Bible Reading: Romans 1: 13 -17
This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. Romans 1:17
LET’S SAY YOU LIVE in England. You think it would be totally cool to become an official knight. You’ve heard about Sir Lancelot and Sir Winston Churchill and Sir Elton John and all those other sirs. You decide you want to be called Sir-(Whatever Your Name Is). You want everyone to bow to you.
So you jump on the Internet to find out how to apply, You learn that only after decades of service to the crown will the queen invite you to Buckingham Palace, tap you on the shoulder three times with a sword, hand you a nifty medal, and shazzam!-make you a knight.
But you have a little problem: Serving the crown for decades means you won’t get to hang out at the mall most afternoons. And you’re way too busy doing homework and playing computer games for all that noble and meritorious stuff that aspiring knights do. So you try cutting comers on your way to knighthood.
You start passing around your own business cards which say in bold letters, “Sir (Whatever Your Name Is)-Don’t Forget to Bow.” You buy some cool knight clothes, get a bunch of official looking medals at the pawn shop, and make sure you watch the knightly news on TV. You tell all your friends, “Call me Sir from now on-or else.” You so much start feeling like a knight that you conclude you must be as knightly as anybody who is called Sir.
The big question is, “Are you really a knight?” You know the big answer is “No!” You can dress like a knight, talk like a knight, act like a knight, and swing a sword like a knight. But there is only one way to become a real knight, and that’s to be picked by the Queen of England.
Many people try to look and act like Christians, but it’s God who invites us into his family. The Bible clearly explains that God makes you right in his sight and knights you-makes you a member of his family-when you confess your sin and trust him for salvation. Faith-believing and trusting in God-is the way you receive family standing with God. You don’t become God’s child by what you do and say-or don’t do and say-or by how much you know, how much you give, etc.
One reason the Good News of the gospel is good news is because God has done everything necessary to make you right and keep you right. When by faith you accept his righteousness as your own, he welcomes you into his family. You don’t have to do anything to earn admission.
REFLECT: How do you feel toward a God who loves you enough to make you right by faith-not by your effort-so he can be your Father?
PRAY: Tell God what you’re thinking and feeling right now.
