But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. 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 Christ Jesus. Rom. 3:21-24 (NIV)
Dear heavenly Father, as I mediate my way through this remarkable passage, once again I realize there’s simply no such thing as “moving on from the gospel”—no basis for ever saying “I’ve got the gospel, now what’s next?” For the gospel isn’t just about how we enter the Christian life, it’s the beginning and middle, end and eternity of our salvation. We praise you for your sovereign, sufficient, and all-satisfying grace.
Your entire Word—all the Law, Prophets and Psalms, pointed towards the day you would send Jesus into the world, to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. We need major forgiveness, for we constantly fall short of the Law’s truth, beauty, and goodness; and we also need a perfect righteousness, for the very same reason. In Jesus’, you have wondrously, generously, and once-and-for-all, given us both. Hallelujah!
By faith in Jesus, you now declare us to be exhaustively forgiven and fully justified; you cannot love us more right now, and you’ll never love us less. We cannot add to your affection for us, by our good works; and we cannot diminish your affection, by our foolishness and failures. Father, if you hadn’t written this good news plainly in your Word, we wouldn’t believe it; it’s seems too good to be true.
How then shall we live, as a forgiven and justified people? Compelled by your love, Father, we want to live for your glory, love to your glory, and die to your glory. Now free from the Law’s demands and judgments, we want to reveal its goodness and beauty. Grant us grace to do so in this one, new, precious day you have given us. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ exquisite and exalted name.