Devotion #6: The Moral and Religious Need Salvation

To begin this devotion, I want us to picture a scenario. Imagine you are a baseball coach and you have a mix of different kinds of players. Half of the players have been playing baseball for their whole life and know the game inside and out. While the other half of the players, are brand new to the sport and have never played a game in their life. This week you lost a game.  

1. Out of these two types of players, who do you feel is to blame more for the loss? Why? 

Now, regardless of how you answered the question, I have had coaches in the past who have never taken sides or put blame on a single type of player. However, in most cases, we can see that the players who were experienced might take most of the blame because they know the rules and what to do. The other players are new to the game and are still learning. Why is this the case? Why is it that even though they did not know the game as well as the more experienced players, a coach would still blame their play as well?  

Romans 2:12-16 says, “For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 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. 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 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” 

At first glance, this passage paints a pretty clear picture of a divide between those who know the Law and those who do not. In slightly less broad terms, Paul is referring to the judgment of the Jews versus that of the Gentiles.  

2. When referring to the Law of God, who would know it better, a Jew or a Gentile? 

When thinking of laws in general, who is more at fault for breaking them, the one who knows the laws well or the one who does not know the law at all? Of course, it is the person who knows the law! I know it feels like I am throwing softballs here with these questions, but I want us to really grasp what Paul is getting at. Paul is attacking the ideals of the religious Jew or the Pharisee’s way of living. Pharisees knew the Law well and acted on it not for the love of God but for the love and acknowledgment of themselves.  

3. Has there ever been a time when you have done something right or godly and felt pride in yourself rather than doing it out of obedience and reverence to Jesus? 

This passage is a warning to all of those who know Jesus and the Word. We are meant to be ambassadors of Christ. When we deliberately go against His will and His Word, we are judged harsher than those who sin without the knowledge of Jesus. This is why it is important to recognize that even those of us who are religious are still in desperate need of a Savior.  

Going back to the baseball analogy, the players that know the game better still lose the game, meaning that they themselves still need practice to put in the work to become a better player. Any good coach would still put the same amount of work on a player that knows the game well as they would someone who is new to the game.  

4. Why would a coach put the same work and practice into both types of players? 

This all leads to the fact that everyone needs salvation. Everyone needs continuous sanctification and growth in their relationship with Jesus. From the new to the seasoned, we all need saving. Romans 3:23 adds, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 

All have sinned and all fall short. It is not your morals or how well you know the Bible that saves you. It is not the good works you do that save you because no matter what we do we still fall short. Jesus saves and we all need that daily.