Jer. 5:20-31
Rom. 3:19-31
John 7:1-13
Rom. 3:19-31
19Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 21But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. 27Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
I have often heard the quote “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, but I never before paid much attention to the entire context of the sentence. Today, the next phrase jumped out as more important, “they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
It is true, none of us can attain our own salvation and we are all sinners. The good news, however, can be overlooked if the rest of the sentence is left off. The reality that we are justified by grace is what empowered John Newton to change his life and inspired him to write the hymn Amazing Grace.
19Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 21But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. 27Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
I have often heard the quote “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, but I never before paid much attention to the entire context of the sentence. Today, the next phrase jumped out as more important, “they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
It is true, none of us can attain our own salvation and we are all sinners. The good news, however, can be overlooked if the rest of the sentence is left off. The reality that we are justified by grace is what empowered John Newton to change his life and inspired him to write the hymn Amazing Grace.
The second verse speaks powerfully to his transformation (and to ours):’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
It is nothing that we do, not adherence to the Law, not doing good works, nor giving sums of money, that will make our relationship with God right. It is only the redemption, some translations say the ransom, “that is in Christ Jesus” can change our lives. For me, ‘ransom’ is a more graphic term because it reminds me that a price was paid for me. A prisoner is ransomed or saved by payment of some sort. We were, as Paul says elsewhere "bought with a price."
What do the words “grace”, “redemption”, and “ransom” mean to you?
For your Journal: Read through, sing, or listen to the hymn Amazing Grace. What verse or line means the most to you? Write a bit about why the words are important to your faith journey.
