We are like the younger son in Luke 15. One day we came to God and said, "God, give me the share of the estate that falls to me." God gave us what we should have. After we took our estate, we squandered it with evil companions. Today we have come back to the Father's house. The robe, the ring, and the shoes that we wear and the fatted calf that we eat are not what we deserve. That which was rightfully ours has been spent. We do not deserve the ring. We do not deserve the robe. We do not deserve to eat the fatted calf, and we do not deserve to wear the shoes. What then is grace? When those who do not deserve to be saved are saved, that is grace. Grace is what those who should not obtain have obtained. What the younger son took away the first time was not grace. He spent that already. What he received the second time was all grace. His own portion was long spent. When he enjoys another meal at home, it is not what he deserves to get; it is the Father's grace.

Hence, if one works, the question of wages comes in, and it is no more grace. Grace is in conflict with what one deserves. How then does faith work? When it is not work or labor, but only faith in the God who justifies the sinner, that faith is reckoned as righteousness. This is the relationship between faith and grace. If it is work, then it is not grace. If it is grace, then there is only faith. To believe is to accept what God has done. It is not how much I have done. We must emphasize that, before God, we are not justified by what we have done. We are justified by faith. Today we have justification by faith. Therefore, the question of work is forever over.

Everyone who knows me well knows that I like soy sauce. It is all right if there are not many dishes at the table. As long as I have soy sauce, I can get by. At one time, one who was serving me saw that my soy sauce was almost gone. He went to the market and brought more back. Then he mixed it in with the good soy sauce. When I tasted it, I noticed that the taste was different. I asked why the soy sauce tasted different that day. I checked with the serving one whether or not he had poured the soy sauce from the same bottle. He answered yes. I wondered if my taste had changed. It did not seem that likely. I then asked if he had mixed it with something else. He had to admit that he had. Today man does the same thing to God's work and His grace. He tries to mix something else into them. Once we mix something in this way, grace is no longer grace. That is why God says that if it is of grace, then it is no more of work (Rom. 11:6). If it is of work, then it is no more of grace. Work can never be mixed with grace. Hence, we must not merely say that salvation is of faith. We must say that salvation is solely of faith.

I love Romans 3:27. This word is based on verses 25 and 26 which speak of how the Lord Jesus has become a propitiation place and how God has justified those who believe in Him. It is not unrighteous for God to do this. Hence, in verse 27 it says, "Where then is boasting? It is excluded." There is no way for us to boast. There is no possibility to boast anymore. The next sentence is very important. It says, "Through what kind of law?" This means that we have nothing to boast of anymore. By what way are we excluded from boasting? By what principle are we excluded from boasting? Verse 27 continues, "That of works? No, but through the law of faith." Paul asked how man can be excluded from boasting and how boasting can be removed. His answer is by the principle of faith. If one is in the principle of faith, then he is not in the principle of works. If it is by the principle of works, then boasting cannot be excluded. But thank the Lord. Today we have the principle of faith. Hence, we cannot boast. We can only praise.