Justification by faith

Clinton Baldwin, Ph.D.
(23.09.13)

Topics to be Discussed in this Series
1. New Testament Background to Justification by Faith (in Paul)
2. Justification by Faith: The Objective and Subjective
Dimensions
3. Justification By Faith: The Eschatological Dimension
4. Justification By Faith and the Law

Justification in Paul
The concept of Justification in Paul is
communicated with the Greek words:
Dikaiosune or dikaioma (noun): (righteousness)
Dikaios (the adjective): (righteous/just)
dikaioo (the verb) (to justify)

Justification in Paul
These words translate the Hebrew word “group” sdq
(Sedaqa or sedeq).
Righteousness (Sedaqa or sedeq) in the Old
Testament is derived from the Hebrew root sdq which
occurs over 500 times in the Hebrew Old Testament.
The basic meaning of sdq, the word “group” is
conformity to a relationship

x
New Testament Background to Paul’s
Teachings on
Justification by Faith

Three Main Groups of People in the Early
Christian Church
x
Jewish Christians Hellenistic Jewish
Christians
Gentile Christians

Group 1:
Jewish Christians
Pentecost - many from this event (Acts 2)
Leaders of early church (Acts 15)
Continued to live as Jews i.e., kept the entire Torah (Acts
21:20)

Jewish Christians Observed the
Entire Torah (Law)
When they heard this they praised God. Then they said to Paul, you
see brother how many thousands of Jews have believed and all of them are
zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews
who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses telling them not to
circumcise their children or live according to the customs. (Act 21:22 -Emphasis
supplied).
Paul, speaking of Ananias affirms:
He was a devoted observer of the law (nomos=Torah) and
highly respected by all the Jews living there” (Acts 22:12).“

The Torah was also called
1. Moses (Mark 7:10; Acts 15:21)
2. The Law of Moses (Neh 8:1; Acts
15:15; Luke 2:22-24)
3. The Law of the Lord given through
Moses (Neh 8:13; Mal 4:4)
4. The Law (Neh 8:9,13,14; Isa 8:20,
Deut 31:11; John 1:18)

Jewish Christians
Jewish Christians continued to worship in the Temple,
where Judaism of course was practiced (Acts 2:46, 3:1, 3,
8 ; 5:20-25, 42).
Other evidences from the book of Acts that substantiate
the fact that the foundational members of the early church
continued to observe all the Torah are: Acts 11: 5, 22:12;
24:14,15; 15:21. See also, Rom 2: 25-19; 13; 14.

Why Continue to Observe Torah?
1. Torah was God’s law and God’s law was always
obligatory. So reasoned the Jewish Christians
Note: Torah (the entire OT had many, many positive laws).
From the Jewish perspective, the Torah was never seen
as negative; it was always positive. It was God’s law
given through Moses (Luke 2:22-24 Neh 8:9,13,14; Isa
8:20)

Some Positives of Torah
Do not put a stumbling block before the blind (Lev 19:14)
Be kind to strangers (Exo 22:21)
Honor your mother and father (Exo 20:12)
Do not murder, steal or bear false witness (Exo 20:13,15,16)
Do not marry your sister (Lev18:9)
Sacrifices by which sins were forgiven (Lev16)
Pay the tithe and other offerings (Mal 3)
Do not eat unclean meats (Lev 11)
Do not carry a grudge (Lev 19:18)
Do not hate anyone in your heart (Lev 19:17)
 Observe the appointed feasts of the Lord (Exo20:8-11; Lev 23:1-44)
Love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18)

2. Torah: Sign of Covenant People
In OT, Torah was a sign of the covenant people of God.
The Torah was not only a set of rules to be obeyed, it was also
that entity that set Israel aside as being God’s special people
(Exo 19:1-6; 22:31;; Deut 5:15; Eph 2:13-14; 2 Cor 3).
At Sinai, God made a covenant that Israel would always be His
special, chosen people. That entity that served to symbolize
this relationship was the law (Torah). Hence, law and covenant
used interchangeably throughout the Old Testament. See for
example, Exo 34:28; 2 Kgs 22: 8; 23: 2,3; Psa 78:10; Isa
24:5,6.

2. Torah: Sign of Covenant People
In New Testament times, Jewish Christians saw
themselves as the New Israel. Therefore, the New Israel
must continue to observe that which identifies the true
Israel of God, i.e., Torah (law).
 Therefore, Torah was still obligatory as far as all
Jewish Christians were concerned. See passages above.

