Saved
SCRIPTURE: Romans 3:21-31 
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BIO: I’m Michelle Sterchi. Kent and I have been married for 27 years and have 2 married children. Lindsay and Elliott live in the Dominican Republic with Avery, our first granddaughter. John and Kate live in Waco, Texas. I am helping with the ASOM Summer Arts Camp and serving as a Deacon. I’m also in a Turbo group of LIFE Community leaders. I am passionate about prayer and spending time with my family.
KEY VERSE: Romans 3:28 So it is that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do.
CENTRAL TRUTH: After all the bad news of our sinfulness in Romans 1-3:20, Paul now delivers the GREAT news that we can be reconciled to a Holy God and declared not guilty by trusting in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. We are saved by faith in Christ and not by our good works.
DEVOTIONAL: When God created man life in the garden was good. Adam and Eve walked with God, talked with God, and were in perfect relationship with God. But, due to the fall, sin entered the world and from that moment on every human being inherited the sin nature of Adam and Eve and fellowship with God was broken. Because of our sinful nature, we find ourselves in a hopeless situation for no matter how hard we try it is impossible to perfectly obey all God’s commands.
In Romans 3: 21-31, Paul brings us GREAT news, a solution for our sin problem. Paul declares the loving kindness of God, who by His grace offers us a way to be reconciled to a Holy God through faith in Jesus Christ. God offered His Son, Jesus, to stand in our place, Jesus became our substitute, He paid our debt by bearing our sin and sacrificing His life on the cross.
Paul instructs us that this free gift of grace and reconciliation is for everyone who places their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. I love how David Platt defines this profound truth in his book Radical: "The just and loving Creator of the universe has looked upon hopelessly sinful people and sent his Son, God in the flesh, to bear his wrath against sin on the cross and to show his power over sin in the Resurrection so that all who trust in him will be reconciled to God forever." This is great news because our reconciliation depends only on God and the finished work of Jesus, it has nothing to do with our good works or performance, we are SAVED by faith alone.
As I was growing up I believed in God but I did not know this simple truth of the gospel. I thought I had to do more, to try harder to stop sinning, to be really good at everything I did to earn God’s forgiveness and love. Maybe you were like me and saw the Bible as a list of do’s and don’ts, and with that came a lot of guilt when we failed or didn’t measure up to God’s perfect standard. How freeing it is to know the TRUTH, that we are SAVED only by trusting in what God has done for us, not by trying to earn our salvation. As I have put my faith in Jesus, I know my sins are forgiven and I can enjoy a personal and eternal relationship with my Redeemer and friend. Now the Holy Spirit lives in me and He empowers me do good works, sin less, and give God my very best out of a heart of gratitude for all Jesus has done for me……may our lives bring glory to God!!
QUESTION 1: Have you seen your need for forgiveness and placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ?
Are you trying to earn God’s favor, instead of trusting in the finished work of Jesus on the cross?
QUESTION 2: Do you daily ask God to search your heart and then repent of your sins?
QUESTION 3: Who in your life can you share this GREAT news of the gospel with?