The Grace of Faith
In commencing the practical application section of his epistle to the church at Rome, the Apostle Paul calls upon the Christians to live and worship as people who belong to God and His Christ. This is the life of faith produced by the grace of God in His elect, redeemed, regenerated, believing people. We are to live by faith, following Paul’s example (1 Cor 11:1; Gal 2:20).
Grace, by definition, is the work of God that benefits His chosen people. God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). God’s grace granted each believer his or her salvation, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8–9). In other words, as many as received Christ, God gave to them the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born (again) not of blood (family blood lines), nor of the will of the flesh (works), nor of the will of man, but of God (Jn 1:12–13; 1 Jn 3:1, 10).
There is only one name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12)…and He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Rom 9:15–16; Titus 3:5). But by His doing, you are in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 1:30); but to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness (Rom 4:5).
Faith is granted to His elect by God (Phil 1:29) and allotted to the measure of God’s own choosing (Rom 12:3). Jesus’ disciples were fully aware of God’s grace in giving them a portion of faith, even asking Jesus to increase their faith (Lk 17:5). Not all have faith because not all are recipients of grace (2 Thess 3:2). Jesus said to a group of Jews, “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep” (Jn 10:26).
The Apostle Paul wrote to a number of churches about the grace that gives spiritual gifts to members of His mystical body. These spiritual gifts, when employed with the wisdom and by the power of the Holy Spirit, produce unity in a local congregation. They also hold the potential for great divisiveness, as they did in the church at Corinth. In other words, spiritual gifts can be a blessing or a curse based on the attitude of each member. Simply put, humility is required in the recognition of and employment of spiritual gifts.
Paul encouraged the members of the church at Philippi to have the same attitude in them that Jesus Christ had when He humbled Himself at His incarnation (Phil 2:5–11). The eternal Son of God set aside His glory by taking on flesh and dwelling among sinners (Jn 1:14). He did not boast in Himself or take glory away from God His Father. Instead, He did everything in His earthly ministry in a way that gave maximum glory to Yahweh. With perfect submission, Jesus spoke and did all that the Father had given for Him to say and do. For this, Jesus is exalted, today.
Pride and arrogance are unbecoming of a child of God. Because we are objects of grace, we have nothing to boast in ourselves. Therefore, Paul wrote in Romans 12:3b, “…I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think but so as to have sound judgment…” Pride comes before the fall and goes before destruction (Prv 16:18); therefore, puffing oneself up on arrogant self-accolades is an unsound practice. It is sin because it is stealing glory from God.
Remembering the doctrine of total depravity and total inability is good medicine when one is stricken with the disease of self-aggrandizement. Knowing that no one is good (Mk 10:18; Rom 3:12) and no one does good (Is 64:6) is a great place to start. It is here that men vehemently protest, even suppressing the truth about God, about Christ, and about humanity itself (Rom 1:18). Paul confessed, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh, for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not” (Rom 7:18).
The humility of the Apostle Paul is derived from the mercies of God (Rom 12:1) and from the grace of God that gave him everything for life and ministry (2 Cor 12:9). Elsewhere he wrote, “For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you have not received it?” (1 Cor 4:7).
The way of the world is man-centered. Philosophy is about living wisely in community with our neighbors, yet with no reference to God. Psychology is about self-focus. Materialism is about self-pleasure and satisfaction of one’s flesh. Politics is about people controlling other people, by exercising power over them. Wherever there is hierarchy among people you have a power play that invariably is corrupt.
It is the Christian who consciously avoids both fake modesty and overt pride. It is the grace of faith that accomplishes this peculiar attitude and position amidst the competition of men. The believer in Jesus knows that every good gift and every perfect gift is sourced in God the Father and distributed through the Holy Spirit (Jas 1:17). The ultimate, even indescribable gift of God is Jesus Christ (2 Cor 9:15). He is our boast.
It is right to give thanks to God (1 Thess 5:17), to acknowledge Him in everything, at all times (Prv 3:5–6). He alone is worthy of all praise for the great things He has done (Dt 10:21). As children of God and heirs of righteousness (Rom 8:17; Heb 11:7), we have our reward reserved for us in heaven (1 Pet 1:4), where Christ is seated (Col 3:1). Let us therefore boast in Jesus, our God, our Savior and our Lord (Titus 1:4; 2:13; 2 Pet 1:1), in whom we have faith to the preserving of our souls (Heb 10:38–39).
David Norczyk
Spokane, Washington
October 16, 2025
Romans 12:3
