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Timothy: Romans 3:27-31
Faith and Law

27 Then where is the boasting? It was excluded. Through what law? Of works? No, but through a Law of faith.

28 Then we conclude a man to be justified by faith without works of Law.

29 Or is He the God of Jews only, and not also of the nations? Yes, of the nations also,

30 since it is one God who will justify circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

31 Then is the Law annulled through faith? Let it not be! But we establish Law.

[Literal Translation of the Holy Bible]

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I offer my thanks to You for the new day that You have granted me and for giving me Your Eternal Living Word to meditate on this day. I pray that Christ may give me new strength, and I pray that the Holy Spirit may guide me in all the truth of Your Word.

Dear Father, here is what I understand and feel about Romans 3:27-31 in my reflection:

I understand that the boasting mentioned in verse 27 is from the Israelites, but it can also be understood to include the boasting of the Gentiles. The Israelites boast about being chosen by God, given the law, and knowing the one true God to worship. The Gentiles boast about their beliefs, philosophies, and moral standards, which mostly rely on their conscience, the unwritten law You give to humanity in their spirit. Both groups are proud of becoming righteous through these things. However, the Israelites could not perfectly keep the law written by You, and the Gentiles could not entirely live up to their moral standards. Therefore, the boasting of both became meaningless.

Dear Father, I understand that in Your salvation grace, people are saved by faith. Faith has only one law, which is obedience.

I believe that I am a sinner, for I have violated God’s law and deserve to be punished according to the law. But You have given me the grace of salvation through the atoning death of Christ. I believe that by repenting of my sins and confessing the atonement of Christ, I am saved, forgiven of all sins, and declared righteous by You.

When I express my faith by committing to obey all the teachings of God as recorded in the Bible, I immediately receive Your forgiveness, am transformed into a new person, and am empowered by God to live a life without sinning. I cannot boast of anything except the fact that I am saved and declared righteous by Your salvation grace. My new righteous life is not my own doing, but the result of God’s work through me.

Dear Father, I understand that boasting is meaningless for both the people of Israel and the Gentiles because obedience through faith is what counts. Since the people of Israel were unable to keep the written law in the Bible, and the Gentiles were unable to keep the unwritten law in their conscience, both can only be considered righteous by having faith in Christ.

Dear Father, I understand that You are not only the God of Israel, but also the God of all creation. Your righteousness is manifested in all nations, and Your salvation grace is offered to all. Anyone who has faith in Christ is immediately redeemed, forgiven of all sins, cleansed of their sinful nature, and declared righteous by You. From that point on, the righteous person lives according to Your law through the power of God.

Dear Father, I understand that only those of Israel who bear the sign of circumcision for their faith in You and for Your covenant with their fathers are deemed righteous by You. If they bear the sign without faith, then the sign is meaningless. I also understand that those of the Gentiles who have faith in the Lord Christ are deemed righteous by You, even without bearing the sign of circumcision.

Dear Father, I understand that the term “by faith” refers to an action based on one’s beliefs. For example, when I board a plane to travel from one place to another, I am doing so based on faith. Faith is the motivation behind my actions. The Israelites believed that by being circumcised, they were partaking in the covenant of Abraham, so they underwent circumcision. It is through their act of faith that You deemed them righteous.

Dear Father, I also understand that the term “through faith” is used to indicate the blessings we receive when we demonstrate our faith. Just like how I can travel from one place to another by getting on a plane, I am considered righteous by You when I truly believe and receive the Gospel.

Therefore, living “by faith” means that faith is the basis for all my actions. I am granted righteousness and given Your inheritance “through faith,” meaning that I am called righteous by You and given co-kingship with Christ when I have faith in Him.

Dear Father, I understand that I am not declared righteous by keeping the law. No one can keep the law. People may keep the law outwardly, but in their hearts, they are always thinking of breaking the law. I am declared righteous because I trust in Your saving grace. It is like a prisoner in jail, waiting for the sentence to be executed, but through faith in the pardon of the government, he can step out of jail and no longer be considered a criminal. However, after leaving jail through faith in the pardon, he must live in obedience to the law; otherwise, he will become a criminal again and be punished even more severely. If the prisoner does not accept the pardon, he will still remain in jail, waiting for the sentence to be executed.

Dear Father, today there are many religions that bear the name of Christ, called “The Church,” but they teach heresy. They teach that Your Ten Commandments no longer apply to those who accept the Gospel. They preach a different gospel and a different Jesus Christ than the one presented in the Holy Scriptures. Sadly, many people follow their teachings without keeping Your Ten Commandments. How can it be that Christ died for their sins, namely, for not keeping Your Ten Commandments, yet they still do not keep them after confessing their acceptance of Your Gospel? So where is the consistency in their beliefs?

I am aware that the Day of Christ’s return to take His Church out of the world is rapidly approaching, and the time left can be measured in seconds. However, there are so many people who identify themselves as Christians that are still living in disobedience to Your Ten Commandments. Dear Father, please have mercy and bring about a revival in Your Church. I am grateful to You and humbly pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
03/14/2023