March 7         Saturday                Romans 3.19-31

¹⁹ We want to be clear that whatever the law says, it says to everyone who is under its authority. Its purpose is to muzzle every mouth, to silence idle talk, and to bring the whole world under the standard of God’s justice. ²⁰ Therefore, doing what the law prescribes will not make anyone right in the eyes of God—that’s not its purpose—but the law is capable of exposing the true nature of sin.

²¹ But now for the good news: God’s restorative justice has entered the world, independent of the law. Both the law and the prophets told us this day would come. ²² This redeeming justice comes through the faithfulness of Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King, who makes salvation a reality for all who believe—without the slightest partiality. ²³ You see, all have sinned, and all their futile attempts to reach God in His glory fail. ²⁴ Yet they are now saved and set right by His free gift of grace through the redemption available only in Jesus the Anointed. ²⁵ When God set Him up to be the sacrifice—the seat of mercy where sins are atoned through faith—His blood became the demonstration of God’s own restorative justice. All of this confirms His faithfulness to the promise, for over the course of human history God patiently held back as He dealt with the sins being committed. ²⁶ This expression of God’s restorative justice displays in the present that He is just and righteous and that He makes right those who trust and commit themselves to Jesus.

²⁷ So is there any place left for boasting? No. It’s been shut out completely. And how? By what sort of law? The law of works perhaps? No! By the law of faith. ²⁸ We hold that people are justified, that is, made right with God through faith, which has nothing to do with the deeds the law prescribes.

²⁹ Is God the God of the Jews only? If He created all things, then doesn’t that make Him the God of all people? Jews and non-Jews, insiders and outsiders alike? Yes, He is also the God of all the outsiders. ³⁰ So since God is one, there is one way for Jews and outsiders, circumcised and uncircumcised, to be right with Him. That is the way of faith. ³¹ So are we trying to use faith to abolish the law? Absolutely not! In fact, we now are free to uphold the law as God intended.

March 6  Friday Romans 2.25-31

²⁵ You see, circumcision is of value only if you keep the law’s teachings. But if you keep breaking God’s rules, you are no different than those without the mark. ²⁶ So if an uncircumcised man abides by God’s just precepts, doesn’t that make his standing before God the same as one who is circumcised? ²⁷ The man who is physically uncircumcised but still keeps the law, he will stand in judgment over the person who is circumcised and yet continually breaks God’s law. ²⁸ A mark that is evident doesn’t necessarily make one a Jew, and circumcision that is evident only in the flesh is not true. ²⁹ But the true Jew is Jewish on the inside—in secret places no one but God can see—and true circumcision involves the heart; it comes from the Spirit, not from some written code. The praise and reputation of that kind of Jew come from God, not from man.

   March  5         Thursday           Romans 2.12-24

¹² If one lives life without knowledge of the law—the teachings of the Torah—he will sin and die apart from the law. If someone else lives life under the law, his sin will be judged by what the law teaches. ¹³ Here’s my point: just because a person hears the law read or recited does not mean he is right before the one True God; it is following the law that makes one right, not just hearing it. ^14-15 For instance, some outsiders who are not required to follow the law often live quite naturally by its teachings. Even though the law wasn’t given to them, in themselves they have the law. Here’s the thing: their lives demonstrate that God has inscribed the law’s teachings on their hearts. On judgment day, their consciences will testify for them, and their thoughts will both accuse and defend them. ¹⁶ This good news given to me declares that this affirmation and accusation will take place on that day when God, through Jesus, the Anointed One, judges every person’s life secrets.

¹⁷ Listen, if you claim to be a Jew, count on the law, and boast in your relationship with God; ¹⁸ if you know His will and can determine what is essential (because you have been instructed in the law); and ¹⁹ if you stand convinced that you are chosen to be a guide to the blind, a light to those who live in darkness, ²⁰ a teacher of foolish wanderers and children, and have in the law what is essentially the form of knowledge and truth— ²¹ then tell me, why don’t you practice what you preach? If you are going to sermonize against stealing, then stop stealing. ²² If you are going to teach others not to commit adultery, then be completely faithful to your spouse. If you hate idolatry, then stop robbing the temples! ²³ If you pride yourself in having God’s law, then stop dishonoring God by failing to keep its teaching. ²⁴ Here’s what it says: “Because of you, God’s reputation is slandered by those outside the covenant.”

    March 4         Wednesday            Romans 1.26-2.11

^26-27 This is why God released them to their own vile pursuits, and this is what happened: they chose sexual counterfeits—women had sexual relations with other women and men committed unnatural, shameful acts because they burned with lust for other men. This sin was rife, and they suffered painful consequences.

²⁸ Since they had no mind to recognize God, He turned them loose to follow the unseemly designs of their depraved minds and to do things that should not be done. ²⁹ Their days are filled with all sorts of godless living, wicked schemes, greed, hatred, endless desire for more, murder, violence, deceit, and spitefulness. And, as if that were not enough, they are gossiping, ³⁰ slanderous, God-hating, rude, egotistical, smug people who are always coming up with even more dreadful ways to treat one another. They don’t listen to their parents; ³¹ they lack understanding and character. They are simple-minded, covenant-breaking, heartless, and unmerciful; they are not to be trusted. ³² Despite the fact that they are fully aware that God’s law says this way of life deserves death, they fail to stop. And worse—they applaud others on this destructive path.

2 So you can see there are no excuses for any of us. If your eyes shift their focus from yourselves to others—to judge how they are doing—you have already condemned yourselves! You don’t realize that you are pointing your fingers at others for the exact things you do as well. ² There’s no doubt that the judgment of God will justly fall upon hypocrites who practice such things. ³ Here’s what is happening: you attack and criticize others and then turn around to commit the same offenses yourselves! Do you think you will somehow dodge God’s judgment? ⁴ Do you take the kindness of God for granted? Do you see His patience and tolerance as signs that He is a pushover when it comes to sin? How could you not know that His kindness is guiding our hearts to turn away from distractions and habitual sin to walk a new path?

