By David ReayTuesday 19 Dec 2017LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read Romans 3:23-24
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. (NLT)
One reason I am a Christian is that it makes the most sense of who I am and what the world is like. It tells me I am greatly loved, but much in need of that love. It tells me God has given me great dignity but also that I have marred that dignity by my rebellion against him. It tells me the bad news that I am therefore estranged from God. It tells me the good news that Jesus offers a way back to God by taking my guilt on himself.
My faith tells me this world is a good world, made and valued by God. It also tells me this world is bent out of shape by its human inhabitants. It tells me to both care for the world and delight in its beauty, but also not to see this present world as all there is to life.
The Christian faith is of immeasurable comfort to us, but the comfort comes only as we recognise our need of it. The remedy for human wrongdoing provided by Jesus is very good news, but is only good news once we realise how far wrong we have gone.
All have sinned: that is the bad news. God offers grace and mercy: that is the good news. The comfort of forgiveness comes only to those who have faced the discomfort of failure.
Blessings
David Reay