Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Thursday, October 31, 2024

QT 10/31/2024 Matt 2:21-31, God's otherness

Romans 3:21–31 (ESV) —

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

 

NOTE: Our boasting is not based on works but a different type of law, the law of faith. The circumcised are justified by faith and the uncircumcised are through faith. It is all by faith apart from works of the law. There is no work other than choosing Jesus and believing that his death satisfied God's anger for my sin (that is what the word propitiation in verse 25 means).  But for some reason, people still believe they earn their salvation. No one has earned their salvation. And if anyone thinks differently, they do not understand the Holiness of God. He is not like us, he is 'other.' That is the best word to describe God's holiness. It is not like anything we know or could understand humanly. It is beyond our ability to comprehend, but not so much that we cannot realize how far we fall when compared to the holy one.

 

PONDER:

  1. Do I believe in my own un-holiness?
  2. Am I fooled by my feeble goodness?

 

PRAYER: Father, this is a theme lately, how far short I am of anything that would count toward salvation. My only response is humble thanksgiving.

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