"But to him who does not work but believes on Him [Christ] who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness . . . "
Romans, ch. 4, is undoubtedly one of the clearest accounts of the gospel of grace. Paul is saying here (above) that those who continue to insist on working for (or earning) their salvation will never receive it at all, no matter how much effort they put into their project. But those who, instead of working, *believe* in Christ, *do* receive justification, as Jesus' righteousness gets imputed to their account, and into their souls.
This message is impossible for unregenerate people to accept. It grates against their desire to get some "credit" for their (alleged) right standing with God. But the Lord rejects works-righteousness, and hates it. Wouldn't you, if you had sent your one and only Son to the earth, and sinners thought they could add something to His work?
[Puritan quote of the day: "He that is little in his own eyes will not be troubled to be little in the eyes of others." --Richard Sibbes, in, "The Soul's Conflict with Itself"]
