I’ve been results-driven all my life. I wrestle, wondering if my performance fits the task—whatever it is. Deep down, I fear being found wanting. Hard work (and the good standing it earns me) is my way of compensating for the failings that inevitably happen when my strengths aren’t enough.
The relationship between worth and effort is so deeply rooted in our culture it’s easy to believe that we can justify our existence through our output. It’s hard not to earn our keep. Yet harder still is to face what we deserve when we are found wanting. This narrative often colors my emotions and informs my choices in other areas beyond work. It trickles into my faith. Stealthy, it hides in plain sight. Maybe you’ve been there too?
Since my early twenties, it’s been bumping heads with my faith. I’m grateful for the Word. It won’t let me cut corners about the salvation promised in Jesus.
The promise is through His work and the faith I place in it. It’s counterintuitive. My Western upbringing rebels against it, looking instead for the assurance of effort I can decipher, steps I can check off a list and mark as accomplished.
Though I’ve been a follower of Jesus for over two decades, I’m still learning to live out in practice what my head can quote and my eyes have read many times over. I’m found wanting when it comes to my ability to live rightly without transgressing. The natural outcome of my sin is death. No amount of hard work can remedy my natural bent toward sin or earn me a better outcome.
Jesus faced that outcome in our place (Romans 4:25). His resurrection earns our keep because we can’t. He provided justification for my status as a daughter of God. Our right to be God’s has nothing to do with our efforts to be good or be enough. It is the direct result of Jesus’s willingness to face death and be raised to life on the third day. His effort was enough.
Sometimes it’s puzzling, even irritating, to see flawed people praised in Scripture for being right with God. We reason: they weren’t always exemplars, so how can they be called righteous?
The dissonance stems from what makes them right before the Lord. It’s easy to skip over. When God promised land and descendants to Abraham, he was a childless nomad with a wife well past the age to bear children. The promise wasn’t contingent on his efforts. But it did require him to bank the remaining years of his life on it, living like he believed what he could not see because it was promised by God. It was a promise granted through faith (Romans 4:1–25).
The response faith requires of us is to live our lives like the promise that He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification (v.25) is real. What does it look like to live our everyday lives like this is true?
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55 thoughts on "The Promised Granted Through Faith"
Father You know I struggle with perfection and doubt. Please reward faith and forgive my doubt. I believe Your Word. In JESUS name, Amen
“Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” (Psalm 32:2) Praising God that my sins will never be counted against me – because of the precious blood of Jesus who died for my sin and was raised to life for my justification. Though my sins are many – His mercy is more!
“He provided justification for my status as a daughter of God.” His willingness to die for me made me enough. That’s something I often forget- I am enough ❤️
Also wanted to share this quote from The Sound of Freedom movie (highly recommend watching) as I believe it applies to the scriptures we read today!!
“When God tells you what to do, you cannot hesitate.”
God declared Abraham righteous, so he was. When I surrendered to Christ, I received His righteousness, so I am. Neither Abraham nor I could be rightous on our own. What mercy the Lord gives!
SALLY B – amen
NORA LOWREY – we are all in different places on the journey. Just keep moving toward Jesus, His Spirit will give you the understànding.
LINDA G – praying God would invade your daughter’s mind during this conference. Praying for you as you remain a faithful witness of God’s grace to her.
HL – praying the Lord gives you His peace and wisdom with what you are dealing with at work.
By faith, not works! We must walk by faith and not by sight. Thank you Father!
As I consider the question posed in today’s devotion – “What does it look like to live our everyday lives like this (saving faith) is true?” these thoughts come to mind: First we should be people of abundant, overflowing gratitude to God!! Secondly we should readily acknowledge what God has done for us, and not only us (me) but for all who would believe (the promise – Jesus Christ sacrificed for my sin and raised to new life that I might be forgiven!!) and accept Him as Savior. Because Jesus has already paid the price and secured our justification, we are not trying to earn it by following the law or impressing people. We live out our day in front an audience of One – we strive to please Him in all our thoughts and actions!! Only by God’s amazing grace may it be so of me daily!
Romans 4:13-25 THE PROMISE GRANTED THROUGH FAITH
For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise nullified, 15 because the law produces wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
16 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to the one who is of the law but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations— in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the One who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. 18 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be. 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 because he was fully convinced that what God had promised, He was also able to do. 22 Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was credited to him was not written for Abraham alone, 24 but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
**believe while hoping against hope..do not weaken in faith nor waver in unbelief, instead let whatever test/trial we are going through strengthen our faith!! Let us give GLORY and praise to God through ALL circumstances!! Let us be FULLY convinced that what God promises and says He WILL follow through on!! Let us walk as Abraham walked..faithfully and confidently, ALWAYS believing!!! Amen.
Praying for, rejoicing with, and walking through with all you ladies!! To God be the Glory!!