Through Faith Alone

This morning as I sat to read scripture, I felt directed to Paul's letter to the Romans.  I really enjoy Paul's writings, and probably his letter the Romans the best.  Once and while I will read the whole letter through and it is so helpful, as you really can see and understand Paul's primary purposes and points much etter than in consuming the letter by reading short passages over a long period of time.

Anyway, today I am actually just focused on a few verses - Romans 9:30-32 NIV:

[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."

The other night we were discussing some of the basics of our beliefs.  I like these few verses because in the Paul simply points out the futility of pursuing righteousness and salvation by works.  He continues on in Chapter 10 to expand on these topics, but these three verses set the foundations.  The Gentiles (most of us would be included in this) have obtained (here he is clearly speaking of the members of the body of Christ, not all Gentiles) righteousness by faith, faith in Jesus Christ. He is using the word righteousness here, but rolled into that word is also the understanding that this is salvation and acceptance by God.

I like the fact that Paul uses a past-tense description - they "have obtained" righteousness, as I think this points to the finished work of Christ.  In other words, our righteousness has already been established, obtained for us by Christ.  It is the application of what is already obtained that is found in faith.  There is no earning, no making ourselves worthy, no cleaning up our lives required to have faith that our righteousness is already obtained for us by Christ.  No amount of good deeds, good intentions or self-sacrifice can gain for us what Christ has already obtained.  This is one of the reasons we proclaim that Christ is the only way to the Father, for it only through faith in Him that this righteousness, that He obtained, is applied to our lives.

As I was writing those last lines I was reminded of a few verses from Paul's letter to the Galatians 2:15-16, 21 NIV:

[15] “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles [16] know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified."

[21] "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

I am encouraged this morning by the simple message of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  He has already obtained righteousness for me, made it available to me through faith in Him.  He readily accepts me and welcomes me and I don't need to do anything, except believe in Him.  It really is through faith alone that we experience salvation.

Amen!