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5 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. (Romans 5:1–2, ESV-CE)

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. (Romans 5:3–5, ESV-CE)

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6–11, ESV-CE)

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17, ESV-CE)

so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:21, ESV-CE)

REFLECT

Justified by Faith (believe God will do what he says he will do) declared in right relationship to God. 

I have Peace with the Father through my Lord Jesus Christ (if I allow him to be my Lord)

Through Jesus (I am in Him) I have access to Grace by faith (believe God will do what he says he will do) 

Stand in Grace (by believing)

Rejoice in hope (God is sanctifying me on the way to heaven living in communion with him) The Glory of God will be revealed and I will see it

Rejoice in suffering

The chain of suffering produces good quality that God wants in my soul. 

The chain: suffer, endurance, character, hope, love. 

God has poured his own love into my heart by the Holy Spirt. 

The Holy Spirit has been given to me. 

Christ died for the ungodly while we were all still enemy sinners. 

God shows his amazing love by not waiting for us to clean up, he did it while we were his enemies actively rebelling against him. 

Justified by Christ’s Blood (declared in right relationship to God)

Saved from the wrath of God (wrath is coming for those who don’t reconcile)

While I was an enemy I was reconciled. (I received, I did not make it happen)

Now that I’m reconciled I am being saved. 

Rejoice in God through Jesus who I received reconciliation. 

I must receive the free abundant gift of Grace and Righteousness to be able to reign in life living through Jesus. (It is being yielded to Jesus-not me)

Grace is what is needed that leads to eternal life. Sin reigns in death, Grace reigns in righteousness. I must forsake sin and receive grace which comes through Jesus Christ the Lord. (I must live in Christ-not me, He lives through me-I yield)

PRAY

Father, help me receive. I must receive Justification by Faith, by the Blood of Christ. I want to let Jesus be my Lord. Want to let him live in me - give myself over to him. If I am in him, I have access to the grace I need to live righteously. It is not in me. You have given the Holy Spirt that pours your own love into my heart. This love will empower me to accept and even rejoice in suffering that heals my soul though painful for my flesh. I must accept reconciliation with you, I have to respond. Help me respond with a yes! I do not want to reject Grace that will leave me in sin. I want to one day see your glory!! Amen. 

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Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, explains that every sin is a distortion or misdirection of a good desire—ultimately, a desire for God. Here’s a simplified list showing how each of the seven deadly sins is a counterfeit of a legitimate longing for God:

1. Pride

• Counterfeit Desire: To be exalted and great.
• True Desire: Union with God, who is the highest good and source of greatness.
• Distortion: Seeking self-exaltation instead of finding greatness in God.

2. Envy

• Counterfeit Desire: To share in another’s excellence or happiness.
• True Desire: Participation in the divine goodness that all saints share.
• Distortion: Resenting others’ blessings instead of rejoicing in shared glory in God.

3. Wrath (Anger)

• Counterfeit Desire: Desire for justice and right order.
• True Desire: God’s perfect justice and peace.
• Distortion: Taking vengeance into our own hands instead of trusting God’s justice.

4. Sloth (Acedia)

• Counterfeit Desire: Desire for rest and peace.
• True Desire: Eternal rest in God.
• Distortion: Rejecting the effort of loving God and neighbor, settling for spiritual laziness.

5. Greed (Avarice)

• Counterfeit Desire: Desire for security and abundance.
• True Desire: Infinite richness in God.
• Distortion: Hoarding material wealth instead of trusting God’s providence.

6. Gluttony

• Counterfeit Desire: Desire for pleasure and satisfaction.
• True Desire: Fullness of joy in God.
• Distortion: Overindulgence in food or drink instead of seeking spiritual nourishment.

7. Lust

• Counterfeit Desire: Desire for union and love.
• True Desire: Perfect communion with God and others in charity.
• Distortion: Reducing love to physical gratification instead of self-giving love.

