Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 53:1-6
Ps 53:1-6
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Will the evildoers never learn--those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on God? There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread. God scattered the bones of those who attacked you; you put them to shame, for God despised them. Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Rom 3:21-25
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Jesus said we are to be perfect, even as our heavenly Father is perfect. We are to be holy because he is holy. Paul said we should be imitators of God, as beloved children. Our goal is to have the heart of God and to act accordingly. We should allow his Spirit to work in us as we become partakers of his divine nature. The problem is that we all fail to live up to his glory. No matter how devoted we are.
While Paul is not defining the word “sin”, it seems to me that this is probably the best definition we find in scripture. Any time we fail to live up to the glory of God, we have sinned against him. We were created in his image and his intent for us was that we think like him, share his nature, and live like Jesus, perfectly.
While sin is the worst concept in the Bible, grace is the best and they are here in the same context. Sin separates us from God. Grace unites us with him. Sin breaks our fellowship with God. Grace allows him to live in us as we share our being with him. By God’s grace and by our faith we can be counted as righteous in Jesus Christ. Salvation has come out of Zion, embodied in Jesus our Lord and King!
O Lord, what a joy to be your child and to know that my sins are forgiven! Help me show my faith daily as I live for you and follow your will. Take away all of my fears and give me a heart of total confidence as I trust in you. Increase my faith. Open my eyes to see your glory all around me. Thank you for the storms that threaten our safety but also demonstrate your power. Be with our nation and our leaders that we can live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness. Give me strength to do your will and accomplish your work on earth. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
