BIAY - Standing in Grace
Romans 4-5, Proverbs 20:16-30
Welcome to the Bible in a Year for 2025. Intro to this series and resource links available here, plus here’s how I’m approaching this year.
Scriptures for Today:
Reflection:
“Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness” (4:3) - Abraham was the forefather of the Israelites, the people of the covenant. Here, Paul points out that Abraham is also the forefather of all who become members of the people of God through faith in Jesus. He quotes Genesis 15:6 to show that faith—belief in God’s word and promises—was how God was granting people a right standing (righteousness), even before the law (covenant) existed. This is a place where we see the whole biblical story pointing to the gospel—salvation as a gift, accessed by faith in God.
“Grace in which we now stand” (5:1-5) - I just love this image of grace being something that we stand in. This passage — 5:1-5 — is well worth memorizing. The first two verses are an excellent summary of Paul’s teaching on the gospel, that we are justified (made right with God) through faith in Jesus, by whom we have access to the grace of God. Though the wording is different, this is essentially the point Paul makes in Ephesians 2:8-9, when he says we are saved “by grace through faith.” He’s very succinct in Ephesians. But again, I love the picture of grace as something are standing in. The foundation of our life is the generous grace of God.
A proverb that stands out today - “The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.” (20:29) - feeling more true all the time ;)
Questions:
What is your faith foundation—your own effort, works, and religious resume? Or trusting belief in the grace of God?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the grace in which we may stand through faith in Jesus. Help me live from grace and with grace today. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
If you liked this post from Seeds of Faith, why not share it and/or subscribe?
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™