Tag Archives: faith

All Have Sinned

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Romans 323–24 [widescreen]

Shaped by the Word is a daily, Bible-reading devotional. I do not publish supplemental material on Sundays, but I do include a suggested Scripture reading. Please be sure to subscribe to this page so you can follow along every day. Thanks for reading!

Reading the Word

Romans 3:21–26 (ESV)

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

We of Little Faith

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Matthew 1430–31 [widescreen]

Reading the Word

Matthew 14:22–33 (ESV)

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Understanding and Applying the Word

When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he wanted to join him. So Peter got out of the boat and began to go to Jesus. At first, he was doing fine. However, as he noticed the wind and the waves he became fearful and began to sink. He cried out to Jesus who reached out and saved him.

Jesus’ words to Peter reveal a great deal about Peter and us. Jesus said to Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” At first, Peter boldly stepped into the water to go to Jesus. It was when his eyes went to focusing on the winds and the sea that he became fearful and lost faith. We often do the same. How often do we start off boldly to follow Christ no matter where that may lead us, only to become discouraged or fearful because the path has become difficult and filled with danger? What is it that you are fearful of in your life right now? Have you taken your eyes off of Jesus? Look to him and know that you can trust him in every circumstance.

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Salvation in No One Else but Jesus

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Acts 412 [widescreen]

Reading the Word

Acts 4:5–12 (ESV)

5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Understanding and Applying the Word

The religious leaders of Israel had rejected Jesus as the promised Messiah and Savior of the people. At every turn in Jesus’ ministry, they challenged Jesus and sought to discredit him. When they could not and when they saw that his influence was becoming too great, they sought to get rid of him. Eventually, they were able to have him crucified. Peter reminded them of this truth in his preaching. It was through the power of Jesus that a crippled man was healed. This was the same Jesus that the leaders had rejected. And Jesus was the one and only way of salvation. There was no other way.

The truth of the gospel for today is still the same. Jesus came into the world to save mankind from our sins. Through his sinless life and selfless sacrifice, our sins are paid for and we can have eternal life. But we must repent of our sins and turn to Christ in faith. Many simply will not do this. Many are convinced that Jesus is not who he or his followers claim he is. Others cannot accept that they need to be saved or that there would only be one way. Yet, Jesus is the only way to be saved. There is no other way. Will you go to him today?

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No Excuses

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1 Peter 224 [widescreen]

Reading the Word

Romans 1:18–23 (ESV)

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Understanding and Applying the Word

In Romans 1:16-17, Paul writes that there is only one way for any person to be saved. Salvation is by grace through faith. In our reading today, he tells us why salvation can only come in this way: all people are under the wrath of God because of sin. Every single person, whether religious or not, is guilty because God has revealed himself to us in the created order and what can be plainly known about him has been rejected by every one of us. No one will be able to claim “I did not know!” Mankind has exchanged the one true God for other gods.

We have a sin problem. It is our greatest problem and causes all of our troubles in this world. And there is nothing we can do in our own power to fix our problem. The good news is that God has done something for us. Jesus Christ came into the world to live the sinless life none of us could. Then he went to the cross to die in our place. He took the wrath that we deserve to pay our debt. If we will turn from our sin and turn to Jesus in faith, God promises to forgive us and give us eternal life. This is amazing grace!

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What Salvation Means for Today

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glory to god book

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Reading the Word

Romans 5:1–5 (ESV)

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Understanding and Applying the Word

The Book of Romans teaches clearly that all people are saved by grace through faith. We are all sinners and our works are insufficient to save us. We must be justified in some other manner. Paul tells us that we are justified by faith in what Jesus Christ has done for us.

In Romans 5, we read of three important truths that result from our justification. The first is that we are now at peace with God. We go from being under his wrath to being at peace. We are no longer God’s enemies, but his friends! The second thing resulting from our justification is that we have the “hope of the glory of God.” This speaks of the future hope that belongs to all of God’s people in eternity. We will be in God’s presence and we will be made new along with all of creation to reflect the glory of God as we intended to before we sinned. And the last thing our justification means is that we can face our present sufferings with rejoicing. We know that the hardships we face in this life serve to focus our eyes on the future and the Savior who died for us.

Every day is an opportunity to praise the One who saved us by his grace and who promises a glorious future for all who believe.

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The Way, the Truth, and the Life

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John 146 [widescreen]

Reading the Word

John 14:1–6 (ESV)

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Understanding and Applying the Word

Christianity is controversial. It has always been controversial. The reason is found in this passage, especially Jesus’s words in verse 6. Jesus clearly and pointedly stated that there is only on way to the Father and it is through him. This means that all paths are not the same. All paths do not lead to the same destination. All religions are not equal. There is only one way. There is only one truth. It is found in Jesus Christ alone.

Of course, just because a person claims to have the one right answer does not make it so. Many people have made that claim through the years. However, Jesus is not just any person. He is the one person who died and rose from the dead. The resurrection validates that all Jesus said was true. His words were not just the words of a crazy man or wishful thinking. His words were authoritative. And this means that Jesus is the only way to the Father. And he also tells us that if we repent of our sins and place our faith in him, we will be saved. Why would you go any other way?

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Our Lack of Understanding

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man in blue and brown plaid dress shirt touching his hair

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Reading the Word

Job 38:1–7 (ESV)

1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.

4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Understanding and Applying the Word

How often do you question God? Have you ever wondered why certain things happen and think, “This is not right and God should not allow such a thing?” This was the mindset of Job when he lost his family and was stricken with sores all over his body that tormented him. He felt it was not fair and that if he could get an audience with God, he would make his case and prove why it was not right.

Job finally got his audience with God and God’s response to Job is partially recorded in our reading for today. In it, God pointed out that Job did not have full understanding of all things and therefore could not see the entire picture. Job was wrong in his assessment because of his lack of knowledge and understanding.

The thing that Job most needed to learn was to trust in God even in the difficult times and when all of the “Why?” questions are not answerable. We all need to learn this lesson because many of the things we go through in life will be for unknown reasons, but we can be assured that God’s plans and purposes are for good and that they never fail.

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We Must Have Faith

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Hebrews 116 [widescreen]

Reading the Word

Hebrews 11:4–7 (ESV)

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Understanding and Applying the Word

Do you want to please God? Then you must have faith in him. The writer of Hebrews, throughout chapter eleven, lists out many of the most well-known people of the Old Testament and shows that they were welcomed by God because each of them had faith. It was not their personal righteousness or their good works that pleased God. The Bible tells us that none of us are good enough on our own (Romans 3:23). If we want to please God, we must have faith.

The good news of the Bible is that Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from our sins. Every one of us is separated from our Creator by our rebellion against him and there is nothing we can do on our own to change this. However, Jesus paid our debt through his suffering and death. For all who repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and reconciliation, Scripture tells us we are saved and given the gift of eternal life. This is the only way to be reconciled to God. We must have faith in Jesus Christ.

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According to Your Faith

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praying man looking up

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Reading the Word

Matthew 9:27–31 (ESV)

27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Understanding and Applying the Word

Jesus healed two blind men. This scene by itself is not a surprise. We read many occurrences in the Gospels of Jesus healing others. The thing that stands out here is that Jesus first asked the men if they believed that he could heal them. When they affirmed their belief, Jesus said, “According to your faith be it done to you.”

This episode is a story that shows what Jesus does for all who believe. Jesus heals us. He delivered the men from their blindness. He delivers us from our sin and the death that it brings. However, while the offer of healing is for all, only those who believe in Jesus will be delivered from their sin and given eternal life. According to our faith it will be done for us. Trust in the only one who can save you.

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Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

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2 Corinthians 57 [widescreen]

Reading the Word

2 Corinthians 5:6–10 (ESV)

6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Understanding and Applying the Word

Paul tells us that “while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.” What exactly does he mean? First, to be at home in the body speaks of living our lives in this world. Until we die or Jesus Christ returns, we are away from our Lord and must live in this fallen world. This brings us to his second point. While we live in this fallen world, we must live by faith and not by sight. This does not mean, as some suppose, that we live according to wishful thinking and in contrast to obvious truth. Faith is not just hoping something hard enough that it becomes reality. Faith is believing in the promises of God even though they have not yet been fulfilled. The Lord has promised that one day we will be with him, so we live our lives knowing this is true.

If you are reading this, you are living in this world and still awaiting the fulfillment of the promises of God. During our time in this world, we will face many joys and trials, but we do so always knowing what the future holds for all who belong to Christ. We live out our days knowing what the word of God says and knowing that God’s word will be fulfilled. We walk by faith and not by sight.

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