What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.  (NIV)

I hate typeos.  

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I just can’t overlook them; they seem to jump off a page or e-mail like they were highlighted and underlined.  I’ll notice them at church too, in a bulletin, or in the words of a song displayed on a screen (never at ACF, though!).  If you’re like me, you notice the misspelling of the word “typo” in the first line, and you’re already suspicious of the quality of this devo.

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Typos are a stumbling block for me. When I see them, I have a hard time looking away, and I confess that I may miss the message of what I’m reading (whether it’s an article, a letter, an e-mail, a bulletin, or a song) because of the mistake that I find so glaring. I become so fixated on something that doesn’t really matter that I will miss out on something more important.  

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Paul discusses a much larger and more dangerous stumbling block in today’s Scripture. He says that the doctrine of works and the law became a stumbling block to the Jews. They could not get around their doctrine of works, and so they missed out on the glory of the doctrine of salvation by faith alone.

In Romans 9, Paul has transitioned to writing about his concern for the Jews and their unbelief.  He concludes chapter 9 by discussing that the Jews were focused on a salvation that came from good works.  They had centuries of history of following a religion that was based on following rules – and there were 613 just in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) alone!

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Most scholars think that Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus earlier than he wrote to the church in Rome.  In Ephesians 2, Paul wrote, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (vv. 8-9).  What a change from the experience of Jews, who had known nothing but a salvation that came by keeping the law!

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The challenge with a works-based faith is that it may appear to be logical, but it is a lie. Much of what we get in life comes because we earn it.  We earn grades at school.  We strive to get a job or position or salary at work. We put in hours at the gym to get fit. We train to win at competitions. So, it seems logical that we should have to earn our right to the greatest prize of all – the prize of Heaven.  

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But that’s the lie.  The prize of Heaven cannot be earned by anything we do. We are imperfect, and the prize set before us requires perfection. It is impossible for us to earn it.

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Fortunately, there’s grace, and through that grace, God grants salvation to anyone who believes, not to anyone who tries to earn it. Jesus’ perfection and His sacrifice are enough.

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Good works are still a vital part of Christianity. However, good works are not a requirement for salvation; they are a way to show obedience and love (more on that when we study James).

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What is your response to this truth? Have you accepted God’s free, matchless grace? Or even, as a Christian, are you working to earn His favor, His forgiveness, His salvation? Are you able to accept his grace, or like the Jews, are you distracted from the truth? Do you tripp over the stumbling block, like I tripp over typeos, and miss out on the gift?

Dear God, I praise You for Your amazing grace, for Your gift of salvation, and for how You love me.  Thank you that I don’t have to earn your salvation, because I can’t.  Thank you for sending Jesus.  Help me to accept Your ways, Your path, and Your truth.  Amen.