Romans 1-3

I love big buts and I can not lie...

There are few bigger buts in Scripture than the one found in today's reading. Chapter 3:21... "But now..."

Romans may be the most important book of the entire Bible. It has for so many provided the foundation of theology for our faith. I am pretty certain that every major revival has used Romans in its genesis, and I am very thankful for the way Romans has personally affected my life, my thinking, and my theology.

In the first three chapters of Romans, Paul begins his theological treatise laying it out very clearly... we have all fallen short! By our works no one is justified, for neither has anyone earned nor deserved a right relationship with God. Every mouth has been closed and all have become accountable to God; there is none righteous, not even one.

And if that was the end of the story, we would have remained hopeless, deserving God's wrath fulfilled by eternal punishment in a place called Hell. Scripture is very clear. We must all see that we fall short of God's standard. And anything short misses the mark completely. (It doesn't take me long to realize how woefully short I have fallen!)

Yet, Paul doesn't stop at verse 20. Praise God there are verses 21-24! Righteousness has been manifested... even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe, so that we are justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. (rf. vv22-24)

Can you believe it! We deserve death, condemnation and wrath, but God has demonstrated amazing love and grace and offers His Son in our place. Jesus first lived the perfect life that was required of us, then dies the death and pays the penalty we deserved falling short! By grace, we get His earned righteousness credited on our behalf and are forgiven the debt we so expected to pay.

Wow, what a gift! And with Christmas just around the corner, marking the inauguration of our applied righteous life, it calls us again to remember how grateful we ought to be for that greatest gift ever offered. It has been offered to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. And it is the reason for possibly the biggest 'but' in all of Scripture! It is God's gift to humanity. Have you accepted it today?