For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
~Romans 3:23-26
We all fall short of God’s glory, of what He created us to be. At first, God required animal sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of His people. Then He sent Jesus as a propitiation—an atonement. God is holy and just, and He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. But Jesus took the punishment for us. His propitiation covered our sins, and God justifies us by counting the righteousness of Jesus as our righteousness. Therefore God is both just (because He punishes sin) and justifier (because He gives us the righteousness of Jesus). This is all a free gift through grace. All we need to do is to have faith in Jesus—to believe He is God’s Son who died for our sins and rose from the dead to give us eternal life. We just have to say “yes” to the free gift.
Father God, I am in awe of Your love for me and all Your children. Jesus took my punishment for my sins—past, present, and future, and You attribute His righteousness to me. I do not have to do anything to be worthy; in fact, nothing I can do will make me worthy. But You, Father God, do this as a free gift. All I have to do is to reach out and take the package, to say “yes” to Your grace. Yes, yes, yes, Lord! Thank You, Lord! In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost forever and ever. Amen.
These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.