Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Law of the Lord

119 Happy are those whose way is without blame, who walk in the Law of the Lord. ² Happy are those who keep His Law and look for Him with all their heart. ³ They also do not sin, but walk in His ways. ⁴ You have set down Laws that we should always obey. ⁵ O, that my ways may be always in keeping with Your Law! ⁶ Then I will not be put to shame when I respect Your Word. ⁷ I will praise You with a heart that is right when I learn how right You judge. ⁸ I will obey Your Law. Do not leave me all alone.

³² ‘Show respect to the person with white hair. Honor an older person and you will honor your God. I am the Lord.

³³ ‘If a stranger lives with you in your land, do not do wrong to him. ³⁴ You should act toward the stranger who lives among you as you would toward one born among you. Love him as you love yourself. For you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

³⁵ ‘Do not lie about the weight or price of anything. ³⁶ Always tell the truth about it. I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt. ³⁷ Keep all My Laws and do all that I tell you. I am the Lord.’”

²¹ But now God has made another way to make men right with Himself. It is not by the Law. The Law and the early preachers tell about it. ²² Men become right with God by putting their trust in Jesus Christ. God will accept men if they come this way. All men are the same to God. ²³ For all men have sinned and have missed the shining-greatness of God. ²⁴ Anyone can be made right with God by the free gift of His loving-favor. It is Jesus Christ Who bought them with His blood and made them free from their sins. ²⁵ God gave Jesus Christ to the world. Men’s sins can be forgiven through the blood of Christ when they put their trust in Him. God gave His Son Jesus Christ to show how right He is. Before this, God did not look on the sins that were done. ²⁶ But now God proves that He is right in saving men from sin. He shows that He is the One Who has no sin. God makes anyone right with Himself who puts his trust in Jesus.

²⁷ What then do we have to be proud of? Nothing at all! Why? Is it because men obey the Law? No! It is because men put their trust in Christ. ²⁸ This is what we have come to know. A man is made right with God by putting his trust in Christ. It is not by his doing what the Law says. ²⁹ Is God the God of the Jews only? Is He not the God of the people who are not Jews also? He is for sure. ³⁰ He is one God. He will make Jews and the people who are not Jews right with Himself if they put their trust in Christ. ³¹ Does this mean that we do away with the Law when we put our trust in Christ? No, not at all. It means we know the Law is important.