Author	Thread: justification by faith alone
Admin	justification by faith alone Posted : 14 Oct, 2009 09:30 AM > > > > The Importance of Justification Sola fide (by faith alone) is important not merely because the church stands or falls on it. It is important because on it we stand or fall. The place where and the time when we will either stand or fall is at the judgment seat of God. > > > > The doctrine of justification has to do with our status before the just judgment of God. That every person will ultimately be called into account before God is central to the teaching of Jesus. He warns that the secret things of our lives will be made manifest before the Father and that every idle word we have spoken will be brought into judgment. The whole world -- every man, woman, and child -- will come before the final divine tribunal. We will all come to that place, at that time, as either unjustified or justified sinners. Paul at Mars Hill warned: "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands > > all men every where to repent, `because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.'" (Acts 17:30-31 NKJV) > > > > This judgment will be a righteous judgment by a righteous God. Those who will be judged are unrighteous people. The universality of sin is clearly affirmed by Paul: > > > > "For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all (italics mine) under sin. As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one...." Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:9-10, 19-20 NKJV) > > > > Herein is our dilemma. There will be a judgment. It will be a righteous judgment. As fallen, we are not righteous. > > > > The ominous warning of the apostle is that "no flesh will be justified in His sight." Fortunately this is not the whole sentence. It is not an absolute denial of justification. If there will be no justification in his sight, then all disputes about the way of justification > > would be vain disputes, much ado about nothing. If there is no justification, then there is no gospel -- no good news, only bad news. > > > > But this is not the entire statement. Paul does not say there will be no justification. What he does say is that no flesh will be justified in God's sight by the deeds of the law. > > > > Paul does not exclude justification altogether. He does exclude it by virtue of our doing deeds of the law. Justification on the ground of our works is eliminated as an option. Christians were once debtors who could not pay their debts to God. The law of God requires perfection. It is a requirement sinners do not and cannot meet. Because of the universal reality of sin, Paul comes to his "therefore." Our sin leads to the necessary inference contained in the conclusion that by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in God's sight. > > > > The verdict of the law on sinners was known in the Old Testament. Psalm 130 asks a question that is clearly rhetorical: "If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" (130:3 NKJV) > > > > The answer to the psalmist's question is abundantly clear Who could stand? No one. Certainly not I. Certainly not you. If we are judged by the law in terms of our own righteousness, we will not stand; we are certainly fallen. If Luther rested on his own > > righteousness before the diet of heaven, he would have to declare: "Here I fall! I can do no other, God help me." > > > > Not only would Luther fall. The whole church -- nay, the whole world -- would fall. > > > > Paul does not leave us falling without hope before the righteous law of God. He continues his teaching of the doctrine of justification with a single word that screams relief to guilty sinners: "But..." There is, to our everlasting benefit, a "however" to his declaration. This little however introduces a high and mighty exception to the dreadful conclusion that by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in God's sight. Though justification is categorically denied by one means, it is now categorically affirmed by another means. That no flesh will be justified is not the final word. There is another word, which is the gospel itself: > > > > "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26 NKJV) > > > > Here Paul declares a way of justification different from justification by deeds of the law. It is not a novelty, proclaimed for the first time in the New Testament. This way of justification is witnessed to by the Prophets and by the law itself. It is justification > > through faith in Jesus Christ. This justification is not given to everyone. It is provided to all and on all, who believe. It is based on the righteousness of God that is provided to and on the believer. It is given both freely and graciously by God through the redeeming work of Christ. This manner of justification demonstrates God himself to be both just and the justifier. > > > > Again,the dilemma faced by the sinner summoned to the judgment seat of God is this: The sinner must appear before a divine Judge who is perfectly just. Yet the sinner is unjust. How can he possibly be unjust and justified? The answer to this question touches the eye of the Reformation tornado. For God to justify the impious (iustificatio impii) and himself remain just in the process, the sinner must somehow become actually just by a righteousness supplied him by another In Christ Steve Post Reply
Happy2222 View Profile History	justification by faith alone Posted : 14 Oct, 2009 09:54 AM Luther said the Book of James (faith without works is dead 2:17) and the Book of Revelation ( because it is missing the Tribes of Dan and Ephraim 7:4) Looks like you believe Luther was right. Shalom Dan Post Reply
