Romans 4:4-5 – faith is credited as righteousness

Praise the Lord           Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousnes           . This cuts us to our core. If we were honest, we want to work for our righteousness. We like the feeling of accomplishment as we figure out how to be in right standing with our boss, our spouse, or our friends. But the gospel tells us something very demeaning: we are not smart enough, strong enough, or good enough to be in right standing with God. This insults our intelligence, but maybe that’s the point. Maybe the gospel is not about our abilities, but God’s mercy. If the doorway to righteousness is humility, then this righteousness becomes available to any who are willing to receive. It is an equal opportunity message. It is also an equal opportunity revolution, for the gift that God gives has the power to change us in ways in which we can’t change ourselves               Jeba