We hope this week's devotional will encourage you in your spiritual walk.
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ROMANS 5:1-11
Results of Justification
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Freud thought it was better for people to let out frustrations rather than allowing them to grow inside into a massive explosion. The logic and psychology of this has appealed to humans for generations. We vent, we rant, we “blow off steam.” Israel also exemplified this practice thousands of years before Freud. In Exodus 17:1-7, for example, the people of Israel vent their frustration to Moses over the lack of water. Moses, in turn, vents his frustration with the people to God. The scenario repeats over and over throughout the Old Testament.
Modern clinical studies have now determined in study after study that venting does not serve to reduce stress in the way we had hoped. Instead, it tends to reinforce negative emotions. The more we vent, the more likely we are to vent in the future. So, what shall we do with our frustrations?
Paul reminds us in Romans 5:1-11 that because of Christ, we have access to grace. Part of this is saving grace—freedom from shame and guilt. But our passage makes it clear that God’s grace is comprehensive. It applies to our present sufferings too. We can bring both our failures and our frustrations to God and find grace. But when we choose to follow Christ, we are not just given access to God and to God’s grace, we also give God access to us. This is good news! We are all created different, but God knows us intimately, together with the temperament types we have been given. When we go to God, God never offers cliché answers. God’s grace is perfectly shaped for us, giving us peace, perspective, healing, and wholeness. God’s grace is customised and sufficient for each of us in every situation.
PRAYER:
God, we thank you for giving us free access in Christ to your throne of grace. We bring you now both our failures and our frustrations . . . We give you access to our innermost being. Thank you for knowing us fully and yet loving us completely. We trust you to give us the grace we need, that fits both us and our circumstances, so that we may be transformed into the image of your Son. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen
Linda M. Stargel
Academic Dean
Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Biblical Language