By God’s Grace Alone
ICS Daily Devotions
James 2:21-22 (NKJV) Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
Many Christians are insecure in God’s love and fail to experience true peace with God. They have a nagging thought that God is not happy or satisfied with them and that God is waiting to discipline them by striking them with something evil.
We are a product of our thought life. Because we have heard sayings such as “there is no free lunch” or “there must be a catch because it is too good to be true”, we might find it difficult to accept the unconditional love of God and the gift of righteousness, because they simply seem too good to be true. Another hindrance is that we are often defined by our doing rather than our being, because our identity is in our doing. Such thinking will cause us to doubt God’s grace and mercy toward us, and because we are imperfect, we will never feel secure or accepted by God. However, when we are rested in His grace and acceptance of us based on Christ’s redemption, we will grow in the Lord daily.
If we read the opening Scripture without referencing other Scriptures, we might easily misunderstand that one must work to be justified before God. Justification means being made righteous before God—a position unattainable by works or the law, for no one can achieve it based on their own strength. The good news of the gospel is that God has given it to us because we can’t achieve it based on our strength.
Romans 4:1-3 (NKJV) What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
These Scriptures revealed to us that despite Abraham’s obedience in leaving the land of Ur, he also made mistakes along the way, such as bearing a son through Hagar due to his impatience. Though his obedience of offering Isaac on the altar as a sacrifice is admirable and commendable in the eyes of men, there is nothing to boast about before God because whatever men do to gain justification will never be acceptable by Him. Likewise, no work of any kind will give us a right standing before God. The wrath of God towards sin can only be appeased by blood.
In our case, it is the blood of Christ, the ultimate unblemished lamb of God, that has redeemed us from our sins and lawlessness. It is His unmerited favour that allows us to rest in God’s presence and have permanent access to Him.
Sermon Series: Faith With Works
