For the first time in my life, I did devotions without a devotional guide--I just read a chapter of the Bible--and got SO much out of it. Please, don't pass this entry by. I needed to hear this. YOU DO TOO. You will love it.

Romans 3

This chapter didn't make a word of sense to me until I read it in the Living Bible. Then it made a world of sense...

"'But,' some say, 'our breaking faith with God is good, our sins serve a good purpose, for people will notice how good God is when they see how bad we are. Is it fair, then, for him to punish us when our sins help him?' (That is what some people say.) God forbid! Then what kind of God would he be, to overlook sin?" Romans 3:5-6

An even better way to say it would be to say, "Then what kind of father would he be?" We would be very spoiled children!

"So the judgment of God lies very heavily upon the Jews, for they are responsible to keep God's laws." Romans 3:19

And I, as a person brought up in the church, am also very responsible to keep God's laws. And though I am not bound by the Old Testament laws, I am bound by the two commandments Jesus gave: Love God and love others. These lie heavily on my head.

Father, help me grow so that I keep those two commandments as well as I am expected to. I know You will always forgive me if I mess up, but I want to go deeper than that. I want to follow You. I want to show You I love You. Help me do that.

"For the more we know of God's laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners." Romans 3:20

Oh, wonderful! Then I can never be good enough!

EXACTLY!!! I can't be good enough. He requires too much for that! He requires perfection, for heaven's sake!

And that's why...

"Now God says he will accept and acquit us--declare us 'not guilty'--if we trust Jesus Christ to take away oursins." Romans 3:22a, emphasis mine.

Yay!! So I don't have to be good enough! It's okay. I can never be good enough, and that's okay, because God saves me!

However, here's the kicker...

"And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like... Now in these days [God] can receive sinners in this same way, because Jesus took away their sins..." Romans 3:22b, 26, emphasis mine.

All of us. All of us on the EARTH. That means... I'm not special. I'm not special because I'm saved, because EVERYONE can be saved. I'm not special because I'm good, because that's not how we are saved.

Jordan, that spoiled little girl--God's grace extends to her.

Those boys in chapel who mock God's people--God's grace extends to them.

My sister, the rebel--God's grace extends to her.

Ack! I'm not special!

Dear God, this, as You know, is a huge blow to my ego. I guess it's what most people call "humbling." Lord, I have a problem with pride. Pride in something that makes no difference at all--except that You accept me.

(On a different note) God... Would You really not accept me if I had not believed in Jesus' sacrifice? Oh, God! All the lost people out there! All the lost people!

Dear God, let me make a difference! Oh, God, bring these people to You! Oh, God, don't let them live apart from You! Oh, God...

I haven't even finished the verses yet...

"Then what can we boast about doing, to earn our salvation? Nothing at all." Romans 3:27, emphasis mine

This only goes to prove what I have been saying: I am not special. I cannot boast about being good, because that's not where our salvation comes from.

Dear God, I have learned a lot from these devotions, and I am hungry for more!! Thank You!! Please keep me reading this book. I love You! Your child