Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Romans 4:1-12

My granddaughter recently turned two years old. My husband and I bought her one of those little trampolines for her to jump on to her heart’s content. (Unfortunately, it arrived missing several pieces and had to be sent back, but that’s beside the point for this illustration. 😜)

Imagine if I wrapped up that birthday gift and said, “Here you go, sweetie. If you are really, really good and obey your mommy and daddy every day and go to bed without crying every night and eat all your vegetables every dinner, then next year I’ll give you this amazing gift!”

That wouldn’t be much of a gift, would it?

… And I wouldn’t be much of a giver, would I?

Now to the one who works,
his wages are not counted as a gift
but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness

Romans 4:4-5 ESV

The way I see it, most people around the world today are living in one of two ways:

• Either they are trying to reach God by being really good …
• Or, they aren’t trying to reach God at all because they just don’t believe or don’t care.

Well, what if both of those groups are wrong?

What if the truth is that God came to us, reached down to us, and the only way to find Him is by following the path of trust, not the path of trying harder?

Certainly, God wants His children to “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (Colossians 3:23) But that hard work is the result of our salvation – rather than the way to salvation. Our good works are the fruit of our rebirth – rather than the means to it. Let’s put things in their proper order.

Like Ephesians 2:8-10 says, it is “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

God is the perfect giver
and salvation is the perfect gift.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for all of Your many, many gifts: the gift of faith, the gift of salvation, the gift of Your Holy Spirit, the gift of forgiveness, the gift of new life and hope and peace. You are the perfect giver. I pray that I would have a heart of humble gratitude, receiving these gifts with thanksgiving. I pray that You would use me to speak these gifts to the four corners of the world, for the glory of Your Name and the good of my fellow man. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.