How does Romans 4:14 connect with Ephesians 2:8-9 on salvation by faith? Setting the Scene Romans 4:14: “For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,” Romans 4:14 — Faith or Failure • Paul zeroes in on inheritance. If receiving God’s promise hinges on law-keeping, faith collapses and the promise loses power. • Abraham serves as the model: he was counted righteous before the law existed (Romans 4:1-3). • A works-based system leaves the promise dangling over an impossible standard, canceling the gift nature of salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 — Grace Gets the Job Done Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” • Salvation arrives as a grace-gift, delivered through faith. • Human effort, merit, or ritual play no role; boasting is silenced. • The focus shifts entirely to what God does, not what we do. Thread That Binds the Two Texts • Same contrast: law-works versus faith-grace. • Same result: law-works nullify faith; grace through faith secures salvation. • Same purpose: protect the certainty of God’s promise/gift. • Same outcome: eliminate human boasting and spotlight divine initiative. Supporting Scriptures • Romans 3:20 — “No one will be justified in His sight by works of the law.” • Romans 11:6 — “If it is by grace, it is no longer by works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” • Galatians 2:16 — “A man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” • Galatians 3:18 — “If the inheritance depends on the law, it no longer depends on a promise.” • Titus 3:5 — “He saved us, not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy.” • John 1:12-13 — “To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” What This Means for Us • Assurance rests on God’s unbreakable promise, not shifting human performance. • Faith is the hand that receives; works follow as fruit, not as the root of salvation (Ephesians 2:10). • Confidence grows when we remember God’s plan has always hinged on grace, from Abraham to today. Key Takeaways • Romans 4:14 exposes the futility of law-based inheritance; Ephesians 2:8-9 celebrates the sufficiency of grace. • Both passages unite to affirm a single path: salvation by grace through faith, excluding works. • The promise remains secure because God does the saving, guaranteeing praise goes to Him alone. |
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