I read Romans 5, in which Paul repeats himself a bit; I grew tired of reading the same concept over again. Noticing this, I finished the chapter and asked myself and God, what can I learn here? Friend, God will answer that question when you ask it.

God gave the law and grace. In so doing, He shows Himself the only righteous one, and greatly merciful.

And let me not forget: to accomplish this, Jesus faced death for me.

Let me understand the magnitude of this. It is vast and overwhelming, and fit to break me with the weight of it, even as His glory breaks me with its purity and bright beauty. Yet both — the Saviour’s death of mercy and His terrifying glory — lighten me, raise my heart to hopefulness. It is all more than I can bear, so He does it for me.

As He carried the cross, He bore the load of mine and every soul He saves. Only God, only Almighty God, can sustain such a heavy burden. He bears me and bears with me every day, every moment. What staggering grace is this.

It’s enough to shame me, except that He loves me and in such perfect love no shame can stand. So I have no choice, it seems, but to walk in knowledge and acceptance that I needed Christ’s death and am entirely, irrevocably, inexorably loved.

I have nothing to offer God and nothing to prove to Him. He indeed has done all the proving.

Peace with God, ah! what greater gift could there be?