3. Jesus: The Fulfillment of
Torah
Jesus was the fulfillment or true meaning of Torah, not its
negation
According to Jewish Christians, Jesus came to amplify
Torah, not to destroy or abolish Torah (Matt 5:17-18; 6:1-
18; 23:23; 5:23-24;15:1-20;17:24-27;24:30)
Therefore, Torah was still obligatory-

Jesus the Fulfillment of Torah
Non-Christian Jews in Israel offered sacrifices, but did not
see Jesus as the meaning of those sacrifices.
Jewish Christians offered sacrifices, but saw Jesus as the
meaning
Non-Christian Jews circumcised, but Jesus was not seen as the
meaning of circumcision
Jewish Christians circumcised, Jesus seen as the meaning of
circumcision

Jesus: The Fulfillment of Torah
Non-Christian Jews worshipped in the temple, but
Jesus not seen as the meaning of the temple
Jewish Christians worshipped in the temple with
Jesus seen as the meaning of temple (Heb 8-10)
Non-Christian Jews observed the feast days (yom kippur,
Pentecost, Tabernacles, etc.)- Jesus not seen as the
meaning of these days
Jewish Christians observed the feast days, Jesus understood
as the meaning of these days (Col 2:14-16)

Jesus the Fulfillment of Torah
Non-Christian Jews observed the priesthood – but Jesus not the
meaning
 Jewish Christians observed the priesthood - Jesus the meaning of
priesthood (Heb 8-10)
Non-Christian Jews observed - no stealing, no killing, no adultery,
love neighbor as oneself - Jesus not seen as the meaning
 Jewish Christians observe the same commands but with Jesus
understood as the meaning of these realities
For Jewish Christians, Jesus was the meaning of entire
Torah

.
For Jewish Christians, Christianity was
only a special type of Judaism.
Note: There were many types of Judaisms in
the first century. There were the Judaism of the Pharisees,
Sadducees, Samaritans, Essenes, Herodians,
the Am ha Artez, etc. These types of Judaism
were all different in many significant ways.

Hebrew Jewish Christians
Thus, the Jewish Christians continued to
keep the entire Torah as an identity marker
Note: This was intrinsic to their heritage for hundreds of
years; from the entire Old Testament era (Acts 15;
(Exo19:1-6). In fact, it was commanded by God. (Exo 19:1-6; 22:31;
Deut 5:15; Eph 2:13-14; 2 Cor 3; see also previous slides). But, as
we
shall see shortly, God through Jesus was now speaking to them
and
all humanity in a new way.

x
 x
God
Jewish
Christians
Torah-
Identity
Marker

TORAH NOT FOR GENTILES
The Torah was a sign between God and his people,
Israel (Exo19:1-6). It was like a wedding band that
symbolizes the special relationship between a man
and his wife. No-one would want another person to
wear his/her wedding band. Therefore, the OT and
Jewish tradition considered Torah only for Israel. If a
Gentile wished to keep Torah, he/she would first have
to become a Jew

The Noachian Laws For Gentiles
Since Torah was not for Gentiles, Gentiles could be
saved as Gentiles if they kept another set of laws
which were designed for Gentiles, namely, the
Noachian Commandments
However, if a Gentile wished to keep Torah he would
have to first become a Jew

Noachian Laws [Gen 9]
The Noachian laws were seven laws derived from
Genesis chapter nine. Jewish tradition held that they
were given to Noah and all mankind after the flood. If
the pious Gentile kept these laws (not Torah) they
would be saved in the final judgment.

Noachian Laws [Gen 9]
1. Do not worship idols
2. Do not blaspheme the name of God
3. Establish courts of justice
4. Do not kill
5. Do not commit adultery
6. Do not rob
7. Do not eat flesh cut from living animals

.
Note the Reflection of Noachian laws in Acts 15
The Jerusalem Counsel of Act 15, decided that
Gentiles needed not become Jews, i.e., it was not
necessary for them to come under Torah law

Circumcision
Note: Circumcision was not only a singular act; it was also a
representative act. It meant that the individual having been
circumcised, would come under Torah law or, had become a
Jew
 Thus, when the council rejected circumcision for the Gentiles,
it was saying Gentiles did not need to keep Torah. In other
words, Gentiles needed not become Jews in order to be apart of
the church
All of the above information is indispensible if one is to have an
adequate understanding of the New Testament teachings on

Group Two: Gentile Christians
These were non-Jews, who converted
to Christianity
They were considered anomos, i.e.,
without law
They were only required by Jews to
keep the Noachian laws

Gentile Christians
Traditionally, they needed to become Jews in order to
be considered part of the covenant community (Rom
2; Acts 15:1-5)
In the ancient world, one became a Jew by means of
circumcision, proselyte baptism, the offering of a
sacrifice in the temple and by observing the feast days
of the Old Testament. These were things which were
“distinctively” Jewish

.
As will be seen shortly, the clash in the early
Christian church that necessitated Paul’s teachings on
Justification by faith, was over the fate of the Gentile
believers.

