March 21, 2025 - Romans 11:6 - The Gospel of Grace

Romans 11:6

"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

In the midst of a world filled with religious confusion and varied opinions on what it takes to be right with God, we need to return to the source—God's Word. There, we are given clear direction: the only way to stand justified before a holy God is through the righteousness that the LORD Jesus Christ earned and established in His Righteous life and then laid down His life, that God the Father might be just to justify those given to the LORD Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). And this by the grace of God alone in Christ.

This powerful verse reminds us that salvation is solely by grace, not by human effort or religious works. The righteousness that saves us is not our own, but the perfect, finished work of Christ on Calvary. This is the gospel—the good news that Christ’s obedience and sacrifice are imputed to us by grace alone, received through faith alone, which is itself a gift from God. In Philippians 3:9, the apostle Paul expresses his deepest desire: to be found in Christ, not trusting in his righteousness, but in the righteousness that comes through the faithfulness of the LORD Jesus Christ alone.

What joy it is to know that our standing before God is not dependent on our imperfect attempts, but on the completed work of Jesus Christ, whose blood that was shed unto death has obtained eternal redemption for His people. As Hebrews 9:12 affirms, "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." This is the Hope and assurance we have—the Gospel of Christ, the power of God unto Salvation, bringing us Righteousness through Faith.

Let us then rejoice, knowing that our righteousness is not of ourselves, but is imputed to us freely by God's grace. This is our unshakable foundation, and it is what we, as the redeemed, stand upon now and forever. With all the religiosity in the world, and differences in opinions as to what to do, or NOT do, to be right with God, how important it is to go back to the source, God's Word, and read what HE has to say. How am I to be right with God? The Gospel of Christ answers: In the righteousness of Christ alone! His perfect, complete, finished work upon Calvary’s cross, accredited to me by the grace of God alone and embraced by faith (the gift of God). This is all of my hope and my standing before God.

In Revelation 19:8, we have this picture of those who are bowed before God in glory: "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." The cry and earnest desire of the apostle Paul in Philippians 3:9 was that he be found in Christ, "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." We read in Romans 3:24, "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

The redeemed and justified sinner, having been chosen of God the Father from eternity, and in time called by the Spirit of God, is righteous in God’s eyes exclusively by the work of Another, solely upon completion of the work of Christ at the cross, as we see in Romans 5:9-11: "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation."

In the death of Christ on the cross, the debt of sin for all those whom He represented is paid. He earned for them eternal righteousness, as seen in Hebrews 9:12: "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

This is the gospel, the good news--the only good news. And it is certain! Romans 1:16-17: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'"