Month: April 2025

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1,2

Grace in Place of Condemnation

Daily Devotion – April 2, 2025

Devotion based on Romans 8:1,2


See series: Devotions

What’s it like to stand before a judge, waiting for his verdict? Maybe you know what it’s like, or maybe you’ve only seen it on the news. Whether we have stood in front of a judge in real life or not, all of us are accountable to God, who rightly judges every heart. If we’re honest, we know what God’s verdict should be—guilty as charged, sentenced to eternal condemnation.

But the grace of God in Jesus Christ overrules what should be. In God’s courtroom, we find grace in place of condemnation. Every day we can confess our sins and plead guilty, and God declares us not guilty through Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, God’s justice was served, and you were saved. Now, God personally declares “not guilty” all who have faith in Christ Jesus. Now, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

In Jesus and through faith in him, you need not imagine what it’s like to be declared “not guilty” by the judge of all humankind. It’s a very real verdict, and it impacts you right now. Too often, we dwell in the past. We let past sins and past guilt distract us from the present reality of God’s forgiveness. Once we lived under the law of sin and death, we were controlled by sin and condemned to death. But that was then. Now, things are different. Those who are in Christ have been set free by the grace of God.

Prayer:
Lord, keep me always in Christ so that I may live now and forever in your grace. 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.

“I will praise you, LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
Isaiah 12:1,2

Grace in Place of Anger

Daily Devotion – April 1, 2025

Devotion based on Isaiah 12:1,2


See series: Devotions

When someone offends or hurts you with words or actions, what’s your most likely response? To show grace or fume with anger? For many of us, too often, we react with anger.

In our Bible reading for today, the author says that God was angry with him because of his sins. God’s anger is different from our anger. God’s anger is rightly directed toward anyone who repeatedly disobeys and disregards his perfect will. God would have had as many reasons to be angry with us as we have sins.

Thankfully, our Bible passage goes on to say, “Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away…” Once, God’s anger was directed toward us because of our sins, but that anger was redirected. Where did it go? It was redirected upon Jesus, the perfect Son of God. God’s anger against sin was redirected entirely upon the one who always did his Father’s will. All the reasons for God to be angry with us were redirected upon Jesus on the cross.

When God’s anger was redirected upon the cross of Christ, so was every reason we would ever have to be afraid of a Holy God. When grace takes the place of anger, we can see God not as an angry and just judge but as our gracious and loving Father. In our lives, we can show and speak grace in place of anger. We can speak and react differently than the unbelieving world does. By this, we can open a door for those who still fume with anger or tremble in fear of God’s anger. By showing grace in place of anger, we open the door to reveal Jesus, who has turned away God’s anger and comforts us with his grace.

Prayer:
Lord God, surely you have saved me; I will trust in you and not be afraid. 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.