View Profile History	justification by faith alone Posted : 14 Oct, 2009 10:16 AM I am saying that IF you ARE saved, it will be your desire to keep the commandments. You will never keep them perfectly, and that is NOT what saves you! Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount was not talking to non-believers. Those people FOLLOWED him literally! He walked to a place, and THEY walked to the SAME PLACE. They were ALREADY trusting in Him! The whole temple sacrificial system pointed to Jesus being the PERFECT sacrifice. Jesus was sacrificed to pay for the sins of His people, once for all. Our problem with God is our sin! Once we repent and trust in Jesus, then God declares us to be perfectly righteous, and we are adopted into God's family! We go from being a child of wrath to a son or daughter of God. This is WHY we can have peace (Romans 5:1)and why we can KNOW that we ARE saved!!! If you are not trusting in Jesus, then what ARE you trusting in? Your own performance? Wow, I bet that is fairly pitiful at times!! And what would make you think that your performance would ever be good enough????? There is only ONE THING that is good enough for God and that is absolute moral perfection, and that being sacrificed to PAY for the sins committed. Here is how you say it precisely: Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which he (1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ's righteousness as belonging to us, and (2) declares us to be righteous in his sight. I don't see how anyone could ever have any kind of a Christian life, much less be effective, if you never know if you are saved or not!! In christ steven Post Reply
View Profile History	justification by faith alone Posted : 15 Oct, 2009 01:23 AM So, manofGod, are you saying that if someone claims to be saved through Jesus and ultimately turns away, that they were never indeed saved to begin with? I actually posted another topic asking about falling from God's grace (Jesus). The thread ended up shifting a little bit. Thanks, brother. Post Reply
View Profile History	justification by faith alone Posted : 15 Oct, 2009 05:53 AM Jesusfreak brother Yeah,I think thats the only conclusion we could draw from someones ultimately turning their back on god.I think their are a lot of people who dress nice,go to church,give to charity,speak all the right christianese,but are not saved,have not died to self.I think before you are truly saved It takes a deep deep understanding of our wretchedness.A truly intimate knowledge of our sin,I beleive this comes from the holy spirit! the rich man really wanted to follow jesus,but did not want to really give up his favorite Idol,in this case money,so he sadly went on his way you gotta know your sick before youll go to the docter,some of us have to be on our death beds! You have to know your drowning before you will reach for the life preserver the rich man probably saw that jesus was a good and wise teacher,and even thought that following him would benifit him in many ways....but,he was doing okay...after all he was rich........he didnt realize he was sick and drowning so he didnt need a docter or a life preserver! he turned away! Ephesians 2;13 In Christ Steven Post Reply
View Profile History	justification by faith alone Posted : 15 Oct, 2009 09:21 PM Thanks again for your insight. One more question for you. According to what you've just spoken, in Revelation, John warns the major churches in Asia because they are falling away. Does that mean that they were never really "saved"? Thanks. Post Reply
DontHitThatMark View Profile History	justification by faith alone Posted : 16 Oct, 2009 09:11 AM I have a question manofgod! How do you know you're really saved under that belief? If someone can appear to be saved, but they aren't really? :peace::peace: Post Reply
View Profile History	justification by faith alone Posted : 16 Oct, 2009 10:34 AM AH...my old buddy Mark...I missed you man. Instead of giving you a bunch of verses,Im just gonna say this.If you ever met anyone who knew me my whole life,they would tell you...Oh yeah steve blank....yeah,I know that that blankety blank. I didnt grow up a christian,LOL,I was about the farthest thing from it!So filled with hate anger greed,pride...just plain old nastyness! The fact that I shoulda been dead many many times,the fact that I hated God and the things of God Something changed drastically in me,and it wasnt my doing, I still sin,but now I hate it!I hate it because it greives my father! Im still a little mean(see christian moral standards)LOL but gods working on me! your always saying,yeah Im saved,now I can sin as much as I want!Well dude its not that way at all! I try just as hard as you not to sin,and I dont sin even near as much as I did! I pray forgiveness everyday! But I know Im not gonna reach gods perfect standards(at least not in this life,You should see fruits in a true christians life,If you never do,then this is the dead faith(without works) just an empty profession with the mouth. Maybe,in a weird way,im kinda lucky to have been such a horrible person,because my conversion is obvious to me,I feel for people who dont have assurrance,but that will come with time, If its any consolation to you....I beleive you are saved not that my opinnion matters,but for you to care so much for the things of god....and I know you do,well thats a fruit right there brother! I know you beleive differently,thats ok,LOL Just remember,the big jobs over,we are his children now,he loves us and corrects us along the way! In Christ steven Post Reply
DontHitThatMark View Profile History	justification by faith alone Posted : 16 Oct, 2009 09:15 PM lol, I wasn't talking about "you" when I say the "I can sin as much as I want" stuff. It's just a mentality from believing you're always saved, and since I believe in free will and "not always saved"...I see that as encouraging "rest for the wicked", and discouraging true conversion. But I'm sorry...a change in the life is not "once saved, always saved" because at the end of time there will be people that say "But Lord, we cast out demons in your name!! Healed the sick!!" and Jesus will say He never knew them. You're right though, with true conversion there will be a change in the life, for the better. But you know my beliefs, I don't believe we're always saved unless we're always trying to walk like Jesus walked...as much as possible. I think we have a "blessed hope". But after someone is saved, as long as they keep believing and keep walking, I'd say they're going to make it...even though there's no way for me to tell...that's God's job. :peace::peace: Post Reply
View Profile History	justification by faith alone Posted : 16 Oct, 2009 10:16 PM Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. Philippians 1:5-6 (King James Version) For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: In christ steven Post Reply