As a commandment-keeping Christian, often I’m tasked with defending against the notion that I am attempting to earn salvation through works. It’s a rather odd conclusion to draw. Most would not assume that being faithful to one’s spouse or choosing not to lie or steal is an attempt at earning salvation. They would simply see it as a natural result of choosing to live a virtuous Christian life. But, somehow, a Christian who observes the weekly Sabbath or the annual holy days (also called Sabbaths) is not viewed in the same way. The idea that obedience to God’s holy and righteous law is an attempt at earning salvation is simply not logical. Two verses in the Book of Romans should put that idea to rest. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. While Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. The logical conclusion should be that no amount of future obedience will erase past sins. But shouldn’t future obedience be a logical result were those sins forgiven?

The United States recently went through a change in leadership with the 2024 Presidential Election. As President Biden left office, he issued several pardons in anticipation of individuals being charged with various crimes. President Trump also issued pardons on many people who were serving long prison sentences. By now, most Americans are familiar with the term. Regardless of the guilt or innocence of each case, and the politicization of these cases, the issuing of the pardon can be seen as nothing other than a gift bestowed on the individual from the President. It is simply an act of grace. Similarly, when we finish the verse in Romans 6:23, we discover that eternal life, the full pardon of the death penalty earned through sin, is a gift from God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This begs the question: If the President issues a full pardon for a convicted felon, would we expect that the person would take their gift of freedom and go on to live a life of obedience to the laws of our land? Would such future obedience imply that the forgiven felon is earning his pardon through works? It’s simply an absurd conclusion to draw. Becoming a law-abiding citizen would be the natural result and expectation of receiving such a pardon. We would only hope that those who recently received Presidential pardons will go on to live virtuous and law-abiding lives. The Pardon cannot be earned. It is a gift. Regardless of what happens from this point forward.

Let’s delve deeper into this topic. Take a few minutes to read through this article: Grace and Law: What Does the Bible Say? It is located on the United Church of God website.

By Lynn Leiby

Mar 6^th, 2025