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And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, (Romans 4:5, ESV-CE)

and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:12, ESV-CE)

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (Romans 4:16, ESV-CE)

19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:19–22, ESV-CE)

REFLECT

I can try and work the law in my own strength but will fail eventually and once I do that it…you break it in one place you have broken the entire. No man is righteous by the law. God justifies ungodly people by faith in Him-trust in his promises to redeem. The Holy Spirit opens eyes and offers the gift of faith, you can respond by saying yes, or no. If you accept the gift and respond with yes: I want to be yours and have a changed heart, soul, mind, and will, this is counted as righteousness. If you say no you are left in darkness. 

This faith gift must be responded to. Faith is a covenant relationship with requirements on both sides. God is faithful. We must choose to walk in the footsteps of faith- This is to yield to God at all times. 

The law is still part of the covenant but not by working it from the outside. The gift of those who respond with a yes to the gift of faith, receive the Holy Spirit to give grace that empowers to yield and walk in the footsteps of faith. This new Covenant is by grace. 

Abraham did not look around at worldly circumstances. He listened, believed God, and stood in trust that God does not lie and fulfills what he says he will. He did not give in to unbelief. To strengthen himself he gave Glory to God! This is the faith that has a counted as righteousness. 

PRAY

Father, help me! I want to be yours and do all these things. I pray to yield to you and receive this gift. I respond with a wholehearted yes! Empower me to walk in the footsteps of faith empowered by your grace! I believe:

God justifies ungodly who:

Respond to gift of faith in Him-trust in his promises to redeem. 

Know that Faith is a covenant relationship with requirements on both sides. 

Know God is faithful. 

I must choose to walk in the footsteps of faith- This is to yield to God at all times. 

Receive the Holy Spirit that gives grace that empowers to yield and walk in the footsteps of faith. This new Covenant is by grace. 

Don’t look at the world. Keep your eyes on who God is, what He says, and believe HIM over all you think see or hear. God is bigger than all things and does not lie!

Give Glory to God to strengthen your soul in Faith!

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Christianity: it is an attitude of an undeserving, grateful, willing to forsake evil, dependent child. A total overhaul and transformation of heart, soul, mind, and will. 

It is an attitude, not a work. It is a surrender, not an obedience to rules on the outside. It is a broken person asking for the strength to be better, not an entitled person saying I am forgiven and can do as I choose because God loves all of us. 

So salvation is an attitude and posture change. I cannot change my heart, soul, mind, and will. I ask as a humble dependent child, CHANGE ME. It is a willingness to see the evil inside and to want to be changed by the only one who can change us. My only Hope, Save me!

Did I have this attitude today?

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And to the one who does not work but believes in2 him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, (Romans 4:5, ESV-CE)

REFLECT

Because I am a sinner, there is absolutely nothing I can do to make that up to God. There is no payment I can give. (God came to pay his own punishment)

Accepting the gift:

But if I accept the fact I am a sinner and cannot pay Him back for my sin against Him, and I do not want to continue in sin, and I ask for the flow of grace to heal and help me walk in integrity, then I have accepted to free gift. Walk in Jesus, yielding to the Holy Spirit, to be a child of the Father. My attitude is an undeserving, grateful, willing to forsake evil, dependent child. 

Rejecting the gift:

If I just want forgiveness, want to keep my sin, and want to keep living free to do as I choose, I have not accepted the gift. My attitude is wrong. I am trying to manipulate God’s word and grace for my ends instead of accepting that evil is to be rejected. This is looking for a free pass. 

Attitude not a work:

It is an attitude, not a work. It is a surrender, not an obedience to rules on the outside. It is a broken person asking for the strength to be better, not an entitled person saying I am forgiven and can do as I choose because God loves all of us. 

So salvation is an attitude and posture change. 