Group Three: The Hellenists
These were Greek-speaking Jewish Christians,
(Acts 6:1). For example, Stephen, Paul, Barnabas.
Christianity for Hellenist Christianity was not a sect of
Judaism
The Hellenists brought Gentiles into the church
without first making them into Jews by
circumcision and Torah observance (Acts11:20)

Major Problem
 A Clash
Jewish
Christians
Hellenists
Christians
Gentiles

Justification by Faith Apart from Works of Law

.
Therefore, the background to Paul’s teaching on
justification by faith was the issue as to whether or
not Gentiles must first become Jews through Torah
observance in order to qualify as members of the new
covenant community, namely, the Christian church.
Paul responded to the problem using the teachings of
justification by faith of Jesus apart from works of law.

.
The Jewish Christians said “yes”, Gentiles must first
become Jews
Paul and other Hellenists said ‘NO,’ Gentiles needed
not become Jews
The battle lines were drawn

.
Note: Whenever passages concerning Justification by
Faith are mentioned in Paul, reference to Jews and
Gentiles always appear in the adjacent verses. See for
example, Rom 1:16-17; 3:28-29; Gal 1, 2, 3.

Excursis
Before we enter further into a clarification of Paul’s idea
of Justification by faith, his definition of sin must first
be
understood. This will help to clarify the discussion of
Paul’s teaching on the subject of Justification by faith

Paul & Sin
 All humans are sinners - Jews and Gentiles alike
(Rom 1-3)
Sin came upon all mankind through the one act of
Adam (Rom 5)

Sin: Paul’s Understanding
For Paul, sin is more than the transgression
of a law code
Sin is a condition
A state of being
A state of broken relationship with God


Sin: Paul’s Understanding
 Sins plural are as a result of Sin singular
Sin causes Sins
We sin because we are sinners, not in order to
become sinners
 Note carefully the function of sin- singular in the
following passages

Sin: A Power/Condition that Causes Wrong
Actions: Rom 7:7-25
But SIN seizing opportunity afforded by the
commandments, produced in me every kind
of covetous desire…I was alive apart from
the law; but when the commandments came
SIN sprang to life and I died… SIN
deceived me, and through the
commandments put me to death…[SIN] produced
death in me through what was good…

Sin: A Power/Condition
I am sold as a slave to SIN. I do not understand
what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but
what I hate, I do. And if I do what I do not want
to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no
longer I myself who do it, but it is SIN living in
me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is,
in my sinful nature...
Now, if I do what I do not want to do, it is no

longer I who do it, but it is SIN living in me
. . . what a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me
from this body of death.

Rom 6:12-14: Therefore do not let sin reign in
your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as
instruments of wickedness, but rather offer
yourselves to God, as those who have been
brought from death to life; and offer the parts of
your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
For sin shall not be your master, because you are
not under law, but under grace. (NIV)

Rom 5:12:Therefore, just as sin entered the world
through one man, and death through sin, and in this
way death came to all men, because all sinned (NIV)

Sin: Not Only Wrong Actions
Sin is not only wrong actions, but even good
actions in keeping with the Law can be sinful
Whatsoever [good or bad] that is not from faith [in
Jesus] is sin (Rom 14:23)
Note: Peter was in keeping with the OT law in Gal 2 when
he refused to eat with the Gentiles

See Matt 7:22, 23
 ---Prophesied…Cast out devils….many wonderful works
in your name…[but] I never knew you
Good actions done outside of a relationship with Jesus
can also equal sinful actions

John 16:9 ….Concerning sin because they do not
believe in me
See also, Matt 12:34,35; Mark 7:15-20
In the OT: Ps. 51:5 - I was born in iniquity and in sin
my mother conceived me.

Other NT Texts Collaborates
Thus, one can be in accordance with the law and still be
sinning; e.g., Peter, Martha; good performers at the last
judgment, Matt 7; etc.
One can also be out of line with the letter of the law and
not be sinning. See for example, Judges 5:11 (Jael); Hosea
2- (Hosea re Gomer); Ezk. 4:12-13 (Ezekiel re clean &
unclean); Josh 6:14-17 (Israel sent to war on Sabbath)

Sin Not Only Wrong Actions
Jesus pronounced “ . . . Sin because they do not believe in
me” John 16.9; see also 15.22,24
Again, Whatsoever [good or bad] that is not from faith
[in Jesus] is sin (Rom 14:23)

