“But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness”.

Romans 4:5

 

OUR NATURAL INCLINATION, our default manner, when we see something that we want to possess, is to try to earn it. That is perhaps especially true in the realm of salvation and obtaining right standing before God. So many people assume, and various religions teach, that this is obtained by our works, our “good deeds”.

But Scripture makes clear repeatedly that it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5). Likewise, the text above from Romans 4:5 speaks of the one “who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly”. Our works can never earn God’s favour, but rather God has provided a way by which we might be “justified”, that is, to be declared righteous and in right standing before God. What is the way that He has provided? Faith. By faith, righteousness is “accounted” or credited to us. And that righteousness is the perfect righteousness of Christ.

At Cranbrook Fellowship Baptist Church, of late, we have been singing a wonderful song: “His Robes for Mine”. This song speaks of the “Great Exchange”: my sin upon Christ and His righteousness to me through faith. And as the song therefore says, “Bought by such love, my life is not my own. My praise, my all, shall be for Christ alone”.

 

Pastor Craig publishes  "A Word from God's Word" weekly in the "Kootenay News Advertiser".

About the Author

Pastor Craig has served as Senior Pastor of Cranbrook Fellowship Baptist Church since 2018. His passion is for preaching and teaching God's Word, as it is through the proclamation of the gospel that God does His work in people's lives.