LENTEN DEVOTIONS - WEEK 3
You see, just at the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5: 6-11
MEDITATION
In God’s eyes we are merely disobedient children when we transgress. However, God has never hid the fact from us that we belong to him. God loves us so much that even though we are unworthy God still continues to send grace upon us. Even when we are lost in our own sin, scripture tells us, “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” (Romans 5:20)
Now the question arises whether or not we should go on alienating ourselves from God just so that God’s grace may increase. Paul tells us in no uncertain terms, “By no means!” (Romans 5:28) He goes on to say that if we were dead to sin, then how can we bear to live with it any longer?
Scripture also tells us that God so loves us God sent the Son, Jesus, to die on the cross. He experienced death and separation from God so that we could experience life and closeness to God by simply asking him to forgive us. What a great gift God has given us. God knows that we are worthy of this gift because we belong to him. We are his children. He loves us. He is not willing to lose us to sin.
PRAYER
Father God, thank you for your patience. Thank you for being unwilling to lose your children to sin and death. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to redeem humanity and to obtain the gift of forgiveness from you. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus who taught us to say – Our Father who art in heaven... Amen
Recommended scripture reading for Week 3:
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5: 6-11
MEDITATION
In God’s eyes we are merely disobedient children when we transgress. However, God has never hid the fact from us that we belong to him. God loves us so much that even though we are unworthy God still continues to send grace upon us. Even when we are lost in our own sin, scripture tells us, “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” (Romans 5:20)
Now the question arises whether or not we should go on alienating ourselves from God just so that God’s grace may increase. Paul tells us in no uncertain terms, “By no means!” (Romans 5:28) He goes on to say that if we were dead to sin, then how can we bear to live with it any longer?
Scripture also tells us that God so loves us God sent the Son, Jesus, to die on the cross. He experienced death and separation from God so that we could experience life and closeness to God by simply asking him to forgive us. What a great gift God has given us. God knows that we are worthy of this gift because we belong to him. We are his children. He loves us. He is not willing to lose us to sin.
PRAYER
Father God, thank you for your patience. Thank you for being unwilling to lose your children to sin and death. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to redeem humanity and to obtain the gift of forgiveness from you. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus who taught us to say – Our Father who art in heaven... Amen
Recommended scripture reading for Week 3:
- Romans 5:12-20,
- Romans 6: 1-4
- Psalm 79:4, 8-10