Twin City church of Christ Blog
“July 24, 2024 - How Grace Works”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsHow Grace Works
Reading: Romans 4:1-8
Jesus has opened a new path to God that hinges on grace rather than our own good deeds. Here Paul calls two surprising witnesses to explain how that grace works—Abraham and David. “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’”(Rom 4:2-3). If Abraham did enough good works that God had to save him, then he would have room to boast in his goodness. Yet Paul insists that Scripture says Abraham was justified because he believed. Faith is not the same thing as righteousness. Righteousness means that we have met God’s standard and have lived perfectly. Yet God counted Abraham’s faith as if it was righteousness. This is how grace works. To use another example, “to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness”(Rom 4:4-5). We do not earn our salvation as if it is our wages; instead we trust that God will count our faith as it was perfect righteousness.
Paul also calls David to testify. “David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin’”(Rom 4:6-8). Note the wording: David is describing a sinner whose evil has been forgiven. David does not boast in his perfection, but the blessing of the Lord’s forgiveness. So we too do not have hope in our perfect lives, but in a righteousness that comes from forgiveness. This is how grace works.
Abraham and David show us the path of trusting obedience. Paul is not arguing that we can merely trust in God’s grace and refuse to obey him; Abraham and David did not do this. Rather, he is saying that the hints of grace are scattered throughout the story of Scripture because God has always been gracious. We now have the opportunity to share in the relief and hope that comes from relying on God rather than ourselves.
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One Thing to Think About: How have I experienced the relief of forgiveness?
One Thing to Pray For: Deeper trust in “him who justifies the ungodly”
