Justified By His Grace As A Gift
But now, apart from law, the
righteousness of God has been disclosed, and it is attested by the law and the
prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who
believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of
atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He
did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had
passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time
that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in
Jesus.
Then what becomes boasting? It is
excluded. By what law? By that of
works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is
justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. Or is God the God of
Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God
is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the
ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
Sin has been with us from the old and
will be with us as long as we live on this earth. There is something older than
sin – something that outlasts it. That something is the grace which comes to us
from our Savior Jesus and has been with us from God, since the beginning of
time. That grace will be with us until the end of time as well.
Grace is
infinite love expressing itself in infinite goodness.
Our Daily
Bread –