Notes taken from – or rather inspired by – “Deine Zeugnisse – mein ewiges Erbe,” by Alfred Christlieb.

There is a wrong way and there is a right way.

THE WRONG WAY.

“WRONG WAY”

In Romans 4:5 we are reading about our “work”.

Martin Luther lived about 500 years ago and at that time it was all about our work. The people did what the Church told them to do.

There are people who do not think very much. They do what they are told and what everybody else does. But there are also people who are thinking and are earnestly searching for the truth. Following what the Church tells them to do does not give them the peace they are looking for.

And are we not all inclined to think that we can earn our salvation by doing good deeds?

THE RIGHT WAY.

But in Romans 4:5 we are also reading about our “faith in God who forgives sinners.”

Our good deeds cannot earn our salvation.

The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8,9 “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (NLT)

And here is all of Romans 4:5 according to the NLT translation: “But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.”

A question:

Are you on the wrong way or are you on the right way?