Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Word of God
ALEPH[a]
119 God has blessed people who always do what is right.
They obey the Lord's Law.
2 They agree to live by his rules.[b]
They love to pray to him.
God has blessed people like that.
3 Also, they do nothing that is wrong.
They live in a way that please the Lord.
4 You, Lord, have told us to obey your teaching carefully.
5 I want to be able to obey your laws all the time.
6 When I remember all your commands,
I will not be ashamed.
7 When I learn your good rules,
I will do what is right and I will thank you.
8 Yes, I will obey your laws.
Please do not turn away from me!
32 The people must stand up when they are with old people. They must respect the old people. They must give honour to their God. I am the Lord your God.
33 A foreign person may live in your land. You must be kind to him or to her. 34 People must love the person from a different country as they love themselves. They must remember the time when they lived in Egypt. Egypt was not their country. I am the Lord your God.
35 They must be fair when they measure length or weight or size. 36 They must use correct weights and measures. I am the Lord your God. I led you out of Egypt.
37 They must obey all my rules. I am the Lord.’
How God accepts people
21 But now we know how to become right with God. God has shown us the way that he will accept people as right with himself. This way is not part of the Law that he gave to Moses. But God's Law and the messages of his prophets have told us about it. 22 God accepts people as right with himself because Jesus Christ did what God wanted. God accepts every person who believes in Christ. It is the same way for everyone, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.
23 All people have done wrong things. Nobody can be good and great, as God wanted them to be. 24 But because God is very kind, he accepts us as right with himself. That is God's gift to us. Jesus Christ has paid for our sins so that we have become free. 25 God showed everyone that Jesus Christ died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. God forgives us if we trust in Jesus and the blood of his sacrifice. God did this to show clearly that he is always right and fair. In past times, God was patient. He did not punish people who did wrong things. 26 He did this to show us today that he is completely right and fair. He accepts people as right with himself if they believe in Jesus.
27 So then, nobody should be proud that they are good enough. Nobody becomes right with God because they have done good things. No! God accepts a person only if that person believes in Jesus Christ. 28 So this is what we are saying. A person becomes right with God if they trust in Christ. It is not because they do the good things which God's Law teaches.
29 God is not God only for Jewish people. He is also God for the Gentiles. Yes! He is the God for all people. 30 There is only one God. He will accept Jews as right with himself if they believe in Christ. He will also accept other people as right with himself if they believe in Christ. 31 What does this show us about God's Law which he gave to Moses? When we say that all people need to believe in Jesus, does that mean that God's Law has no purpose? No! When we believe in Jesus, we are showing the true purpose of God's Law.
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