August 30 Devotional Meditation
By Dr Patick Elijah Anyomi
Key Text: "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile." (Romans 3:22, NIV)
Devotional Meditation:
In our world, nearly everything of value must be earned. We work for our wages, we strive for grades, and we train for achievements. It is natural, then, to carry this mindset into our relationship with God. We subtly believe that our goodness, our religious performance, or our moral efforts can somehow earn us right standing with a perfectly holy God.
But the gospel of Jesus Christ shatters this idea. Romans 3:22 presents a radically different way. The "righteousness" it speaks of—a right relationship with God—is not achieved; it is "given." It is not a wage to be earned, but a gift to be received. This is the core of the Christian doctrine of justification.
How is this gift received? Not by our works, but "through faith in Jesus Christ." Faith is simply the open hand that receives what God has already provided through the finished work of His Son on the cross. We trust not in our own record, but in His.
And who can receive this gift? "All who believe." The verse makes a point to shatter all barriers: "There is no difference." Your background, your past failures, your ethnicity, or your social status do not qualify or disqualify you. The only requirement is faith—a trusting turn to Jesus.
This is the beautifully level ground at the foot of the cross, where every one of us stands equally in need of grace and equally invited to receive it.
A Time of Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I come before you today, acknowledging my natural tendency to want to earn your favor. I confess the times I have trusted in my own goodness or religious acts. Thank you for the stunning truth that righteousness is a gift, paid for by the precious blood of Jesus.
Lord Jesus, I place my faith in you. I trust that your life, death, and resurrection are completely sufficient for my salvation. I receive your gift of righteousness today. I renounce my own works as a basis for my standing with God and I cling to yours alone.
Holy Spirit, help me to live in the freedom of this truth. Let it dissolve my pride, my anxiety, and my need to compare myself to others. Give me a heart of gratitude that overflows in love and service, not as a way to earn anything, but as a joyful response to the incredible gift I have already received.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.