“Where then is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.“
Romans 3:27-28
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When we read that “a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law” we have a tendency to assume that works are not important. But Paul is instead warning the Jewish believers that they had no room for boasting of their status over the Gentile believers. Rather, both are sinful; both are saved through faith in Jesus; both are invited to live out that faith with their entire lives.
True: a person cannot earn a right standing with God by any work he or she might do. But as the Jesus, James, the prophets, and many others proclaim over and over again through scripture, faith cannot be divorced from works. Faith is more than believing in God; faith is trusting God, entering into a long-term committed relationship marked by faithfulness. That in which a person places his or her trust is manifested by how they live: by their works.
God is the only One who justifies men and women. There is no partiality with God, thus no one can claim special treatment or favor. Those of us who were not under the law (Gentiles) have been invited to God’s family just as surely as those who were under the law (Jews) for we have all sinned. We are all broken vessels in need of restoration. We bring nothing to the table. There is no negotiation, because we are empty-handed before God. Instead, we are invited to come empty-handed into a relationship of faith.
Faith is absolute confidence in the unseen God. What does it look like to entrust one’s who life into this relationship of faith? It is to trust God with the resources He has provided, which manifests as sacrificial giving. It is to trust God by working with absolute integrity, even if it costs one his or her job. Faith is the courage to enter into a conversation about spiritual things with a colleague, neighbor, or friend. It is the courage to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, knowing that this goes hand in hand with loving God.
Faith can be risky and dangerous. Faith means trusting God enough to take a public stand against evil—be it the taking of innocent life in the womb or the mutilation of children. Faith can be very hard. It is trusting God with the life of a spouse or a child, even in death. Faith can be trying. It is continuing to meet needs in the name of Jesus of those who do not show gratitude or who may be incapable of expressing gratitude.
Salvation is by faith, but let’s not kid ourselves: faith is costly. Faith is placing our entire lives on the altar as “living sacrifices” (Romans 12); it costs the control of our resources, placing them at God’s disposal rather than our own. It costs our expectations of only blessings when God uses difficult people or painful circumstances to shape us into the image of His Son. It can cost relationships or acceptance by the crowd when a believer says “no” to something that compromises his or her moral standards. But faith in Jesus is also good news, our hope in this life and in the life to come—for everything else will eventually crumble and fade away.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- How is your faith being manifested today?
- What is the evidence of your absolute confidence in the unseen God?
- What has your faith cost you?
Church Reading Plan:
- Today, March 1: Job 30; 1 Corinthians 16
- Saturday, March 2: Job 31; 2 Corinthians 1
- Sunday, March 3: Job 32; 2 Corinthians 2