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Lenten devotions 2008

FEB. 21 - BOASTING IN CHRIST
By Phil Schmidt, a senior Bible and religion major from Berne, Ind.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 5:1-11 (NRSV)
Scroll down for complete Scripture.

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DEVOTIONAL:
I invite you to reread today's Scripture passage one more time, this time focusing on the overall theme of Lent "Out of the depths" as well as the theme for this week "Into the open."

As I have grown up, I have never really known or considered what Lent means to me. Now, as I think about it and reflect on what I have heard and learned, Lent is a time for us to prepare our hearts for the hope of Christ. Lent is a time for us as individuals and communities to look inward as we wait and long for the light within to burst out into the open.

Here in this passage, Paul talks about boasting. He mentions that we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God and we also boast in our sufferings, which eventually leads back to a hope that is eternal because of God's great love for us. This love was embodied in Christ, who died for the sins of the world and then burst forth out of the depths into the open. This is why we have hope. This is what we look forward to during this period of Lent. We can boast in Christ, who is our light and redeemer.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls his disciples to let their lights shine. Lights are not meant to be hidden, but to be set out in the open. Christ is our hope and the one worth suffering for. Christ is the light within us. So, let us boast about our light, as we let Christ shine in the open.

Take a moment. Reflect on the light within you. What brings you hope? Grasp on to Christ and boast in him!

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SCRIPTURE: Romans 5:1-11 (NRSV)
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Posted at 15:01 #