Galatians 2:19-21
“Indeed, through the law I died to the law that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I am now living in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved and gave himself for me. I do not regard the grace of God as nothing. If righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for giving us these words; they spell out so clearly your plan of salvation for us—it is not on us but all on you. Paul addressed the notion of those who hope they have lived a good enough life that they will impress you. Through our baptisms, we are connected with Jesus and into his death; by faith, Christ lives in me. How much faith? Jesus said the size of a mustard seed moves the mountain of sin in our lives. Faith trusts in all that Jesus has done to redeem us, so we have new lives resulting from faith. When Paul tells us to live by faith, we live out of gratitude and thanksgiving because we have been redeemed and restored from our sinful nature, which would otherwise condemn us to eternal damnation. We can never out-good the bad we have done; only Christ can, and he did; he lived the perfect life in our place, then he took away all our sins on the cross, where he suffered and died for us. And as Paul also wrote, if righteousness is by our being good—righteousness is through the law—then Christ died for nothing. Christ died so that all might live, and salvation comes to all who believe in Jesus’ holy life and innocent death. Lord God, thank you for giving us these words today so that we might all know the truth of your love through your plan of salvation.
Please design opportunities for us to share this good news of salvation with those who do not know you so that they, too, will believe in the works of their Savior, be forgiven, and have everlasting life. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
We might want to think ourselves to be good people, but God’s word tells us otherwise. Realize all are tainted by sin, and all we do has sin’s tarnish. But Jesus removed all that with his perfect life and innocent death so that by believing in him, we have eternal life.