Fist Pumps and Cheers



Prayer: Once in royal David’s city,
      Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby,
      In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
     Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor and mean and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

Read: Romans 8:31–39
http://www.esvbible.org/Romans 8:31-39/

Think about It: The descendants of Jesus on deck this week are Abraham and Isaac. In their story we find an example of faithful righteousness in the midst of a difficult challenge from God. Our passage from Romans  for today expounds on that very idea with words that inspire hope and enthusiasm for the faith. Paul’s words in these verses almost make you want to clap, shake hands, and do a few fist pumps. We win! We win! We win! If God is for us, who can possibly stand against us? No one.

Verse 33b sums it up with one short sentence. “It is God who justifies.” Suddenly all of the pressure is off of our shoulders. We do not have to win our own righteousness. That is God’s work. Any attempt made on our part to self-justify is a waste of time for it is baseless. Because of our   sinful propensity, we don’t have the credibility for self-justification. Only God is holy enough to bring that about for us. Abraham’s belief that God would raise his son back from death looked like faith in God’s eyes and He called that righteousness. When God looks upon His children, those who believe in Jesus, He sees the righteousness won by Jesus on the cross. His blood brings about our holiness. Our efforts to earn that      designation as righteous fall away as useless, for Christ is the only One who can make that happen for us.

So, who can stand up and condemn us? No one. Not our past. Not our enemies. Not the devil. Not ourselves. What God declares righteous is righteous. Doesn’t that just make you want to shake a few hands and cheer a little?

Prayer: And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that child so dear and gentle,
Is our Lord in heav’n above;
And He leads His children on,
To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor, lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by
Shall we see Him, but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high.
Then like stars His children, crowned,
All in white, His praise will sound!
Once in Royal David's City  . . . LSB 376 (Public Domain)

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