Day 10 – Give Up On Good Deeds – Julie Earl

Romans 3:21-31

If you want to be in right standing with God (righteous), then you need to give up on good deeds and let go of your efforts. Your good deeds and effort won’t make you right with God – in fact, they can keep you from God. “How can that be?” you ask. The book of Romans is filled with the answer to that question, but let’s zero in on Romans 3:21-31. It’s a long passage, so click on the link to read it and then I’ll highlight a few verses.

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (v. 21-22a). Jesus came to earth with the good news that we can’t earn our righteousness (our right standing with God) by obeying the law and doing good deeds. The only way we can become righteous in God’s sight is by believing in Jesus and having faith in Him.

What is it we must believe? “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood” (v. 23-25a). We must recognize our sins separate us from God, and receive the forgiveness Jesus’ death and resurrection paid for on our behalf. By receiving Jesus’ death in our place we are freely:

• Justified (pardoned and proved right)
• Redeemed (bought back as God’s child)
• Atoned for (amends are made to God for the injury or wrongs caused by our sins) 

Why did God do this? “He did this to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (v. 26). “Justice is the process or result of using laws to fairly judge and punish crimes and criminals” (Merriam-Webster). Because God is completely just, He can only do what is just and right. Justice had to be satisfied, and Jesus chose to satisfy justice (to pay for our crimes) by being beaten beyond recognition and killed in our place. All we are asked to do is put our faith in Him as our Savior and Lord, and to surrender our lives to His wisdom and love. We are then cleansed and justified so that we can walk out of the courtroom with our sin debt paid in full by Jesus. Wow! What a gift!

If you try to earn forgiveness and right-standing with God, you’ll never get it. Being saved from sin, the attacks of the enemy and eternal separation from God in hell can only be received as a gift.

“Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law” (v. 27-28). If you’ve been trying to earn your way to God, or earn favor with God as a Christian, this is fantastic news! Chill out and receive His forgiveness and His power to walk in holiness and love. They are gifts!

An added note: This truth is the one thing that sets Christianity apart from all other religions. All other religions teach that you must earn your way to heaven by doing certain things, but Jesus said He is the only way to heaven. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'” (John 14:6). How incredible that we don’t have to depend on ourselves, but we can depend on God!

Many blessings!

Julie Earl with Crazy About You Ministries (CAYM)