God’s Marvelous Gift
- Bishop Keith Butler
- Feb 16, 2023
- 2 min read
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:20-24)
I have heard many people say they are good people and many believe that because they aren’t as bad as others; they will go to heaven when they die.
However, Romans 3:20-24 tells us our own good deeds and efforts to follow the law or do tasks that are praiseworthy will never be enough to earn us righteousness and justification.
If that was the end of the story, it would be incredibly depressing, but God didn’t leave us there.He knew we could do nothing in our own effort to make us justified and righteous. God sent his only Son to die a sinner’s death, so we could have the manifestation of grace, salvation through the new birth.
The Greek word for saved is sozo and means we are healed, preserved, made whole, made sound, and delivered.
All we have to do to walk in salvation is to believe in and trust Jesus and accept His marvelous gift. That means we can have hope and peace, knowing that we are justified and made right with God through faith in Christ Jesus. We can rest in the finished work of Jesus and don’t have to earn salvation through human efforts. It means we can live in freedom, no longer bound by the burden of trying to earn God's favor by doing enough good things. What peace His word of grace provides!
Practical Application
Salvation is for everyone. We should be actively looking for opportunities to share the Gospel with people who do not look like us or have the same background as we do. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal opportunities to share.
