Faith Over Works: Why Righteousness Comes by Believing in Christ (Romans 9:25–33)
Faith, Not Works 🙏
7-Step QT
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🙏 Quiet Time
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📅 September 25, 2025
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✝️ Romans 9:25-33
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📖 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone (v. 32)
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📝 Salvation is never earned by works but received through faith in Jesus Christ. The cross proves human effort cannot save. Jews pursued righteousness by law and failed; Gentiles gained it by faith. Stop striving—trust Christ fully. Today, confess your need and rest in His grace, not your performance.
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💬 What does this passage speak to you today?
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🙏 Share below, and let’s encourage one another in prayer!
7-Step QT Notes
1. 🙏 Quiet Time
Pause. Take a deep breath. Ask God to help you rest in His grace and trust that faith—not performance—makes you right with Him.
2. 📅 September 25, 2025
Today’s passage reminds us: Salvation is by faith in Christ, not by works.
3. ✝️ Romans 9:25–33
Paul explains that Gentiles, who weren’t pursuing righteousness, received it by faith, while Israel, pursuing the law, stumbled over Christ—the “stumbling stone.” Why? Because they tried to earn righteousness through works instead of trusting God’s promise in Jesus.
4. 📖 Key Verse
“Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone.” (v. 32)
5. 📝 Reflection
We live in a culture that says, “Work harder. Prove yourself. Earn your worth.” It’s easy to bring that mindset into our faith—thinking God loves us more when we perform well. But Paul reminds us: Salvation is never earned; it’s received by faith in Jesus.
The Jews trusted in their law-keeping, but missed Christ. Gentiles, who had no law, received righteousness by faith. The same is true today: your GPA, job title, or spiritual checklist doesn’t make you right with God—Jesus does.
So stop striving for approval. Rest in grace. Live out of gratitude, not guilt.
6. 💬 What does this passage speak to you today?
- Where do you feel pressure to “earn” God’s love?
- How would your life change if you truly believed salvation is by faith alone?
- What’s one way you can live in grace instead of performance today?
7. 🙏 Prayer
Lord, thank You that my salvation is not based on what I do, but on what Jesus has done. Help me trust You fully and live in the freedom of grace. Teach me to stop striving and start resting in Your love. Amen.
Scriptures
📖 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ” 26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ ”
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted,
“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.”
30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” (Rom 9:25-33, ESV).
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