Faith That Stands Before God

Dearly Beloved, 

DAY 328 — CHRONOLOGICAL BIBLE IN ONE YEAR DEVOTIONAL - 

A Natural Continuation of Day 327 - Yesterday, Paul declared the gospel as God’s power for salvation. Today, he goes deeper—showing why every human being needs this salvation and how God freely gives it through faith alone.

Romans 2 confronts the universal tendency to judge others while excusing ourselves. Paul reminds us that God’s standard is not selective but perfect: both the outwardly moral and the openly sinful stand equal before Him. What matters is not external identity—Jew or Gentile—but a heart transformed by God. True righteousness is internal, not inherited.

In Romans 3, Paul intensifies the truth:

All have sinned. All fall short. All need grace.

No one can stand before God on the basis of their goodness, culture, religious background, or moral attempts. The Law was never meant to save—it was meant to reveal our need for a Savior. But into this bleak diagnosis comes the brightest hope:

“The righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed.”

God gives righteousness freely through faith in Jesus Christ. His grace is not earned, bargained for, or deserved—it is received.

Romans 4 then turns our eyes to Abraham, the father of faith. Abraham was not counted righteous because he kept the law (which came centuries later) but because he believed God. His faith was trust—not in his ability, age, or circumstances—but in God’s character.

And this same faith is credited to us today when we believe in the God who raises the dead, fulfills His promises, and justifies the ungodly.

Today’s readings call us to rest—not in our own striving—but in the finished work of Christ. Righteousness is God’s gift, faith is our response, and grace is the ground on which we now stand.

PERSONAL REFLECTION: 

• Do you ever rely on your efforts instead of God’s grace? 
• Have you allowed the truth of “all have sinned” to humble you and the promise of “justified by faith” to strengthen you?
• What part of your life needs fresh trust in God’s promise today?

PRAYER: Father, thank You for justifying me by faith and not by my works. Teach me to trust fully in Your grace and walk humbly before You. Strengthen my faith like Abraham’s so I may stand firm on Your promises and live in the righteousness You freely give through Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen.