21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.

22 And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

— Romans 3:21-23

3 For what does the Scripture say? “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.”

5 However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

6 And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will never reckon sin.”

— Romans 4:3, 5-8

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

To fail to understand or appreciate God’s grace means living life trying to earn God’s favor or completely ignoring Him. Because the best we can offer God is flawed and inadequate, attempts to earn His favor will always come up short. We try to feel better by comparing ourselves to others we deem worse than we are. Without seeing God as inherently gracious, we wrongly think He is harsh and punitive rather than kind and welcoming.

Toward humanity God is utterly gracious. He knows our deepest need. He moves toward us to meet us where we are and give us what we need. To relish God’s grace, we must realize we deserve nothing but judgment. When God opens our eyes to recognize His grace, we see His ongoing care and provision in salvation and daily life. This understanding moves our hearts toward humility and worship. We experience peace because of God’s grace. By grace, when God looks at us believers, He sees only Christ’s righteousness, which we cannot earn. All praise and glory belong to the God of all GRACE!