March 16, 2008

Paul argues and shows from Scripture that we are justified only by faith in Jesus, not by anything we do. How can it be otherwise? After all, there is no boasting before God, and the only wages that our works could possibly earn for us is death. We see that Abraham was justified by faith and not by works, and furthermore that he was justified long before he was circumcised. Neither works nor rituals can save us; instead, we come to God as ungodly sinners, trusting only in him to receive justification as a free gift. Because of this, we can come to God today, now. And so the life we live is one of humility, recognizing our sin and guilt; but also grateful celebration, recognizing the magnitude of the gift God has given to us.