May 29, 2020
Romans 3:21-26
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
New International Version (NIV)
A fault line runs through the Memorial area of Houston.  My friend Carter Breed was the first to point it out to me.  It runs through neighborhoods, cuts across Memorial Drive and even runs through certain lots in the neighborhood.  Thankfully, the fault is not connected to the San Andreas fault in California (at least as far as I know).  Nor do I remember it generating an earthquake in our area.  Having endured the great Alaskan earthquake and another in the Midwest as a child, I would prefer to avoid another.  When fault lines shift seismically the results can be cataclysmic.

The fault line running through the Church in the first century was often between believers of a Jewish heritage and believers with a Gentile ancestry.   The Jews enjoyed the advantage of having an amazing holy history in which God chose them as his people.  They had the scriptures, the patriarchs and the prophets.  Gentiles came to the table as outsiders, inducted into the family, grafted on to the tree of faith by God himself.  Unfortunately, as newcomers, they sometimes didn’t know the old rules.  The most rigorous Jewish Christians were ready to remind them and hold their feet to the fire.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ was powerful enough to save both groups and bring them equally into the community of one church.  Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrews carefully insisted that Gentiles had a full seat at the table in the first century church. 

The gospel declares that all have sinned and all are justified by grace.  Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient to save both the self-righteous religious people and the spiritually ignorant people.  It still is.  Think for a moment about the fault lines which are creating earthquakes in our culture.  To this day race divides many people.  Economic disparity creates another divide.  In recent years the painful reality of discrimination against women has become evident.  Access to health care shows another distinction.  Throw in a worldwide pandemic and the fault lines are revealed by the cultural earthquakes.  The sense of superiority over and hatred for others who are different is a sin for which Jesus died.  We who believe in Christ must put to death racism and every form of disdain for others who are different.  Our only hope is to trust in Christ so that we can be transformed into his image.  Jesus loved Samaritans and a Syrophoenician woman enough to talk to them and minister to them.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Earthquakes will surely come with so many fault lines running through our world.  After we are shaken, will we stay the same?  Or will we become more like the one who died to destroy all of our sin?  The gospel of Jesus Christ is still enough.  We must become more diligent to be sure that we have received the gospel which makes us love all people.  Otherwise we may have just been inoculated with enough religion to keep us from catching authentic Christianity.  
Pray with me:         
Father, we confess that prejudice comes easily to people like us.  With David we pray, “Search me O God and know my heart.  Test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any wicked way in me.  Lead me in the way everlasting.”  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.  
Join us in memorizing the Word.  Scripture for this week:    
Matthew 5:45-46
that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
Our 2020 Every Day with Jesus readings will follow the Foundations New Testament reading plan.  Copies of the reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download your copy at REPLICATE.ORG 
We would love for you to join us as we read the New Testament through this year, five chapters a week.  In addition I will continue my long-standing practice of reading one Psalm a day through the year.  Use Robby Gallaty’s H. E. A. R. plan to study each chapter (also found at REPLICATE.ORG). Highlight verses which speak to you, explain what they mean in your own words in a journal, apply them to your own life, then respond by doing what God tells you to do.  
Joyfully, 
Duane 
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