I. The Word: Romans 3:27-31

1. Can you think of someone whom you really trust with your overall well-being i.e. a parent, spouse, sibling, friend, etc…? Is the depth of your relationship with them, dependent on how well you’re doing things for them?

2. Do you ever find yourself more proud of a day’s “performance” of right living vs. being in an intentional state of gratitude on the basis of what Christ has done for you?

3. What are some tangible obstacles that prevent you from believing that Jesus’ sacrifice was enough to entrust your total well-being to Him today?

In today’s text, Paul puts the onus on the reader to respond to God’s glory revealed in Christ. He urges the reader to respond, by placing their faith in the finished work of Jesus (“both just and the justifier” v.26). However, Paul being all too familiar with the human condition, alludes to the tension between trusting vs. trying that occurs within the soul of man, in the pursuit of righteousness. There is no way that someone can pride themselves on having it all together, and trust in God for salvation, all at the same time. He challenges the ideals of both the Jews and Gentiles, to no longer boast in their good works, as the gateway to be made right with God. The reconciliation that every person needs (whether they realize it or not), is only made possible through the finished work of Christ.

Paul also makes a unique paradox, where he says that there is a “law of faith” (v.27). We are made right with God by faith, and not from works of the law. In the same token, we says that “we uphold the law”. Though this may seem contradictory, it couldn’t be more harmonious. If you say, “I believe that I will get this, this, and that accomplished tomorrow”, then if you REALLY have faith that you will accomplish those tasks, your life will reflect your belief that you will complete those respective tasks. You will go to bed earlier the night before, eat a big breakfast, leave the house on time, etc… The same goes for us in our relationship to Christ. If we are living by the faith that we are right with God through Him, out of the overflow of that belief, your life will respond accordingly.

We have to constantly remember these 2 important truths, 1. God doesn’t NEED our good works. 2. Our good works will NOT save us, or earn us a higher position with God. Contrarily, our brothers and sisters need to see our good works, in order to bring glory to God; and our pursuit of righteousness, originating from the finished work of Christ, DOES position us to experience God in greater, deeper, and more intimate ways.

I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite authors, Andrew Murray, regarding humility: “Humility is the displacement of self by the enthronement of God.”

May God endow us with an extra measure of faith to practically trust Him more, even more than we would, those we love dearest.