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6 So also David pronounces a blessing on those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.”

9 Is this blessing, then, pronounced only on the circumcised or also on the uncircumcised? We say, “Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, 12 and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.

 

Sola fide – Faith Alone.

We really struggle with just how simple our relationship with God truly is. We pile on these ideas of how good of a person we must be and what rituals we must do for us to be worthy of God. Here is the bad news – we cannot by our own will or actions be worthy of the love of God. Sin is just too much of a barrier for us to overcome.

 

But here is the God News – Christ became incarnate, lived, died and then rose that you do not have to be worthy. Through Him alone are we brought into oneness with God. And all we have to do is have faith in the power of what Christ is done. Just believe. Just hope in our wildest dreams that something like that is possible. Jesus did the hard work. We can now live freely without the burdensomeness of rituals or works. We simply get to BE God’s beloved, chosen people for all eternity. I encourage you to embrace the beauty of work of our Redeemer and Savior. Only after we rely on faith alone, can we move past our own limitations and embrace the life in Christ that was granted on the cross.

 

Redeeming Lord, I pray this day to confess my sins which You have already washed clean. Thank you. Amen.

 

Chad Ryberg

Cryberg@livinglord.org

 

Prayer Concern: Joy in the midst of struggle