For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17 (NIV)
We who profess faith in Jesus, is He our all and all? Does He remain on the throne of our hearts - His rightful place in our lives? Do our words match our ways? Do we actually practice what we profess? It matters. We are told in 1 John 2:6 (NIV): “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” Sadly, as Savior many will own Him but as Lord of our life…well, not so much. Too many things (or people) are placed before Him – always to our own harm. Jesus doesn’t need us, we need Him. He is to be our joy and crown.
Like Martha, we can be distracted by many things – often very good things. Yet, Jesus tells us there is only one thing necessary – and Mary chose the best thing, which was Jesus. Amazing, just one thing necessary. Mary wasn’t the only “one thing” person stated in Scripture either. We also have Kind David who wrote in Psalms 27:4 (NIV): “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” And the great Apostle Paul stated as well in Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV): “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
It is hard to live on weak faith is it not? We strengthen our faith by using our faith – and by keeping our eyes fixed on the Author and Perfecter of our faith. We must daily look to the Master - needing Him as much in our final days and we did when we first came to His feet. We never “get there” so to speak until He brings us to heaven and all becomes pristinely clear in His Presence. He daily gives us the grace sufficient to meet our needs as we walk with Him on our sojourn through this dusty earth to heaven – taking us from “strength to strength” – moment by moment - as He is a “with-us” God. That is the Lord’s method. We are to keep our eyes fixed on Him – there is clarity when we look to Jesus.
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:21-24 (NIV)