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For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “the righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 1:17

Good Enough for Heaven

Are you good enough for God? Have you done enough good and avoided enough of the bad to be on God’s good side? How do you know for sure? Will all the good and kind things you have said and done be enough in the end?

Talk about a stressful set of questions! There is a reason people like to put off thinking about this kind of stuff. It can make a person anxious, nervous, and stressed. Our answers to these questions can never provide confidence or assurance that we will be saved in the end. Going through life with all that in the back of our minds is exhausting. With these questions unanswered, we can find no rest for our souls.

There is a better way. The Bible says, “The righteous will live by faith.” We actually don’t need to worry about these questions. The answer is, no, we aren’t good enough. But that’s not the main takeaway from this verse. We may not be good enough, but that does not matter because we have one who was good enough for us: Jesus. Jesus was good enough for me and you and the whole world. He lived a perfect life in our place and died to take all our sins away.

Whether or not we make it to heaven in the end does not depend on our level of goodness. Rather, it depends on Jesus’ perfect level of goodness for us. He was perfect in our place. We are saved because of him. So rather than stressing about whether or not we are good enough, we are now free to live by faith, trusting in Jesus and his life and death for us.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, I know that on my own I cannot ever be good enough. Thank you for removing that pressure from my life by being my perfect Savior. Enable me now to live my life for you. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed – righteousness that is by faith from first to last.
Romans 1:17

True Religion

According to Google, there are an estimated 4,000 to 10,000 distinct religions in the world. On the surface, they can all seem quite different from each other. When it comes down to it, though, all of them, with one exception, depend to some degree on the person to do the right things at the right time. All these thousands of religions can be lumped together under the category of ‘works righteousness.’ Do the right stuff. Say the right things. Avoid the really bad things. Work your way towards perfection. Keep after it, and eventually you will get where you need to be.

Our religion is different. Biblical Christianity says that we cannot possibly do enough to be saved. Our works are not good enough because the standard is perfection. God’s standard for heaven is to be perfect. To be righteous. And this is not a future standard. It is what God requires of us today and every day. Our righteousness does not and cannot save us because it is not a perfect righteousness. In fact, it never will be.

Thankfully, someone else does have perfect righteousness. The Bible says that righteousness comes from God, not from us. There is one person who lived a perfectly righteous life for us. God provided righteousness for us through Jesus. He came to this world to do what we could never do. He came to earn our righteousness. He came and lived a perfect life in our place. Through faith in Jesus, we are saved. This is Christianity in a nutshell. We are saved through faith in our perfect Savior who lived and died in our place.

So, is your righteousness going to save you, or is Christ’s righteousness going to save you? You can only pick one. Put your trust in your Savior, who was perfect for you.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, you are my righteousness. Thank you for being perfect in my place. Help me to place all my trust and confidence in you and what you have done for me. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.
Romans 1:16

Salvation is One Hundred Percent Jesus

‘I believe in Jesus, and I am a good person.’ ‘I believe in Jesus, and I have never killed anyone or stolen anything.’ ‘I believe in Jesus, and I give lots of my time and money to various charities.’ Jesus and something else, is a common religion in America today. If you were to ask someone why they think they will make it to heaven the answer is often, ‘I believe in Jesus, and …’

It is easy to think that way. In all areas of life, we are quick to want to add our own contributions. We want to do our part or pay our own way. We want to feel good about ourselves. We want to know whether we carried our own weight or held up our end of the bargain. All this is also true when it comes to getting into heaven. We want to feel like we did everything we could.

But there is a problem. ‘Jesus and …’, is not the faith of the Bible or of Christianity. The gospel of salvation is Jesus and only Jesus. We are going to heaven always and only because of what Jesus has done for us. He lived a perfect life in our place and died an innocent death to take away all our sins and rose from the dead to give us eternal life in heaven. That’s it. We cannot add anything to that. It all has been done by Jesus, for us—one hundred percent! This salvation is for all who believe in Jesus—free of charge. Nothing further required.

So, when someone asks about why you think you are going to heaven, take yourself out of the equation. Only Jesus saves. Only he can provide the confidence we need that we are saved. Our salvation is one hundred percent Jesus and zero percent us. And we would not want it any other way.

Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, my salvation is entirely dependent on you. Help me not to look at my own efforts but to know and believe that you and you alone are my salvation. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.
Isaiah 25:9

His Salvation, Not Mine

I used to play golf. I wasn’t in a league or anything, but I played frequently enough over the course of the summer to feel like I could call myself a golfer. Truthfully, I wasn’t any good, but I liked to try. Even though my ball ended up more often in the woods than on the fairway, or in the pond instead of on the green, I kept playing.

Perhaps because of my poor scores, my favorite format of playing golf is undeniably the scramble. In this type of golf event, each team of four tries to compile the best score to win the tournament. To achieve this score, each golfer tees off on the hole. Then they decide which of the four shots was best, and all four hit their second shots from there. I always liked that style of play because I could use someone else’s shot when mine wasn’t good enough.

Getting to heaven is a lot like that. We try hard. We aim to stay on the straight and narrow. But frankly, our best is not good enough. Our thoughts wander into the woods of greed, lust, and pride. Our actions are often so far out of bounds that we would be embarrassed if anyone saw them. Our words often fail to be on par with what is God-pleasing.

Thankfully, there is someone else’s life we can use. If life in this sinful world is a scramble, we need someone on our team who can get it right. That someone is Jesus. He always got it right. He never let his thoughts stray into sin, and he always kept his words and actions perfectly in line with God’s Word. Believing in Jesus means we get to use his shot every time. We trust in his life and not ours. His life of perfection enabled him to present a perfect scorecard to his Father in heaven. We rejoice in his salvation because we are unable to achieve it on our own.

Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, you are my perfect substitute. Thank you for all that you have done to ensure that I can be with you forever in heaven. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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[H]e will swallow up death forever.
Isaiah 25:8

A Tough Pill to Swallow

As a parish pastor, I have visited many people over the years. It has been a blessing to minister to people in their homes, hospital rooms, and assisted living facilities. Often on such visits, we end up sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying good conversation. Often, as we gather around the table, I will notice that an individual has several containers of prescription medication. I have seen more than one individual expected to take staggering amounts of medication to enable their bodies to keep on going.

Swallowing pills is quite common: vitamins, supplements, pain relievers, and prescription medication are all taken in an effort to put off swallowing that one pill that no one wants to take. That last bitter pill is death. No amount of vitamins or medication can ultimately prevent it. Whether we live to be 80, 90, or even 100 years old, we will all eventually encounter this inevitability. Death is undefeated.

Actually, it was undefeated until Jesus came along. Jesus died a horrible death, and it looked like he would face the same fate as everyone else. But then something happened. He didn’t stay dead. Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, forever conquering death for all who believe in him. In his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus has swallowed up the one enemy none of us could defeat. Through faith in Jesus and his saving work on our behalf, we are saved. Death is not the final answer for God’s children. Death for the one who believes in Jesus is now nothing more than the door to heaven. Because of Jesus, heaven is ours!

God blesses us in this world with medicine and doctors who help us to continue living and serving the Lord. Thanks be to God when this earthly life is over, death holds no power over us!

Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, you have done what I could not. Thank you for defeating death and swallowing it up forever. Help me to live for you here and to look forward to the day I will be with you. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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[Jesus said] “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”
Matthew 5:8

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

Thick walls of water rushing over the falls and shattering into mists on the rocks below. A spectacular sunset streaking red and orange beams across the darkening blue sky. My wife walking down the aisle at our wedding. Lotus blossoms so thick they lay a purple and green carpet across the pond.

These are just some of the beautiful things I’ve been privileged to see.

None of them compares to seeing the face of God. No, I’m not claiming I’ve had a vision from heaven and God spoke to me. I am claiming that Jesus promised I will see with my own eyes the God who created me.

How could I ever think his promise applies to me? Jesus says it applies to those who are pure in heart. Pure in heart? Not me. I have a nice outside but a rotten inside. I stress when my daughter doesn’t come home on time. I am often jealous of those who have things I don’t. My heart is a lot of things, but it isn’t pure.

Still, I will see God—eye to eye. I won’t blink or blush crimson when he looks straight into my polluted heart.

Why not? Jesus washed me clean. His death sucked all the sin out of my heart. I am blessed and I am pure and I will see God.

On judgment day, God will see my sin-free heart. I will see God. I’ll study his ageless beauty, wisdom, love, and kindness. My life of aches and heartbreaks will quickly dim. All because my Savior pulled my sins onto himself.

