Justified by faith
Day 554, Monday, Feb. 16
Romans 3:21-31
Critics of Paul’s teachings often accuse him of being legalistic—an accusation clearly counter to what we read today.
While the righteousness of God was first made known by the revelation of the law, it has now been revealed independently of the law: “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known.” This continues Paul’s support of the claim that gentiles do not need to first become Jews in order to be saved.
But Paul continues to maintain the difficult balance between seeming to dismiss the law and continuing to affirm its significance. The gentiles are not in a superior posisition to the Jews, but equal. “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.
He is not claiming two salvations, that Jews are saved through the law and gentiles through Jesus; no, both are saved through Jesus.
In a day that we hear a lot about the resurgence of antisemitism, verse 27 helps counter any claim of biblical justification for that belief. “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.” Neither the Jew nor the gentile has any justification for claiming superiority over the other.
In a verse that reminds us of Matthew 5:17, where Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them,” Paul said in verse 31, “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.”

Monday meditation

Psalms 78:65-72
Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine. He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame. Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever. He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

Prayer focus
Protect us from the pride that tells us we have earned your salvation, Lord, and make us grateful for the gift you have given us.

-Rev. Mark Fleming