Wednesday, March 1
Pure grace
Scripture: Romans 4
Romans 4:4–5 Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness.
Observation
What a shocking statement, then and now! People believed that you earned God’s favor and were declared righteous by keeping his commandments. You earned it; your pay (being declared righteous) was owed you. No grace required.
But Paul said that is not how God works. We are made righteous not by our works (we don’t earn it) but by trusting God’s grace.
Think of your job. Why do you get paid? Because you work. Your pay is not a gift, not from the boss’ grace; you earned it, it is owed you. You can boast about your good work and what you earned (see verse 2); you deserve it! But what if you fell ill and were unable to work? Or just refused to work? If your boss still pays you, that’s grace. You’ve got nothing to boast about, except the boss’ good grace. And if you didn’t work, but just trusted the boss to pay you…well, that would be very different from what we’re used to. Shocking!
When it comes to being declared righteous by God, being justified before him, Paul says it is not something we can earn. It is a gift that we can only receive by faith. God “declared the ungodly righteous.” I was ungodly—irreligious, disobedient, a rebel. He invited me to follow and trust him, and declared me righteous. Not because I had kept all the commands—I hadn’t. It was pure grace. Shocking!
Application
Somehow comparing this to my job (as Paul does) makes the grace of God seem all the more wondrous. I have a relationship with God, am living a new life and have the promise of eternal life—all by grace. I haven’t earned it; I can’t boast except in his grace.
There is no room for self-righteousness, for boasting about my goodness. I come to God empty-handed, trusting entirely in his goodness, not mine.
I live by pure grace.
It’s a reminder to offer the same to others.
Prayer: Lord I love you and I’m so grateful that your grace made room for me. I can never be good enough on my own. I trust your goodness, not mine. Thank you!