Depends on Faith

"That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring — not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all[.]" -Romans 4:16

Abraham was granted righteousness by faith. Before any action or obedience, he had faith. It is faith like his where we find righteousness ourselves. By believing in Jesus, having faith, we are saved.

Paul makes it clear here that first, you are incapable of fulfilling the law; second, if adherents to the law are heirs, then faith is empty and the promise is void.

We know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But somehow we come to a place in life where we think we might just have it together enough to earn something. This text is meant to shake us out of our delusions of grandeur and bring us back to our need for a savior.

From this place of humility, we realize that we can't achieve the perfection required; if we could, faith would be pointless and the promise of a Savior in Scripture—the promise to Abraham to bless the world through his offspring—would be bankrupt.

But the promises of God are not void. No, they are all fulfilled and answered with a resounding yes in Christ.

You are saved by grace through faith. Nothing else will do. That is a gift and should free you to set aside your burdens today and rest in the finished work of Jesus.

To Come

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.” -Matthew 25:31

How is your day going? Maybe you just woke up, and the mess of it all hasn't crept in yet. Maybe you are midway through the day and in need of a break. Or maybe you are ready for your head to hit the pillow and blackout the day.

That is life. Living as a broken person among broken people, even our best days can't seem to fully shake the feeling of something better to be had, something more that we are meant for.

Now think of your day in light of Jesus' proclaimed truth in Matthew 25. When he returns in his glory—the whole of heavenly host with him—then he will sit on his glorious throne. Then he will rule for eternity; then he will keep those blessed by the Father at his side forever (Matt. 25:34). This is where we are headed. And because we know we are headed there, we can rejoice today, even if it has been—or will be—a rough one.

Now I don't mean "put on a smile, so people think you are rejoicing," I mean even with tears, pain, or a wide grin, rejoice in your heart that this all will soon be over. Rejoice that because of Jesus' finished work for you on the cross, you will see this coming day. You are those blessed by the Father, because you are in Christ. That is worth a deep breath of relief.

Jesus is reigning now. He has a purpose in the chaos of this life, and he will reign forever—when the chaos ends, when brokenness is no more, when pain and death cease. You can see his glory now in what he says about you, and you will fully see his glory in this day to come.

Be encouraged by this truth to face what comes your way.