PRAY

Jesus, there is so much false Christianity out there. People think they are forgiven so they keep doing as they please because they think it’s a gift so all they have to do is receive. But it is not just a gift of forgiveness. It is a change of heart, mind, and soul! It is a complete transformation. A complete attitude overhaul. I cannot pay for my sin, I cannot change my heart, soul, mind, and will. I ask as a humble dependent child, CHANGE ME. It is a willingness to see the evil inside and to want to be changed by the only one who can change 

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3 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,

b“That you may be justified in your words,

and prevail when you are judged.” (Romans 3:1–4, ESV-CE)

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.” (Romans 3:9–12, ESV-CE)

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19–20, ESV-CE)

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. (Romans 3:21–26, ESV-CE)

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Romans 3:28, ESV-CE)

Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. (Romans 3:31, ESV-CE)

REFLECT 

The Jews were entrusted with the Oracles of God. The Catholic Church has now been entrusted with the Oracles of God since Jesus left the keys with the office of Peter and the Jews rejected their King. 

If some (even if All!) are unfaithful, their faithlessness does NOT nullify the faithfulness of God! God is true and every man is a liar! Cling to and Believe God no matter what!

ALL men are sinners! Not one person is righteous. Not one person understands or seeks God. Every man has rejected God and become worthless by doing what is not good. 

The law speaks to us all to tell us the right way to live. We all do not do it. All man is to be held accountable to God. Because we are weak and have rejected God’s law there is no justification through the law, because you break even one commandment, you have failed. You only can realize by the law that you are a sinner!

God loves us so much He has made a way to be righteous (right with God) apart from the law. You can be right with God by believing God through Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! All are sinners and all have destroyed their glory. You can now be justified by God’s Grace as a gift. This gift comes from the redemption that is in Jesus’ propitiation of blood. This righteousness, justification, and Grace come to you by acceptance of the gift received by faith. God passed over everyone’s sin in the past, now He calls everyone to receive righteousness and justification by Faith in Jesus. 

Just because we are righteous and justified by faith does not mean we overturn the law, we are called to still uphold it. 

PRAY

Father, thank you for the offering of this Gift! I believe you! I want to be righteous and justified in Jesus. I believe your church, even if all men individually are liars it does not nullify what your church teaches. We are all sinners and need this grace. We have all become worthless by our deeds and need redemption. The law shows us how weak we are and in need of a savior! Help me accept this grace that will help me uphold your laws. You did not destroy the law you give us who accept your gift the grace to become new creations that uphold the law by grace, and be righteous and justified by believing and receiving the gift of faith in the Blood of Christ! Help me be docile and humbly submit to the grace you want to give! Amen. 

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13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:13–16, ESV-CE)

23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2:23–24, ESV-CE)

But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. (Romans 2:29, ESV-CE)

REFLECT

Those who hear the law but don’t do it are not righteous. These people who have the law and teach the law but don’t do it because their heart is not changed. They try to work the letter of the law and not successfully. They break the law and do not practice what they preach and therefore blaspheme God. 

Those who do the law are righteous before God. (Obedience-works) Those who are working and obeying the law are doing it because it is on their heart. God has changed their heart. This is a person that had their heart circumcised by the Spirit not by the letter of the law. He is praised because God’s grace is manifested in him. 

God judges the secrets of Men by Christ Jesus. 

You can choose to let God change your heart. You have to know that you cannot do the law without God changing your heart and accepting the grace to live it out. Humility, repentance of all self reliance, and complete dependence upon the Lordship of Christ is how you get a heart change. 

PRAY

My Lord and only Savior of the world, I humbly admit and submit to your Lordship. I pray for a new heart. I pray for Grace to do your will. I repent of my will and ways and ask for you to fill me with the Holy Spirit so I can do your will for me. Engrave your laws on my new heart. I cannot accomplish your will for me, it is only through you that I will be what you made me to be. In the Name of Jesus, Father I ask for you to recreate me, make me new, all things are possible with you. Amen. 

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