⁵ But because your heart is obstinate and shameless, you’re storing up wrath that will count against you. On the day of His choosing, God’s wrath and judgment will be unleashed to make things right. ⁶ As it goes, everyone will receive what his actions in life have cultivated. ⁷ Whoever has labored diligently and patiently to do what is right—seeking glory, honor, and immortality—God will grant him endless joy in life eternal. ⁸ But selfish individuals who make trouble, resist the truth, or sell out to wickedness will meet a very different fate—they will find fury and indignation as the fruit of living in the wrong. ⁹ Suffering and pain await everyone whose life is marked by evil living (first for the Jew, and next for the non-Jew). ¹⁰ But if you do what is right, you will receive glory, admiration, and peace (again, first for the Jew, then for the non-Jew). ¹¹ God has no favorites.

March 3  Tuesday                            Romans 1.16-25

¹⁶ For I am not the least bit embarrassed about the gospel. I won’t shy away from it, because it is God’s power to save every person who believes: first the Jew, and then the non-Jew. ¹⁷ You see, in the good news, God’s restorative justice is revealed. And as we will see, it begins with and ends in faith. As the Scripture declares, “By faith the just will obtain life.”

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is breaking through from heaven, opposing all manifestations of ungodliness and wickedness by the people who do wrong to keep God’s truth in check. ¹⁹ These people are not ignorant about what can be known of God, because He has shown it to them with great clarity. ²⁰ From the beginning, creation in its magnificence enlightens us to His nature. Creation itself makes His undying power and divine identity clear, even though they are invisible; and it voids the excuses and ignorant claims of these people ²¹ because, despite the fact that they knew the one true God, they have failed to show the love, honor, and appreciation due to the One who created them! Instead, their lives are consumed by vain thoughts that poison their foolish hearts. ²² They claim to be wise; but they have been exposed as fools, frauds, and con artists— ²³ only a fool would trade the splendor and beauty of the immortal God to worship images of the common man or woman, bird or reptile, or the next beast that tromps along.

²⁴ So God gave them just what their lustful hearts desired. As a result, they violated their bodies and invited shame into their lives. ²⁵ How? By choosing a foolish lie over God’s truth. They gave their lives and devotion to the creature rather than to the Creator Himself, who is blessed forever and ever. Amen. 

March 2  Monday                             Romans 1.1-15

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus the Anointed called by God to be His emissary and appointed to tell the good news ² of the things promised long ago by God, spoken by prophets, and recorded in the Holy Scriptures. ³ All of this good news is about His Son: who was (from a human perspective) born of David’s royal line ⁴ and ultimately designated to be the true Son of God with power upon His resurrection from the dead by the Spirit of holiness. I am speaking of Jesus, the Anointed One, our Lord.

⁵ And here’s what He’s done: He has graced us and sanctioned us as His emissaries whose mission is to spread the one true and obedient faith to all people in the name of Jesus. ⁶ This includes you: you have been called by Jesus, God’s Anointed.

⁷ To all those who are God’s beloved saints in Rome:

May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, surround you.

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus the Anointed for all of you because we are joined by faith as family, and your faith is spreading across the world. ^9-10 For I call God as my witness—whom I worship in my spirit and serve in making known the gospel—He alone knows how often I mention you in my prayers. I find myself constantly praying for you and hoping it’s in God’s will for me to be with you soon. ¹¹ I desperately want to see you so that I can share some gift of the Spirit to strengthen you. ¹² Plus I know that when we come together something beautiful will happen as we are encouraged by each other’s faith.

¹³ If, my brothers and sisters, you did not already know, my plans were set to meet you in Rome, but time and circumstances have forced every trip to be canceled until now. I have deeply desired to see some good fruit among you just as I have seen with so many non-Jewish believers. ¹⁴ You see, I am in tremendous debt to those of various nationalities, from non-Jews to barbarians, from the wisest of the wise to the idle wanderer. ¹⁵ So you can imagine how eager I am to join you and to teach the good news in the mighty and diverse city of Rome.

March

    1           2^nd Sunday in Lent 1 Corinthians 3.11-23

¹¹ There is, in fact, only one foundation, and no one can lay any foundation other than Jesus the Anointed. ¹² As others build on the foundation (whether with gold, silver, gemstones, wood, hay, or straw), ¹³ the quality of each person’s work will be revealed in time as it is tested by fire. ¹⁴ If a man’s work stands the test of fire, he will be rewarded. ¹⁵ If a man’s work is consumed by the fire, his reward will be lost but he will be spared, rescued from the fire. ¹⁶ Don’t you understand that together you form a temple to the living God and His Spirit lives among you? ¹⁷ If someone comes along to corrupt, vandalize, and destroy the temple of God, you can be sure that God will see to it that he meets destruction because the temple of God is sacred. You, together, are His temple.

¹⁸ Don’t let anyone deceive himself. If any one of you thinks he is wise in matters pertaining to this world, he is going to be really disappointed. In fact, one must be deemed a fool by worldly standards in order to become truly wise ¹⁹ because the wisdom of this rebellious and broken world looks like foolishness when put next to God. So it stands in Scripture, “He catches the wise in their deceitful plotting.” ²⁰ And the Scriptures add, “The Lord knows the highest thoughts of the wise, and they are worthless.” ²¹ So there is no reason for anyone to boast in human leaders. You already have it all. ²² So whether it is Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life or death, the present or the future—it all belongs to you. ²³ You belong to the Anointed One, and the Anointed One belongs to God.