“And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” – Romans 4:5
On this Labor Day, Paul provides a timely reminder that work can never make anyone righteous. Work is a good thing given by God before the Fall into sin. Though work has been corrupted by sin and cursed because of sin (which is why it sometimes feels like a four-letter word), work was still part of God’s plan for us. Nonetheless, no amount of good work, hard work, or brilliant work can ever make us righteous in the eyes of our perfectly righteous Creator.
From the very beginning, righteousness has reckoned by God as a gift given through faith. That was true of Abraham (the focus of Romans 4) and it remains true for us. The word for that gift of undeserved righteousness is grace. Grace is a gift by God. We don’t earn gifts. If we earned a gift, it wouldn’t be a gift, it would be a paycheck. But there’s no way for imperfect people to earn perfection. There’s no way for unrighteous people to make themselves perfectly righteous. If we are to be declared righteous, it won’t be by our flawed, tainted, limited efforts. It will be by God’s declaration on the basis of Christ’s perfect work on the cross. That is our only path to righteousness – by God’s grace through faith in Jesus.
As you labor, remember that while it is good and necessary to work, your efforts won’t make you more loved or accepted by God. You are already loved beyond all imagination once you believe in Jesus the Christ as your Lord! #FollowJesus