The Law of Faith for All Nations

I Have Nothing to Boast Of

(Romans 3:27-31)

The Jews believed that because they had received the word of God directly and had kept it, they alone were the people who could be accepted by God. But Scripture declares that all of their effort and zeal count for no merit when it comes to salvation.

1. The Law of Faith
Why is that? The very fact that Jesus had to die on the cross tells us everything. If human beings could have stood before God by their own effort, the cross would never have been necessary. Salvation is not something we earn through our own efforts. It is a gift freely given by God. And the only way to receive that gift is through the law of faith: believing in the merciful Lord and believing in the merit He accomplished on the cross.

2. One Way
Is salvation only for the Jews? That is what the Jews believed. But there is only one Creator, only one who upholds the universe, and only one who will judge mankind. If one God created all humanity, then He is not only the God of the Jews but also the God of the Gentiles. Therefore, the way of salvation cannot be different for different peoples. The Jews are justified by the faith of Abraham, and the Gentiles are justified through that same faith.

3. The Place of the Tax Collector
There is only one posture we can take before this truth: the place of the tax collector, who stood far off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast. We have contributed nothing. Neither our zeal nor our service can make us righteous. Salvation is entirely the grace of God. When this confession truly takes root within us, only then do our heads bow in humility. And from that place we confess, “Lord, You are my happiness. It is my glory to serve You all my life.”

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim