Series: Justified
Message: Justified
Preacher: Japhet De Oliveira
Reflection: Mark Witas
Live Wonder: Zan Long
Live Adventure: Zan Long
Live Purpose: Kyle Smith
Editor: Becky De Oliveira

Refresh: Begin with prayer. Ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to new understanding and for God’s character to be revealed.

Read: Romans 4:1-12 in The Message (MSG). Note 1–3 insights or questions. 

Reflect: In Romans 4:4, Paul says, “Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.”

Obligations aren’t bad things. In fact, they are necessary for living in this world. I’ve had lots of obligations in my life. I’m obligated to pay my taxes and my bills. I’ve been obligated to keep promises to friends. I’m obligated to keep appointments, drive on the right side of the road, and stop at all the stop signs. All of these obligations make it so that I can get along in the world, and when I fulfill my obligations my life is a better life.

Love works differently than that. Imagine I am on a date with my wife. We are sitting in a dimly-lit restaurant, our favorite food is artfully presented before us, she reaches out her hand, looks deeply into my eyes, and says, “Sweetheart, thank you for taking me out tonight. I really needed this. I love you.”

Now imagine her reaction if I were to break eye contact and say, “I’m just here because I felt an obligation to take you out.” Talk about a romance killer.

God doesn’t save us from our sin out of obligation. He doesn’t forgive us because some cosmic law is forcing Him to. God didn’t share Jesus with us because of some righteous requirement. He does all these things for us because He loves us. Pure and simple.

The Bible reminds us of this over and over again.

In Romans 5:8, God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved.” 1 John 3:1 says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.”

I have a 21-year-old son. When he was just out of the womb, in his first weeks and months of life, I fed him, changed his diapers, bathed him, and held him close. Through the years I gave him everything I could to make his life great. I’ve traveled around the world with him, given him his first truck (and motorcycle), helped him through difficult times, and sacrificed much of myself to make him happy. I did none of this out of obligation. I do all of it because I love him more than I love myself.

Now, imagine how much more love God has for you and me than I, through my flawed human attempt at agape love, have for my son. God so loved you, that He gave His only son. You are not saved because God is obliged to save you; you are saved because He loves you so much that He just can’t imagine living without you next to Him.

Recalibrate: Have you allowed what used to be a love relationship to become more of an obligation? Is there something you can do to change that back around?

Respond: Pray to have the strength to give love and grace to others as God has given it to you.

Research: Read Ephesians 2:1-10.

Remember: “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3, NIV).

Mark Witas is the lead pastor at Pacific Union College Church in Angwin, CA. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Mark has served as a youth pastor, Bible teacher, college and academy chaplain, and lead pastor in the United States and Canada for the last 33 years. He has also authored four books: Born Chosen, Live Out Loud, Portals, and Just Jesus.

Using a ball of string or wool, play a game of going through, around, under, and over with your little one. You can go over the chairs, under the table, through the doors, and around the door knobs. Take your favorite toy and follow the string going under, over, around, and through. Love will go over, under, around, and though to be with you.

Try adding the words “because I love” before the stuff you do today. For example, “Because I love my teeth and I don’t like cavities, I am going to clean my teeth the best I can.” “Because I love my toys, I’m going to put them where they belong so they don’t get damaged or lost.” “Because I love my skateboard, I’m going to pick it up so it doesn’t get driven over by a car.” “Because I love my brain, I am going to wear a helmet so I don’t hurt my head if I fall off my skateboard or bike.” It is clear that you love something or someone by how you treat that person or thing. Jesus loves us so much that He gave up everything for us and took the blame for all the things we will ever do wrong. Because He loves us, the whole universe waits to see if we love Him back. Whom do you love?

As I am writing this, my wife and I are celebrating our second wedding anniversary! It has been a great two years with her. We have grown so much and have experienced so much life. We have purchased a house, moved to a new state, graduated from college, started new jobs, and experienced many highs and lows. As a token of my love for Annie I just finished dropping off flowers, a card, and her favorite coffee at her place of work. I didn't have to do any of that. In fact, we are not obligated to remember this day at all. But we choose to! We choose to celebrate it because it brings us closer together. God didn’t have to save you. There was no obligation. No one was telling Him to do it. He chose to because He knew it would bring Him closer to you.