GOD’S WORD FOR NOVEMBER 9

We are reading from a daily devotional  called “Running To Win” written by Erwin Lutzer  and the late, great D.L. Moody.   Erwin Lutzer is a light in our day as D.L. Moody was in his.  Besides his many ministries, and many books, Pastor Lutzer was Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus there.  He is  Chancelor and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught Theology and Ministry, and now has numerous radio teachings.

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PERFECTION REALIZED

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. James 2:10

D.L. MOODY

The Ten Commandments are not ten different laws; they are one law. If I am being held up in the air by a chain with ten links and I break one of them, down I come just as surely as if I broke the whole ten. If I am forbidden to go out of an enclosure, it makes no difference at what point I break through the fence. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” The golden chain of obedience is broken if one link is missing.

ERWIN LUTZER

This statement from James indicts all of us. It shatters every deception of self-righteousness and humbles all of us who think we are better than others. True, it is better to be a decent citizen than a criminal, but we all stand in need of abundant grace. We are all guilty of breaking all of the commandments.

Our problem? Nobody can get to heaven unless he is as perfect as God. No one understood this better than Martin Luther who spent hours in confession, trying to make sure that each sin he had committed was forgiven. But then he saw the answer to his quest: we receive the righteousness of Christ by faith.

As we sing;

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

To break one commandment is to break them all; but Christ fulfilled the law perfectly and we receive His righteous obedience and sacrifice.

PRAYER

Father, thank you for Jesus, who took my sin on the cross and gave me His righteousness, so that you now see me as perfect in Him.

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Romans 3:20-22 (Amplified version for understanding)

For no person will be justified [freed of guilt and declared righteous] in His sight by [trying to do] the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin [and the recognition of sin directs us toward repentance, but provides no remedy for sin].

But now the righteousness of God has been clearly revealed [independently and completely] apart from the Law, though it is [actually] confirmed by the Law and the [words and writings of the] Prophets.  This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction,

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Romans 10:4

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for all who believe.

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Psalm 7:17

I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness and justice, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

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Psalm 9:8

And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the nations with fairness (equity).

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Psalm 11:7 (Amplified version)

For the Lord is [absolutely] righteous, He loves righteousness (virtue, morality, justice); The upright shall see His face.

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2 Corinthians 5:21

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

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Philippians 3:9

“And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

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Romans 1:17

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”

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