God's Favor

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God’s Favor

“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.   But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.  He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” 

(Romans 3:20-26)

Recently, I have become friends with a lovely Muslim woman in my neighborhood.  As we share with each other about cooking, gardening, mothering and our faith, I am struck by the Muslim belief that Allah will judge her on judgment day according to her good and bad works.  She says only Allah knows whether one will go to heaven or hell, and she won’t find out until that day.  Consequently, Muslims put a lot of emphasis on following their laws.   They must use their own judgment to decide what is important to Allah and do those things in order to win his favor.  It seems like a hopeless and discouraging way to live.

In contrast, we are not bound by these same restrictions.   Followers of Christ are not made righteous by our deeds, but through faith in Jesus Christ.  It is impossible for us to be made righteous through works, because we all fall short of God’s standard.  Unfortunately, it is human nature for us to use God’s Word as a litmus test, or a ruler by which we measure our life or the lives of other believers.  When we do this, we are reverting to the old covenant by which the blood of sacrificed animals partially, but not fully, atoned for our sins.  Thankfully, under the new covenant, the blood of Jesus provides complete atonement for all who believe.  God’s justice has already been demonstrated through the sacrifice of Christ, The Lamb of God.  There is no need for us to put our trust in the law to save us, as the Muslims do.

Writer Mark Twain humorously explains God’s gift of salvation this way.  “Heaven goes by favor.  If it went by merit, you would stay out, and your dog would go in.”  Dogs are much better natured than humans in many ways, but we are made in God’s image and have been given the gift of salvation through the faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Let us not fall into the trap of judging ourselves or others by works, as those who follow other gods do.  Instead, let us rest in the assurance of our Savior’s redemptive work on the cross.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

When do you attempt to judge yourself based on the standard you think God holds for you?

How do you minimize the redemptive work of Christ on the cross in the way you try to be saved by your actions and behavior?

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for sending Jesus to take the punishment meant for my sins.  Since I am judged solely based on what Jesus has already done, I can rest assured that my salvation is secured.  Help me to live my life in the freedom found in the blood of Jesus.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

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