Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Today I thought we’d read from the New International Reader’s Version. As you read the passage, ask God to help you make real application to your life.
Romans 3:27-31
“27 So who can brag? No one! Are people saved by obeying the law? Not at all! They are saved because of their faith. 28 We firmly believe that people are made right with God because of their faith. They are not saved by obeying the law. 29 Is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t He also the God of those who aren’t Jews? Yes, He is their God too. 30 There is only one God. When those who are circumcised believe in Him, He makes them right with Himself. When those who are not circumcised believe in Him, He also makes them right with Himself. 31 Does faith make the law useless? Not at all! We agree with the law.”
Understand / Apply:
Is there anything you need to confess today? Are there any obvious ways you’ve been disobedient? Maybe it’s not so obvious; maybe it’s been in subtle ways? Maybe you’ve been trying to earn God’s favor? Whatever it is, stop and confess it to Him.
We’ve also thought a lot over the last several weeks about justification, righteousness, redemption, atonement (or propitiation), and sanctification. These are really important concepts of the Christian faith; ones we need to fully grasp. Why don’t you take a couple of these and describe them in your own words? Think about what they personally mean to you.
*From what you have just read and considered: What is a personal implication/application for your life today?
Live:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.
Inspiration and insight for the devotionals came from the following books: Reading Romans with John Stott; The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World (The Bible Speaks Today Series), Stott, John; Romans (The NIV Application Commentary Book 6) Moo, Douglas J.; Encountering the Book of Romans: A Theological Survey (Encountering Biblical Studies) Moo, Douglas J.; Believers Bible Commentary; The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, with the New International Version, Romans through Galatians; NIV Application Study Bible.