From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Thu, Nov 30, 2023 at 6:11 AM

Subject: 11-30-23 THOUGHTS

11-30-23   THOUGHTS

The first 3 chapters of the Roman letter culminate in verse 23, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  Mankind NEEDS A SAVIOR!   “The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us.” We must always remember “God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does.” verse 27b   We must “put our entire way of living in its proper place!”

(Please read this from a good word for word translation also.)
Rom 3:19-31  Message Bible    This makes it clear, doesn’t  it, that whatever is written in these Scriptures is not what God says about others but to us to whom these Scriptures were addressed in the first place! And it’s clear enough, isn’t it, that we’re sinners, every one of us, in the same sinking boat with everybody else?  20  Our involvement with God’s revelation doesn’t put us right with God. What it does is force us to face our complicity in everyone else’s sin. 21  But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. 22  The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. 23  Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, 24  God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.  25  God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God  decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with  himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. 26  This is not only clear, but it’s now— this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness. 27  So where does that leave our proud Jewish insider claims and counterclaims? Canceled? Yes, canceled. What  we’ve learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. 28  We’ve finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade. 29  And where does that leave our proud Jewish claim of having a corner on God? Also canceled. God is the God of outsider non-Jews as well as insider Jews. 30  How could it be otherwise since there is only one God? God sets right all who welcome his action and enter into it, both those who follow our religious system and those who have never heard of our religion. 31  But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don’t we cancel out all our careful keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in fact, is that by putting that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it.

My Prayer:
Father, thank You for taking us from sin to salvation in Christ Jesus.  It is Your doing and Your gift.  May  we offer our lives as a living sacrifice in joyful, responsive service in Your Kingdom, The Church.  May those who cannot care for themselves be lifted up by us, and may the light of Jesus shine in every aspect of our lives.   In Jesus’ name,    Amen.