Same Difference
Read This Week: Romans 3
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:22-24 NIV
One of the most treasured things about doing life on earth is experiencing the diversity of its people. It is a privilege to be alive and see the different races, cultures, backgrounds, anthropologies, and persuasions come together to form the beautiful tapestry of the human race. Because of this, our differences should not be ignored or avoided but celebrated, and declared appealing, respectable, and valuable.
In recognizing our differences, we should also be aware of our sameness. No matter where we are from, what language we speak, or custom we adhere to, we are all made in the image of God. We all have inherent worth and an eternal destination. But we all have the same problem too. We are all born sinners in need of salvation and restoration to God. We are different people with the same dilemma in need of the same solution.
So far in Romans, Paul has outlined our shared problem of sin and God’s judgment, and he continues this in chapter 3. He writes in verses 9-10:
“We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one. No one understands; no one seeks God.'”
Paul makes it clear that there is no distinction between people in this. Everyone, despite their heritage, origin, or effort, shares the same fate. He continues to expound on this in verse 20 by saying that “no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law.” But in the next verse, Paul turns away from our shared problem and begins to focus on God’s solution for all – the gospel.
Paul affirms that God has made available to all people the right relationship to Himself through faith in Jesus Christ. Since “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” all people must repent and believe in Christ for salvation. Just as all are separate from God because of sin, all are declared righteous through grace that comes through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Just as we are all subject to death and God’s judgment, we are all likewise beneficiaries of His mercy and eternal life through the resurrection of Christ. It is the same gift of redemption for all different people.
We experience the same difference as human beings. We are unique and different people who have the same natural predicament. Yet, in our differences, we have the same hope in the same gospel. It comes through the one, true God who loves all, and sent His Son to save all who believe.
During our Bible study this week, God drew me to Romans 3 verse 22 and he was saying to me, “As my son and family come closer to me, there is a certain distinction between the rest of the ones that do not believe and those that have true faith and trust in me and my son. You know that he sacrificed Himself to free you from the laws of this world.”
I appreciate your insight, Sam. I agree wholeheartedly that there should be a marked distinction between those who believe in and serve Jesus and those who are far from God. Those who are redeemed should live like redeemed people not like the world. There is none righteous but there is justification for those who have been saved freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
During our Bible study this week, God gave me a song called, “Raining from the Sky”:
It’s raining, raining, raining from the sky above
God’s love is pouring down on us
Cleansing our bodies, renewing our hearts
Giving all of us His hope, His truth, His love
It’s pouring, pouring, pouring Gods seeds of love
Spreading to all who will grow and be strong
It’s raining, raining, raining from the sky above. Amen.
My mother said this one time, “I love God’s strength and his power.” Also, I was thinking it is wonderful that we can be renewed every day in the Lord. I want to have a heart like his.
I love the word picture you created through your song this week, Alma. I am blessed, encouraged, and given hope by the idea of God’s love pouring down on us like rain and invading our hearts to spread to others. We need to not only be affirmed in this reality of God’s love through Christ but to harness and express it to the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I agree with your Mom, I love God’s strength and power too. I can’t imagine and don’t know where I would be without it.
What blessed my heart this week was how Paul talked about faith. God is so faithful to us! We get to be in this wonderful relationship with our Father God. We get to live life with Jesus because He loves us. Responding to Jesus is learning to have faith in Him and firmly relying on our faith Christ is what it says in Romans 3. Desiring, relying on and believing that God is right there for you.
You need to ask God all day long to help you in every situation. That is what takes you from faith to faith, wanting to please Him is what helps you to stay in His presence. He helps you to live in His presence. That’s called peace. He is Faithful to you, always and forever.
I want to encourage you to stay faithful to Father God no matter what people are doing or saying. Desire and want His peace more and more, it’s worth it. I hear God saying to us, “I am always here for you. You can count on Me because I love you.”
I appreciate this challenge and charge to stay faithful no matter what is happening in our world, Heidi. It is so easy these days to get overwhelmed, discouraged, and lose faith over the current issues and things we are facing. But we must keep our eyes on Jesus and keep placing our faith in Him for our ultimate good despite what is taking place or what people are saying.
Happy Father’s Day to our Father, God. He is the best Father anyone could ever have! He is a good, good Father! We all love you very much. We’re so thankful He has blessed us all with His love. He has the biggest heart. We’re thankful to Him for always caring for us. We love you, God!
He is such a good, good Father! The best one anybody could hope for. I am thankful every day for the presence of God in my life as my heavenly Father.
This is what God was saying to me through Romans 3 this week. You know what it is like to be a slave to sin. You are unable to save yourself. No one has ever been truly righteous other than My son Jesus. Every sin and rebellion against Me happens because you don’t have a proper respect for Me. Wherever there is sin, there is no fear of Me. You can not justify yourself by the deeds of the law. Keeping the law is not My way of salvation or blessing. The law is useful in giving you the knowledge of sin, but it can not save you. I reveal a righteousness that will save you. My plan of salvation is in Jesus Christ. Salvation is offered apart from the law. It is apart from your earning and deserving it. This saving righteousness comes through faith in My son Jesus Christ., to all and on all who believe. My righteousness is not yours by faith, but it is yours through faith. Once you have this faith, the life of trust begins between you and Me. Everyone falls short but you can be justified freely by My grace. At the cross your sins were paid for.
What this says to me is that I need to have a proper respect for God and a fear of Him, if I don’t want to sin and rebel against Him.. Only Jesus can save me, then trust begins between my father God and me.