All are accountable

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Devotions: Ps 23, 27, 75, 76; Jer 5:20-31; Rom 3:19-31; Jn 7:1-13

YHWH is my Shepherd, and I will not be in want. He encourages me to rest in green pastures; He guides me beside still waters; He restores my soul! He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, the valley of death's shadow, I will fear nothing, for God is with me. Lord, Your rod and staff comfort and reassure me. You prepare a feast for me right in front of my enemies; You anoint me with oil and my cup overflows! Surely, goodness and love will follow me all my days, and I will live in God's house forever. YHWH is my Light and my Salvation; I fear nothing. Evil comes against me, but God saves and preserves me. Lord, I want nothing more than to be with You and to live in Your household all my days. I want to behold Your matchless beauty and to learn from your profound wisdom. Now, I will be exalted above my rivals, and I will offer shouts of thanksgiving and joy in God's house. Lord, keep me near You and preserve me from my enemies. I believe I will see God's goodness even while I am alive, and I will wait upon YHWH, strengthened and courageous. Amen. Lord, I thank You and call on Your name. Exaltation comes only from YHWH, and He serves us His joy and His power. The wicked He will destroy, and He will lift up the fortunes of the faithful. YHWH, You are more glorious than the everlasting mountains, more terrible than hurricanes or earthquakes. Let all the earth praise You, and let us serve only YHWH our God, awesome and terrible!

Let the fools hear this from God: You show no fear or respect for Me, though I have created and sustained all the universe. This is a stubborn and rebellious people, and their sins bring disaster upon them. I will punish evil, and I will preserve and exalt the faithful. Let the wicked look to themselves, because God's wrath is coming!

The law speaks only to those who place themselves under its authority, but all the world is accountable to God. No one can be justified by works of the law; the law only helps us understand our sins and our predicament. But now God's righteousness is manifested apart from the law, though the law and prophets witness to righteousness of God through faith in Jesus the Messiah, given to all who believe. All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, and all are justified by His grace as a free gift, though redemption available only through the Messiah Jesus, Whom God put forward as an expiation by His blood, to be received by faith. All this demonstrates God's righeousness, because in His divine forbearance He has overlooked former sins. This proves at the present time that God is righteous and justifies all who have faith in Jesus. So what comes of our boasting? It is futile, on the principle of faith. A person is justifed by faith apart from any works of law. God is the God of all—Jews and Gentiles alike, since God is One. And He will justify the circumcised and uncircumcised alike, but only on the ground of their faith. And this faith upholds the law!

Jesus kept mainly to the Galilee, since the Jews sought to kill Him. But the Feast of Tabernacles approached. Jesus' human brothers chided Him: 'Leave here and go to Judea, so your disciples can see you at work. No one works in secret if he seeks public acknowledgement. If you are the Messiah, show yourselves to the world.' For even His own brothers did not believe in Him. Jesus replied, 'My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify that its works are evil. Go along to the feast; I Am not going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.' And Jesus remained in Galilee. But after His brothers had departed to go up to Jerusalem for the feast, Jesus also went up, but in private. The Jews were looking for Him at the feast. And there was much gossip about Him among the people. Some said, 'He is a good man.' Others, 'No, he is misleading the people.' But no one spoke of Him openly, because they feared the Jewish authorities.