“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, He also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. A gift in secret pacifieth anger: And a reward in the bosom strong wrath. It is joy to the just to do judgment: But destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding Shall remain in the congregation of the dead. He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, And the transgressor for the upright.”
Proverbs 21:13-18 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.21.13-18.KJV
Justified by Faith
Paul, the writer of the letter to the church in Rome, covers the details of what is known as “the Gospel message”—a message that was handed down to them. It's packed with deep theological truths that are meant to shape the way Christians live.
One of the central components to the Gospel is that salvation comes through faith alone. That means we are saved by the power of God through believing and trusting in Jesus. Every Christian comes to God through faith—not through good deeds or by trying to earn salvation.
Paul says that we have peace with God by our faith in Jesus. Prior to that, we were considered ungodly and unrighteous—because we would live our lives in our own power, doing our own things. This led to separation from God.
However, by faith in Jesus, we are justified before Him. This means that through Jesus’ own right-living, we are made right before Him. Even though we still make mistakes, we can stand innocent before God because of Jesus.
It’s ...