SAINT PAUL OF THE CROSS, PRIEST (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

God credits righteousness apart from works.

What makes us righteous before God? The Jews of Paul’s time insisted that it was adherence to the Mosaic law, including circumcision. But Paul was convinced that the only way anyone could be righteous, which means being forgiven of sin and standing blameless before God, is through Jesus Christ. Only Jesus and his grace—a grace we accept through faith and that flows from his sacrifice on the cross—can save us. This is “apart from” any “works” that we might do (Romans 4:6).

So does that mean that in order to be saved, we just need to believe in Jesus, apart from what we do or don’t do? No! We don’t want to risk presuming that no matter how we live, we just have to believe in God’s mercy and he will bring us to heaven. On the other hand, we don’t want to risk a scrupulosity that overshadows the Father’s mercy and causes us to be anxiously preoccupied with trying to earn our way into heaven by what we do.

It’s possible that we may struggle with both of these temptations at times, or that our temperaments make one or the other more of an issue for us. Finding a balance can sometimes feel like we are walking a tightrope. But regardless of which way we tend toward, we don’t want to fall off that tightrope in either direction!

The New Testament is clear: the way we live matters. A life lived with nothing more than verbal faith is not a life of faith at all. We must let God’s word take root in our hearts and allow it to transform the way we live. Paradoxically, as we do, we will come to realize just how important our faith in Christ is: faith in Jesus’ unconditional love for us, no matter how unworthy we might think we are. Faith that he will always give us all the grace we need to do what he asks of us. And faith that he will shower us with his mercy whenever we come to him in repentance.

As we live this life of faith day in and day out, we can rest assured: it will be credited to us as righteousness!

“Jesus, thank you for making me righteous before your Father. Help me to live out my faith in you today and every day.”

Romans 4:1-8
Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 11
Luke 12:1-7