Today’s devotion is from Romans 4:16
Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
The Amplified Bible says, ‘Therefore, [inheriting] the promise depends entirely on faith [that is, confident trust in the unseen God], in order that it may be given as an act of grace [His unmerited favor and mercy], so that the promise will be [legally] guaranteed to all the descendants [of Abraham]—not only for those [Jewish believers] who keep the Law, but also for those [Gentile believers] who share the faith of Abraham, who is the [spiritual] father of us all’
The way that we receive our promised blessings from the Lord is by grace through faith, or of faith according to grace. In other words, when we position ourselves in total reliance on the Lord, knowing that what we receive is totally unmerited and is based entirely upon Jesus… then, and then only are we able to receive.
A believer who relies on his own works… a self-reliant believer… a believer who tries to earn something from the Lord, or a believer who thinks that if they do something exactly right… that God will reward his works, actually disqualifies himself.
Under the Old Covenant, believers were rewarded by their works of obedience and punished for their works of disobedience. Under the New Covenant, believers receive the reward given to Jesus by grace through faith, not of works lest any man should boast. Jesus fulfilled the Law and was one hundred percent obedient and without sin. He therefore legally received the reward because of His total obedience. He then took upon Himself the judgment of all sinners and paid the ransom price for all our disobedience. Now when a man or a woman receives Jesus… they are not rewarded for anything that they do, they share in Jesus’ reward by grace through faith in Him because of what He did.
People that think that their works deserve reward do not realize that their works are as filthy rags because in themselves they are already disqualified. The promises of God to us are therefore based entirely upon Jesus, the goodness of God and the grace of God towards us in the light of the New Covenant… not on our works.
We live in a carrot and stick society… a society that rewards good and punishes bad, but in the kingdom of God under the New Covenant there simply is no carrot and no stick. We receive the promises of God in an unmerited way by faith. Obedience is not something that we make ourselves do in order to escape Hell and earn Heaven. Good works, good fruit and obedient Spirit led actions flow out of a surrendered life by grace through faith in Jesus… by His might, by His power and by His ability working through our surrendered Christ reliant lives. We do what we cannot do in our ability by His ability working through us.
Focus on surrendering all, receiving His grace and doing what you do by faith and as you do, you will find yourself in the kingdom land of promised blessings, abundant life and victorious living - Selah
