"For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past.
"Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."
Bible Commentary on these verses: "Most religions prescribe specific duties that must be performed to make a person acceptable to God. Christianity is unique in teaching that the good things we do will not put us right with God. No amount of human achievement or progress in personal development will close the gap betweeen God's moral perfection and our imperfect daily performance. Good deeds are fine, but they will not earn us eternal life. We are saved only by trusting in what God has done for us.
"Why does God save us by faith alone? 1) Faith eliminates human pride; 2) Faith exalts God, not people. 3) Faith makes salvation available to all. 4) Faith admits we can't keep the law or measure up to God's standards---we need help. 5) Faith is based on a relationship with God, not on performance for God.
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