ESOCS Devotional 3 April 2025 – Redemption in Seeking Righteousness
MEMORY VERSE: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:24
TEXT: ROMANS 3:19-31
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
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Following the lifestyle of Apostle Paul, seeing how he was transformed from persecuting Christians into becoming a staunch preacher, one can easily say there is power in seeking righteousness. He clearly states that regardless of being a Jew or Gentile, poor or rich, old or young, saint or sinner, so long we can humbly come under the free salvation offered us, we can be redeemed when we seek God rightly. For there is plenteous good, so long as it has to do with seeking God and totally turning away from past sins unto Him.
To be redeemed means to be accepted, forgiven, justified, free and adopted. Jesus took your place on the tree where He was hung, so all your sins are cleansed even though you don’t deserve it; only through His grace you can receive this, just by acknowledging that you need Him. (Ps 130:7-8).
Paul’s teaching about seeking righteousness focuses more on atoning for our guilt, our faults; it brings us to the part of being rescued from sinfulness. He purchased us despite being conceived in sin. Redemption starts with the awareness of what you seek. It is a deliberate act of total repentance and you must come to this understanding. God’s law measures us by God’s perfect righteousness. His law is just and faithful; it declares that all must do what is right; it demands we be virtuous, upright, honorable, honest people of integrity and morally good. Otherwise, no one will be certified righteous in God’s sight by the work of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Paul’s writings in the Bible passages are telling us (Jews or Gentiles), bond or free, who live a perfect life we are all sinners, and no one will be justified or declared righteous simply by observing the law. Instead, under the new covenant, Christ died to pay the penalty for our sins. As we seek righteousness to be redeemed, let us therefore as believers under this new covenant brought to us by Christ, in righteousness and in redemption understand that the only solution to our sins is to let God be God.
CHALLENGES
- Let us never forget on our deliberate walk to righteousness, that we cannot do it on our own, but by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
PRAYER POINT
- Heavenly Father, grant us the grace to diligently seek righteousness, according to your will for us through Christ our Lord. Amen.
FURTHER READING: Judges 2:1-End; 3:1-20; Romans 3:1-18
ESOCS Devotional 3 April 2025
