What shall we say, then, of Abraham, the father of our race? What was his experience? If he was put right with God by the things he did, he would have something to boast about - but not in God's sight. The scripture says, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." A person who works is paid his wages, but they are not regarded as a gift' they are something that he has earned. But the person who depends on his faith, not on his deeds, and who believes in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is his faith that God takes into account in order to put him right with himself. This is what David meant when he spoke of the happiness of the person whom God accepts as righteous, apart from anything that person does.

"Happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, whose sins are pardoned! Happy is the person whose sins the Lord will not keep account of!"

Romans 4:1-8

Some people think they have to work for salvation. They never realize that salvation is based on faith, not works. It is by God's grace that we are saved, nothing else matters. It is a gift.

We are saved by God's mercy,

not by our merit -

by Christ's dying,

not by our doing.

Our Daily Bread - May 31, 2003