The Touch of the Master's Hand - Becoming Spiritually Whole - Staying Dependent on the Gift of Christ's Righteousness

As it is written, “there is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.” Romans 3:10-12

Today's thoughts from today's verses:

Today’s Scripture is a quote from Psalm 53:1-3. The Apostle Paul chooses to quote it here in his epistle to the Romans. He does so because it clearly states the “bad news” that is absolutely necessary for each and every person to receive and accept so they can then receive and accept fully the “Good News” of redemption through Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Just before our passage, verse 9 says, “all are under sin” and after our passage, verse 23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All of this makes for a pretty strong statement of “bad news” that is true of every single person bar none.

We have already said that it is absolutely necessary for “bad news” to come before “Good News.” Perhaps what we are addressing this week all boils down to this: We don’t grasp as fully as we should how bad the “bad news” is nor do we grasp as fully as we should how good the “Good News” is. Verse 19 that follows our passage gives us some insight as to why it is crucial that we grasp how bad the “bad news” is. The verse says, “so that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be accountable to God.” Verses 24 and 26 give us some insight into why it is vital to grasp how good the “Good News” is. These verses say that we are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus …. for the demonstration, I say, of his righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Today's prayer response from today's thoughts:

Lord, I see how important it is for me to stay aware of how bad the “bad news” is, not so I feel bad, but rather for how it helps me stay aware of how good the “Good News” really is. How amazingly good it is to be redeemed forever because of your mercy and grace. I bow before You in worship, adoration, and praise. Help me to have a lifestyle of worship that guards me from self-righteousness and helps me spread the “Good News” of redemption in Christ and Christ alone.

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