devotional below.

The book of Romans was written to the growing early church in Rome, which was comprised of both Jews and Gentiles. In this letter, Paul at times directly speaks to Jews and at other times to Gentiles. Each group has specific faith-hurdles they need to overcome in order to understand what it means to follow Jesus. In today’s passage, we see that he has begun his theological argument with Jews in mind. He directly addresses them here, talking about this “special relationship” with God that they have had for all of history thus far. Indeed, the Old Testament makes it clear that God made a promise to Abraham and he made good on this promise by selecting the Jewish people as his special nation. They were meant to be a light to the nations around them, which sometimes happened and sometimes did not.

Paul is going after the spiritual pride of the Jewish people. If God has already chosen us, then we’re in the insiders’ club, right? Some American Christians think this way today — we forget that the outward appearance does not matter to God one little bit. If you go through a bunch of rituals or ceremonies but you are not actually doing the things God wants for you, what good is it? There is only one thing God is actually trying to accomplish in giving us the Bible and instructing us through it: a changed heart.

Here’s your freedom for today: the Holy Spirit transforms you. Somehow we continue to manage to make our Christian life all about performance, just like the Jewish Christians did in Rome. If I look the part, if I pray with the right words, if I go through the spiritual rites of passage… Yet your heart is what God is after. Your heart is a very protected space and you decide who you let in. Probably there are only a handful of people (or less) on this entire planet who truly know the contents of your heart. And even fewer (or none) know the things you are not too proud of that reside in there. When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins and lead our lives, the Holy Spirit moves right into your heart. The process of change can be gradual, but the transformation work begins. He will keep kneading you like a piece of dough, pressing and shaping and maybe even tossing into the air in the wilder moments of life. He’s forming you and transforming you as much as you let him. When you let go of what everyone else is thinking and focus on the Spirit’s work, that’s when your heart and God’s begin to align.

Take a moment to read Romans 2:1-16 before reading the devotional below.

Yesterday we landed on the idea that it is not our place to judge the sin of others, but rather to look inward at our own sin. Paul builds on that idea as he continues his letter, saying rather boldly in verse 1: “When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.” Why would we accept God’s grace for our own sin while not extending that same grace to others? 

Paul then sets up a major point that he will deconstruct as we continue in the coming chapters. He has established that none of us are exempt from the clutches of sin, and here he is reminding us that if you want to live by a performance-based system you are going to be in pretty big trouble. God destroys the wicked. All of us are wicked. This is where we should begin to realize that there is no way we can save ourselves. The Jewish people were given God’s law, so they know what to do and ought to be doing the right thing. The Gentiles did not receive that law, but we all have a conscience. You don’t need to read the Old Testament to know when you are doing the wrong thing.

Here’s your freedom for today: you can give up trying to save yourself or the world. God is going to judge the world, through Jesus, peering into everyone’s secret life. What immediately pops into your mind when you hear that word: secret? The thoughts you’ve had, the things you’ve done that you plan to go to your grave with. It all gets unearthed. Perhaps by now the term “good news” is making more sense. Paul’s letter doesn’t end here, and that’s great news. We’ll see where he goes next, but for now, just know that any attempt to save yourself by being “good enough” will not work. You are off the savior-hook and the judge-the-world hook. Let God be God and we’ll find out soon just what that means for how to live your life.