Romans 5:1-5… “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand;” vss. 1-2a
Sometimes we believers get our slogans confused, and we wonder things like, are we “justified by grace through faith,” or is it “justified by faith through grace?” And really it doesn’t make any difference which phrase we’ve learned–both contain the same essential truth about our relationship to God. But Paul here goes with “justification by faith through grace” and we can see his point. In the first place, salvation is purely by the grace of God, and faith doesn’t have anything to do with it! Faith is not some sort of good work that earns us favor in the sight of God. It’s grace alone, the unbelievable universal love of God that restores our relationship to God. Grace is what God does, faith is what we do!
But, and it is a big but, that grace is inaccessible except through faith. We could even say that faith is the key that unlocks the riches of salvation. Faith is Thomas saying “I believe” when he encounters the Risen Christ. Faith is saying “I believe,” when we’ve never seen Jesus in the flesh. Faith is saying “I am righteous,” and “all my sins have been forgiven.”
Which is more important? Grace or faith? We can have one without the other, but both are essential for our salvation!
Thought for the Day: Am I more of a “grace” or “faith” person?
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