Calvary's Triumph

Today's devotion is an excerpt from "52 Days of Grace," a daily devotional based on the book of Romans.  It is my hope this book will be a useful tool in helping you grow closer to God as you walk with Him.

Calvary’s Triumph

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
  ruin and misery mark their ways,
  and the way of peace they do not know.”
 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

  Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Romans 3:15-20

A few years ago I made a list on a poster of some of the laws found in the Old Testament.   I was  attempting to illustrate to a class of elementary and middle school students the futility of trying to earn my righteousness by following the rules God gave us to outline His high standards for living.  As we went down the list, we talked about whether or not we had completely obeyed that law 100% of the time, which is His expectation for us.  If we were honest with ourselves, we admitted we were utter failures in living our lives to God’s standard.  How hopeless we felt!   How powerless against our flesh and inability to do the right thing.

 

If that was the end of the story, we would all be without hope indeed.  But that is not the end, in fact that is only the beginning.  The law only exists to show us where we need a Savior to bridge the gap between our imperfection and God’s perfection, between our wretchedness and God’s holiness, between our inadequacy and God’s sufficiency.   And Jesus is that Savior! 

Preacher Larry McGuill spoke to the importance of putting our trust in Jesus, not in our own efforts of following the law.   He said, “It is the rightful heritage of every believer, even the newest in the family of faith, to be absolutely certain that eternal life is his present possession.  To look to self is to tremble.  To look to Calvary’s finished work is triumph.”

We can stand as victors in the battle Christ waged against sin on our behalf.   As recipients of this unspeakable gift of salvation, we are called to live as conquerors.  We are not called to try to be perfect in an effort to impress God and others with our righteousness.  Instead, we are called to submit ourselves to our Father’s will, knowing He has already accepted us as His children, made perfect by the blood of His Son.   The battle against the power of sin is already won!

Following the Law is Futile, Following the Savior offers Freedom

Have I trusted in Jesus as my Savior from the punishment of death my sins deserve?

As one who is saved by the blood of Jesus, have a made Him Lord of my life?

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for sending Jesus to take my punishment for my sins so I can enjoy a relationship with You, a holy God.  As one who claims to follow You, I desire to walk more closely with You, seeking to please You in all my ways.  I ask for help in following Jesus in my daily walk.

I pray these things in Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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