Prayer:

Father, I await the day when we will meet face to face in your heavenly kingdom. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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“My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Daniel 6:22-23

Trust in God

To what degree will you trust your neighbors? Do you trust them enough to leave your car doors unlocked at night? Do you trust them enough to allow your children to play with theirs, or to let them babysit? Will you loan them your tools? Will you give them a key to your house? Just how far will your trust go?

Daniel was faced with a similar question. How far was he willing to trust his God? When the king ordered that no one was to pray to anyone but the king himself, Daniel trusted God and prayed to him for help. When the king ordered Daniel thrown into the lion’s den, Daniel trusted in the Lord for deliverance. And we learn that the Lord delivered Daniel because Daniel trusted in the Lord.

We have the same confidence to trust in God as Daniel did. We are able to trust God because of what he has already done for us. Even though we did not deserve it, he sent his Son to deliver the world from their sin. His Son paid the price we deserve.

As a result, we don’t need to consider how far our trust will go. God has already demonstrated how far we can trust him. We can trust him completely and fully, in any circumstance. He has already delivered us from the consequences of our sin. We are innocent in his sight through Jesus. Now he will continue to work all things out for the good of those who love him. And ultimately, he will deliver us to paradise with him. May the words spoken in Daniel also be said of us, that we “trusted in God.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, allow me to continue to trust in you in everything, because I am innocent in your sight through Jesus. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
Romans 3:27-28

No Boasting Allowed

We live in a world that continually encourages boasting. From polished resumes to carefully curated social media feeds, we are conditioned to present our best selves, tally our achievements, and prove our worth. Tragically, we often bring this same self-justifying mindset into our relationship with God. Our fallen nature desperately wants to point to our good deeds, our faithful worship, or our moral track record and say, “Look at what I have done, Lord.”

But the apostle Paul firmly shuts the door on our pride: “It is excluded.”

If our standing before God were based on “the law that requires works”—our personal ability to keep God’s commandments perfectly—we might have a reason to brag. But the harsh, condemning reality is that we all fall completely short. Our spiritual resumes are filled with failure. We have absolutely nothing of our own to offer a holy God.

But thanks be to God, our salvation doesn’t depend on our performance. Paul declares the central, beautiful truth of the Christian faith: “a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” We are declared innocent, not guilty, entirely because of Jesus Christ.

As both true God and true man, Jesus lived the flawless life the law demanded, and he suffered the bitter penalty our sins deserved on the cross. He accomplished that work as our perfect substitute. Faith is simply the empty hand that receives this incredible gift of God’s undeserved mercy.

Since our salvation is entirely the work of God, we can never boast about our own abilities. We can’t contribute anything to the work Jesus has done for us, because it’s already finished. But that’s not bad news; it’s the ultimate comfort. When our conscience accuses us, we don’t have to look to our own broken selves. We look to Christ alone. We can’t boast in ourselves, but we will boast eternally in the cross of our Savior.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, strip away my pride and my attempts to earn your favor, and lead me to trust in your freely given grace alone. Let my only boast be in you forever. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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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.
Romans 3:25-26

No Sweeping Allowed

When you are expecting company and short on time, it’s tempting to sweep the dirt on the floor under the rug. Out of sight, out of mind. Sometimes we wish God would treat our sins the same way. We hope that because God is loving and merciful, he might look the other way, ignore our daily failures, and sweep our guilt under the rug of eternity.

But a truly just judge can’t simply ignore a crime. If a human judge let a guilty criminal walk free just to be “nice,” we would call that judge corrupt. If God swept the world’s sins aside without a second thought, he would cease to be righteous. The crushing reality of God’s law is that every sin creates a debt, and the wage of sin is death.

Our debt can’t be casually hidden; it must be dealt with. God’s justice doesn’t allow sin to be ignored. That’s why he did something far more profound and far more costly: he presented Jesus Christ as a “sacrifice of atonement.” Rather than ignoring the mountain of the world’s sin, God the Father took every single one of them and laid them squarely on the shoulders of his perfect Son. In Jesus, the unyielding demands of God’s perfect justice were met, not by lowering the standard, but through his perfect life of obedience and death on a cross.

There at the cross, God demonstrated that he is both “just” and the one who “justifies.” He is just because the full penalty of sin has been paid by Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. And he is your justifier because through faith, Christ’s perfect payment is freely transferred to your account.

Your sins have not been swept under the rug. They have been washed away by the blood of the Lamb. Your debt is not ignored; it has been paid in full. Your forgiveness is complete.

Prayer:

Jesus, thank you for paying the debt of my sin once and for all. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.