⁵ In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. ⁶ But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

Groundwork was laid in Romans 9:27-28, where Paul first reminded his readers of God’s promise of “the remnant that will be saved….” Though Israel had continually strayed from their God who promised salvation, His promise to Abraham and His descendants is fulfilled in the remnant of God’s people who, through the years, have shown faithfulness to Him. Elijah learned this important lesson in an extremely dark time of Israel’s history, when in his isolated depression, thinking he alone was faithful to God, the Lord pointed out to him 7,000 others.

There continued to be some faithful to God up through the time of Paul’s preaching. But Paul was not a lone voice like Elijah; there were many others from among the Jews who had come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Remember the beginning question of this chapter (Romans 11), “God has not rejected His people, has He?” In Jerusalem alone, 8,000 came to faith in Jesus in the early days of the Christian movement, and these were primarily Jews (Acts 2:41, 4:4).

Many of these were scattered around throughout that part of the world preaching the Gospel as they went. Ironically, the primary catalyst of that was the persecution brought on by Paul (a.k.a Saul) against the church in his pre-conversion days (Acts 8:1). So he was responsible for the first spread of the Gospel as an unregenerate antagonist against the Gospel and then as one of the greatest proponents of the Gospel. What a twist in the narrative! Does that not reflect on the marvelous grace of our Lord?

And grace is what Paul focuses on as he speaks of the remnant chosen by God. He himself knew and his testimony was clear that his own salvation did not come about by his works of the Law. But that is true for everyone who comes to faith from among the Jews, and also for non-Jews. Paul continues to reinforce the distinction. If salvation involves any level of works, then grace is completely nullified. One cannot say that one is saved by faith in Christ and by doing works of obedience to Him. Grace, if it means anything, is grace alone and nothing else—or else grace is nothing. It is absolutely exclusive of works. It doesn’t empower works or enhance works. And works do not add even an iota to grace. The reformers understood Paul’s teaching correctly when they coined the motto “Solo gratia”—grace alone! Unmerited favor of God.

Father, I believe and therefore I can sing: “Marvelous grace of our loving Lord … marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, freely bestowed on all who believe …”