November 14, 2016 – Romans 3:23-24

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 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. Romans 3:23-24No one is perfect. No one lives up to God’s standards.  Then God sent Jesus with His Gift of Grace.  Grace that involved a sacrifice – blood shed on the cross for our sins.Do we DO anything?  No, therefore we can not brag about anything we have done that is good.  We can only choose to BE in Christ, accept Him, and have the assurance and joy that comes with knowing we are His.We are made right with God through faith – not the law.  When I taught second grade students about left brain thinking and right-brain thinking – it astonished me that no one wanted to be left-brained, just right-brained.  Somehow, we always have that desire to be right.  To children being left- brained has negative connotations like being left behind.The world beckons to us with honors and riches and the wisdom of God offers long life through delightful paths.For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29: 11-13Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. Romans 3:27-28