Bible Snapshots

One scholar summarised Paul’s letter to the Romans as, “The gospel reveals how God is righteously ‘righteousing’ unrighteous individuals”

In other words how sinners can be justified by faith. Luther emphasised justification by faith alone. However, he did not mean that our justification is created by our faith. It is not our faith that causes God to love us. Rather our justification is because of the Cross.

Michelangelo, the great Renaissance artist, is known for his statue of David and the incredible Sistine Chapel. But what many don’t know is that Michelangelo lived as the Reformation was sweeping through Europe and was influenced by Reformation ideas about justification by grace through faith.

Michelangelo was plagued throughout his life to live up to his own and others’ high demands for his artwork. But as he approached his death, a spiritual rebirth began to occur. One of his final works, intended to be his gravestone, was a statue of himself, in the guise of Nicodemus—the one who was “born again” (John 4)—holding the dead body of Jesus. You can see the statue at the Duomo Museum in Florence, Italy, where a poem by Michelangelo is printed on the opposite wall. In the poem, Michelangelo describes coming to the end of his life and seeing that his artwork was actually harmful to his soul because it became “my idol and my King.”

At the end of the day, his only hope was not in being a great artist or receiving acclaim from others, but rather, the “divine Love, who to embrace us, opened his arms upon the cross.”

Essentially the message of Romans is found 5:1-2 “Since then it is by faith that we are justified, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have confidently entered into this new relationship of grace, and here we take our stand, in happy certainty of the glorious things he has for us in the future.”

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come before you today with a heart full of gratitude and thanksgiving. I claim the promise that I am justified by faith and have peace with God through you. I pray that you will continue to strengthen my faith and help me to live a life that is pleasing to you. May your peace that surpasses all understanding fill my heart and mind, and may I always trust in your unfailing love. Thank you for being my Lord and Saviour. In your precious name, I pray. Amen.