EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!
THURSDAY JUNE 11, 2026.
SUBJECT: GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH!
Memory verse: "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1 vs 17.)
READ: Romans 3 vs 21 - 26:
3:21: But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
3:22: even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe. For there is no difference,
3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
3:24: being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
3:25: 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,
3:26: to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
INTIMATION:
Through the Sinai law and the prophets the promises were made by God to save mankind. And through His faithfulness the promises were accomplished. The promises were not fulfilled because of man's perfect obedience of law, but because of the grace of God to do such regardless of the sinfulness of man, and it was in the plan of God from the beginning.
All humanity, because of sin, has fallen short of that which is required for one to dwell in the presence of God. The result of law is that we are made sinners. The result of sin is separation from God. And the result of separation from God is spiritual death which eventually lead to a second death.
The righteousness of God means essentially the same as His faithfulness, or truthfulness, which is consistent with His own nature and promises. Also, it is the justification of those who obediently respond to the grace of God that was revealed on the cross through the death of Jesus on the cross as a propitiation for our sins.
God is just because He has revealed the means by which men can be made righteous. From the Scriptures we read today, His righteousness is exibited in the death of Christ, which is sufficient to show man that God is neither indifferent to sin nor regards it lightly. On the contrary, it demonstrats that quality of holiness in Him which must find expression in His condemnation of sin. And ensures that the right penalty of death is paid for sin as it is in His law.
The gospel shows both how righteous God is in His plan for us to be saved and also how we may be made fit for eternal life. By trusting Christ, our relationship with God is made right. From "faith to faith" means that from the start to finish God declares us to be right with Him because of faith and faith alone. As we trust God, we are saved, we have life both now and forever.
It was through Jesus' faithfulness to go to the cross that the righteousness of God was accomplished. Man's justification was also accomplished because of the faith of those who believed in the cross; in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross as a propitiation for our sins. Both the faithfulness of Jesus in going to the cross, and man's faith response to the cross, were necessary in order to accomplish God's eternal plan to reconcile men to Himself through Jesus.
In Jesus' death on the cross, He was God's offering to appease His wrath that would eventually have to be poured out on sinners. In order for God to stand just in judgement of free-moral man, there had to be a choice for man to be saved from condemnation. Through the offering of the blood of Jesus, God gave that choice.
Christ died in our place, for our sins. God is justifiably angry as sinners. They have rebelled against Him and cut themselves off from His life-giving power. But God declares Christ's death to be the appropriate, designated sacrifice for our sins. Christ then stands in our place, having paid the penalty of death for our sins, as He completely satisfies God's demands. His sacrifice brings pardon, deliverance, and freedom.
There are two functions of God's law. First, it shows us where we go wrong. Because of the law, we know that we are helpless sinners and that we must come to Jesus Christ for mercy. Second, the moral code revealed in the law can serve to guide our actions by holding up God's moral standards. We do not earn salvation by keeping the law (no one except Christ ever kept or could keep God's law perfectly), but we do please God when our life conforms to His revealed Will for us.
The Scriptures gave us the way to be declared not guilty--by trusting Jesus Christ to take away our sins. Trusting here means putting our confidence in Christ to forgive our sins, to make us right with God, and empower us to live the way He taught us. God's solution is available to all of us regardless of our background or past behavior.
Therefore, we are saved by grace through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins. The grace was freely given regardless of the spiritual condition of all humanity. It had to be freely given because man could not work in order to earn grace. Sin blocks any efforts to meritoriously earn the gift. Therefore, grace was given to take care of man's sin problem. Once justified from sin by grace, we are then reconciled again to His presence and glory.
Some sins seem bigger than others because their obvious consequences are much more serious. Murder, for example, seems to us to be worse than hatred, and adultery seems worse than lust. But this doesn't mean that because we only commit "little" sin we deserve eternal life. All sins make us sinners, and all sins cut us off from our holy God. All sins, therefore, lead to death (because they disqualify us from living with God), regardless of how great or small they seem. Don't minimize "little" sins or overrate "big" sins. They all separate us from God, but they all can be forgiven.
Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for our privilege of election by Your grace, for Your justification of the elect, for Christ's propitiation for our sins, for our redemption in Christ. Everlasting Father who showed us Your righteousness in keeping Your promise to save us, give me the grace to be steadfast in followiing You to the end, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.
PRAISE THE LORD!