“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:4-5
Abraham’s righteousness was not earned but by grace because God imputed it to him when he believed God’s promises. So also, we are counted righteous in God’s eyes, not by our works but through faith in God’s promise to forgive our sins and count us righteous when we flee for mercy to Christ Jesus and His cross.
O gracious Holy Spirit, grant me faith in the promises of Your Word, promises of forgiveness for all my sins and life eternal through faith in the perfect life and innocent sufferings and death of Christ Jesus in my stead. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Romans 4:1-3
How was Abraham justified and counted righteous and acceptable by God? By works or through faith? The Bible says in Genesis 15:6 that Abraham “believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Abraham was not justified by works but through faith in God’s promise of a Messiah and Savior, and so too are believers today.
O gracious and merciful Father, I thank You for counting me righteous and acceptable in Your sight through faith in Your promise of forgiveness and life in Christ Jesus and His cross. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Romans 3:31
Christians do not trust in their works under the law because they fail to keep the law as God requires. For salvation, they rely on Christ’s perfect obedience to the law in His thoughts, desires, words, and actions and upon His atoning sacrifice for all sins, made when He suffered and died on the cross in our stead. Yet, Christians still view God’s law as good and right. And, as God’s redeemed children, they look to His commandments to guide them in living God-pleasing lives.
O Holy Spirit, grant me true faith in Christ Jesus, my Savior, and move me, as a fruit of that faith, to live my life for Him according to Your holy commandments. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
“Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.” Romans 3:29-30
Whether Jew or Gentile, there is only one way to be just and righteous in God’s eyes, and that is through faith in Christ Jesus, for He fulfilled the righteous demands of the law for us and then suffered the just punishment for the sins of all when He was crucified and died on the cross.
Thank You, dear Lord Jesus, for fulfilling the law in my stead and bearing the full punishment for all my sins. Amen.
[Scripture quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Romans 3:27-28
No one can boast of his own sin-tainted works under God’s law as though these contributed to his salvation because we are justified and counted righteous by God through faith alone in Jesus Christ and His perfect obedience to God’s law and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all.
O merciful God, grant that I not trust in my sin-tainted works but in the perfect works of Christ — in His holy life and in His innocent sufferings and death in my stead. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]
