April 2

​But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Romans 3: 21-22)
 
I once heard it said, “The religions of the world are man reaching up to God, but Christianity is God reaching down to man.”  How true that is. People attempt to “reach God”, to please Him by the merit of their own works.  Scripture tells us, “By the works of the Law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16) Our own works leave us where we started; still in our sin and separated from God. But God in His grace and mercy has reached down to mankind. He did that by becoming one of us. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into human flesh and did what we are unable to do – keep the Law perfectly. The righteousness of God is revealed through Christ.
 
Thank you Father in heaven for sending your Son Jesus to the cross. Thank you Jesus for willing your obedience to the Father’s will. Thank you Father for the gift of faith in the atoning work of Jesus. Praise be to God that we now stand righteous before Him.
 
Gospel verse for today:
The next day he [John] saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)