May 14th, 2023
Devotional
“God’s Love Poured Out” - Romans 3: 28-30 and Romans 5:1-11
Monday: “Peace” - Romans 5: 1-2
Peace is perhaps one of the hardest fruits of the spirit to grow into, mostly because we don’t know what it looks like. We live in a world where there may not be peace between nations, peace within homes, or peace within hearts at any given time. We seem to strive after peace as something “out there” to achieve some day, forgetting that peace is not achieved but rather is a fruit that is bore within us.
Paul is trying to remind the Romans that peace, true peace, can’t come from the law. Instead, it comes as an expression of our faith, as we put our hope in God’s grace alone.
Paul sometimes in hard to read, especially in Romans, because he uses a lot of large theological words that represent topics we may not have put much thought into before. Concepts such as being justified by faith. But we have all thought about peace at one point or another. Which leads me to ask, what makes the fruit of the Spirit of peace known to you? And how do you share it with others?
What do you think of when you hear the word “peace”?
Prayer: God the Healer, we thank you that peace is not something that we strive for, but rather is a gift from your Spirit as we grow in grace. Reveal to us the true nature of your peace and let it take root in our heart in such a way that it flows forth from us into the world. Amen.
Tuesday: “Sufferings” - Romans 5: 3-5
Suffering is a topic that we don’t know how to address well. We need to loW is through. Through what we face on this side of eternity, being accompanied all the way by our loving God.
How is hope manifested in your life?
Prayer: Lord, we confess that we do not understand suffering in our humanness. We say things that we do not mean to others who are suffering out of fear that we will face the same things as them. Remind us that even in the pain of suffering, you do not leave or forsake us, and help us to set our hope in you. Amen.
Wednesday: “Christ Died” - Romans 5: 6-8
When we say that we are justified by faith, we mean our faith in Jesus Christ and the relationship that we have with him. Another way to say this is that we are saved by the love of Jesus Christ.
Paul writes to the Romans this beautiful passage that Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
When we forget that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, it becomes really easy to think that we earned our salvation, which is never the case. It is a gift of love from Christ, which we share with the world because we cannot contain it within ourselves. The love of Christ spills out of us.
What are some of the ways we may be tricked into thinking we earned our salvation?
Prayer: Lord, when we believe that salvation is something that we have earned, it becomes so easy to work tirelessly for perfection. Let us set aside the perfection of the world, called forth by the law, and step into being transformed by your grace, truth, and love. Amen.
Thursday: “Reconciled” - Romans 5: 9-11
I love the word reconciled that comes up in today’s passage of scripture. Reconciliation, being brought back together, is something that can only happen in relationship. So how are we brought back into relationship with God? What reconciles us? The loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Christ did the work of salvation and offered it to us as a gift.
That is good news, Church! That is why we boast in God! Not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done! That is our story - that is our song.
How do you share the Good News with others?
Prayer: Lord, help us not to point to our own merit, but point to your goodness and grace. Free us from the mindset that salvation is about us, and instead tell people the Good News that it is a
manifestation of your love! Amen and amen!
Friday: “Law” - Romans 3: 28-30
You are not saved because you are good. You are saved because God is good.
We want to nod our heads and say “of course this is true” but Paul is asking if we live like that. In our heart of hearts, do we so firmly believe that we are saved not by our goodness but by the love of God that we claim that as our true identity?
I think a lot of us know that we are saved by grace, but we are still trying to live as people guided by the law. What do I mean by that? That we still strive after perfection to show our own goodness, instead of letting the truth of justification by faith transform us from the inside out.
We need to set aside perfection in order to truly see the beauty of the gift that we have received on the cross.
How can striving after perfection get in the way of faith?
Prayer: God, our heart and head sometimes do not communicate well. While we believe in our head that your grace and love has saved us, sometimes our heart leads us to act out of our own desire to show the world that we are perfect. Set us free from the chains of the law that lead to perfection, so we can live by faith alone. Amen.
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