We live in a world where you work for whatever you get.  We are rewarded for behavior, for ability, for performance.  God has an entirely different system, a system of grace.  Paul speaks to this concept throughout the book of Romans.  Let’s look at one such passage found in Romans 9 together today.

30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

There is nothing that any of us can do to earn any kind of favor with God.  There is nothing we can do to make Him love us any more or any less.  This goes against our natural human inclinations because of the way everything else is in this world.  By grace through faith God declares us righteous even in the midst of our sin.  The work of Jesus on the cross to conquer our sin and death problem makes this all possible.  Thanks be to God for His amazing grace in our lives.  We all need it!

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave