Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
Devotion
This reads so large- so high and wide and enormous- that I can hardly wrap my head around it as a real statement that pertains to me. I’ve read it over and over, made a kind of visual flow chart out of it, tried to break it down into digestible bits, and still, it’s more than I can take in.
But what I keep on returning to is Grace. “Grace in which we now stand”. I went back to see if it that was a typo; if it was grace ON which we now stand, but it’s not. We stand IN grace. Like a pool, where were are immersed. We are not exposed, but covered.
And as I visualized this grace in which I am immersed, I can start to see the rest of this short, but heavy passage. Peace. We have it through Jesus, Peace with God. Not like serenity, but like ceasefire. If you read on in the chapter, you can see that Paul says in verse 10 that we were God’s enemies. But Jesus has done the work to reconcile us to Him.
And Faith. Faith in Jesus and his triumph over death. This faith has justified us, and this faith has gained us access to peace. Peace with God, and from there, peace with those around us. Grace that covers us. Let’s hold on to it with both hands. I know I’m struggling to accept that grace. I can’t keep all the balls in the air that I’m trying to juggle. I know that some have to be put down so that I can do a better job with the ones that are left. And I feel guilty about it. But that’s not the way I’m meant to feel. I am meant to stand IN grace. It’s not a little gift placed in my hands. It’s a huge, deep well that I am meant to live in. And just trying to wrap my head around this one idea, I am getting a better idea than I had yesterday about who God is.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for grace, and the way you’ve designed for us to be covered by it. Forgive us for when we step outside of it and try to move through life without it. You are gracious. Pull us back in! Amen.
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