Tag: Devotion

I find no place for boasting as I recall how God saved me. This is the Apostle Paul’s experience too. He was persecuting Christians before Christ arrested him by a bright light on the road to Damascus. He was blinded for three days. If Christ did not heal him, he would have been blind the rest of his life. Because Jesus healed Paul, he realised how much he owed Jesus for not only saving him from his sins but also giving him sight again. Imagine the prospect of blindness for the rest of his life. Surely, Paul was grateful! Surely, there was no boasting on his part. This is his testimony to jolt us to grateful thanksgiving. Amen.

The greatest blessing anyone can receive in a lifetime comes when he or she believes in Jesus. Jesus is the grand theme of the bible. He is the way, the truth and the life. True blessing in life begins with Jesus. He must be the focus of our life. He is our Saviour appropriated by faith. This is the gist of Apostle Paul’s thought presented in this text.

Romans 3:21-22a  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them …

Romans 3:21-26, Salvation is God’s Gift Read more »

This cure is “by faith of Jesus Christ”. It is a cure that comes when the heart of man is willing to yield himself to receive the prescription for this cure. All who believe in the work done by Jesus Christ when He was upon earth shall be saved. In a nutshell, this cure is given to all and effectual for all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. While Jesus was upon earth, He kept the law of God perfectly on our behalf and was crucified on the cross shedding His blood to wash away our sins and finally died to pay the penalty for our sins. By faith in what Jesus Christ had done, man find salvation. This is the righteousness that comes to man without having him to do the impossible task of keeping the law.

The law of God showed to Israel how inadequate they were in meeting the standard of God’s righteousness. How they failed miserably. Indeed, when we look at the Ten Commandments, it reminds us we are sinners needing our Saviour. Apostle Paul concluded rightly the function of the law, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24) It leads us to Jesus Christ, the One who would fulfil all righteousness on our behalf on the cross.

The last revealing characteristic of depraved men, the Apostle Paul observed, is that they have “no fear of God before their eyes”. The fear of God leads a man to depart from evil (Pro. 16:6). The fear of God leads him to hate evil, pride and arrogancy and the evil way and the froward mouth (Pro. 8:13). To fear God is to understand that God judges evil and the evil man cannot escape the wrath of God. God would come after him. He fears to offend God who is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29)!

This world has failed to secure that most elusive commodity called “peace”. The dictionary meaning of “peace” describes the normal, non-warring condition of a nation, group of nations or the world, a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations and the normal freedom from civil commotion and violence of a community. Peace is described a state of tranquillity and serenity, a state or condition conducive to, proceeding from, or characterized by tranquillity. This world has yet seen true peace. War characterised all the history of mankind.

The Apostle Paul truthfully concluded that man’s wisdom is at best lacking – he “is gone out of the way”. And making for himself an identity outside his Creator is simply impossible. Can the clay say to the potter how it is to be shaped? Impossible.

God has never willed that men accomplish His will by sinful means. Doing evil will not bring forth good. An corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit but a good tree will bring forth good fruit. It has not been the Apostle Paul’s mode of doing the gospel work by evil means. And yet, there are those who charge him of doing the gospel work by unlawful means. God forbid! It was a false accusation against the Apostle Paul. If he sins against God, he, likewise, will face God’s judgement! God sense of moral justice is not blurred even if he purportedly is doing God’s work. He must do so lawfully otherwise he faces God’s just judgement.