"If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works!”

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36 ESV)

Have you noticed that throughout the Book of Romans, Paul quotes the Old Testament a lot to his readers? Do you know why? It’s because his argument was to Jewish readers who keep confusing the pure gospel of God’s grace with the requirements of the Old Testament Law. Remember, they had a difficult time “unlearning” what they had been taught all their lives. They were taught they had to obey the Mosaic Law to please God, and now Paul is telling them that blindly obeying the “Law” without faith was never God’s plan. (Remember Romans 9:31-32, “but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works.  They stumbled over the stumbling stone”).

To modern-day believers reading Romans, we may think that Paul is belaboring his point by comparing Law and Grace over and over again.

But even though Paul was writing to New Covenant believers in the 1^st Century (56-57 AD), he was trying to help them “unlearn” what they had been taught, or to teach them the proper understanding of the Old Testament.  Paul wanted to make sure that they should not mix Grace with anything. Grace and works are like oil and water; they don’t mix. When I cook pasta, I always add a bit of oil to the water. I’ve found that it helps the pasta from sticking together, but every time I put the oil in the water, I see that it always stays separated. This is what Paul is telling his readers: you can’t mix the two. Grace is always grace, and works will always be works.

Paul states in verse 6, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” You cannot add anything to God’s grace. Salvation is entirely based on God’s grace; we can’t earn it. As soon as we start adding works of any kind, then grace is no longer grace.

These Jewish believers were trying to incorporate some aspects of the Mosaic Law into God’s grace and were trying to “force” other believers, both Jews and Gentiles, to obey God’s Mosaic Laws. In our society here in the USA, we don’t hear much about obeying all 613 Old Testament Laws in order to be acceptable in God’s sight.

But many denominations and churches teach we must work for salvation and/or live according to “New Testament Laws and Rules”, like the 10 Commandments (by the way how quickly do they do away with the “Sabbath” requirement and turn it into the 9 commandments), or that we should not eat or drink certain foods or beverages to present a proper picture of what being a faithful Christian is about. It seems that they forget the exhortation from our Lord that, “it’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man but what comes out of his mouth." (Matt 15:11).

You see, it has never been about keeping a list of laws or rules, or dos and don’ts that make us “right” with God. It’s always been about faith in Him and that He is a keeper of His promises.

Paul ends this chapter in verses 33-36 with a wonderful lesson on the depth of God’s wisdom, judgments, and ways. He states in verses 34-35, “FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?” (a quote from Isaiah and Job). Reminding his readers that it is our God who is sovereign, and He has reached out to include the Gentiles in His kingdom, and that none of us, neither Jews nor Gentiles, have any room for boasting.

We are all brought to God in the same way, through His grace. God has not turned His back on the Jews; salvation through faith in His Son Jesus has never changed. In the Old Covenant, they had faith that God WOULD provide the promised Messiah; under the New Covenant, we have faith that God HAS provided the promised Messiah. The object of our faith has always been the promised Messiah, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, it may be that some of us have to “un-learn” some things we’ve been taught about pleasing God, just like these Jewish Christians in Rome.  Some of us may still be trying to keep a list of things to show God how “good” we are. But remember, verse 11:6 “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.”

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"