Our Sinful Condition
We are sinners not only because of our
wrong actions, but also by virtue of who we are. Even
when we are not doing wrong actions, we are still
sinners and stand guilty (Rom 5:12).
Because of our very complex and chronic sin
condition Paul affirms that God had to make the very
person of Jesus our righteousness. Thus Jesus himself
is the new covenant sign of the new elect people

Jesus: Our Justification
Thus Paul affirms that because we are sinners both by
acts and by state of being, nothing good that God is
accomplishing in us can qualify or justify us before
God
Our righteousness or justification has to be a reality
that God accomplished outside of us, namely, Jesus

Conclusion
Thus, background to Paul’s teachings of Justification by
Faith, was the Jew-Gentile issue in the early church.
Jewish Christians wanted Gentile to become Jews through
the keeping of the Torah and Hellenists like Paul, affirmed
that that was unnecessary. Reason, all mankind are sinners
in a chronic way and only what God accomplishes in Jesus
can stand as a symbol/reality of our righteousness before
God. Therefore, Torah laws has lost its special function of
being the identity marker of the chosen people. The sign
of the chosen people was now a person (Jesus), not a code
(Torah)

Paul described this new reality as Justification. He
consistently affirmed that a person is justified, i.e.,
accepted by God, soley by Jesus’ faithfulness apart
from human works of law (Rom 3:21-28; Gal 2:14-16,
21)

.
So whereas, for Jewish Christians the identity marker, the
badge of the chosen people was the law, for Paul and
other New Testament writers the identity marker, or the
badge of the elect people of God was now Jesus and his
Spirit. Jesus, not the Torah was the new Covenant sign.
As seen from the OT, righteousness always had to do with
a relationship. First, it was relationship mediated through
the Torah, but in the NT it is relationship mediated
through the person of Jesus.

.
x
Jews
Torah
Identity Marker God
Humanity
(Jews &Gentiles)
Jesus
New Identity
marker
God

Jesus Our Righteousness
Rom 3:28- For we maintain that a man is
justified by faith apart from works of law.
1 Cor 1:30, 31 - Christ Jesus … became for us wisdom…
righteousness (justification) sanctification and
redemption.

Jesus: Our Righteousness
Rom 3:21- 26: But now a righteousness from God
apart from law has been made known, to which the
law and the prophets testify. This righteousness
from God comes through the faith of Jesus Christ
to
all who believe…

There is no difference, for all have sinned and
continue to come short (usterountai) of the glory
of God, and are justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God
presented him as a mercy seat (hilasterion) through
faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his
justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins
committed beforehand unpunished- he did this to
demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to
be just and the one who justifies those who have faith
in Jesus…. for we maintain that a man is justified by
faith apart from works of law.

Gal 2:15,16…. know that a man is not justified by
observing the law, but through the faith of
Christ
So we too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that
we may be justified by the faith of Christ and not
by observing the law, because by observing the
law no one will be justified.

Gal 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have
been alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace.
2 Cor. 5:17-21 - Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation, the old has gone the new has come.
All this is from God who has reconciled us
to himself through Christ and has given us
the ministry of reconciliation: that is, God
was reconciling the world to himself in
Christ, not counting men’s sins against
them…

God made him who had no sin, to be sin
for us so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God (2Cor 5:21).

BELONGING TO CHRIST
If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s seed
and heirs according to the promise (Gal 3:28)
Those who are led by the spirit of God
are sons [children] of God (Rom 8:14).

BELONGING TO CHRIST
To all who receive him, to those who
believe in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God (John 1:14).

Jesus Our Righteousness
Therefore, Paul and the other New Testament writers
affirm that God made Jesus the righteousness of
mankind. Jesus’ perfect keeping of the law is accepted
as ours.

The Holy Spirit Represents Jesus
Note for example, how throughout the books of Acts
and also in the Pauline Epistles that entity that
identified the early Christians as being Christians was
the Holy Spirit. See Acts 2:1-28, 38; 6: 3-6; 8: 18-21;
9: 17, 18; 11:28; 13: 1-3; 15: 8, 9; 19: 1-7.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus, or Jesus’ other
self (Gal 4: 6; Rom 8: 9,11; Phil 1: 9)

Accepted because of Jesus
Because Jesus is humanity’s righteousness before God,
Paul affirmed that Jews who accepted Jesus were
justified and Gentiles who accepted Jesus were also
justified, that is, counted as righteous before God. The
decisive issue was now Jesus, not a law having to do
with Jesus. Righteousness was now determined in
relationship to the person of Jesus, not in relationship to
a code - Torah.

Our Righteousness is a Person(Exam)
X’
’’
HUMANITY
JESUS GOD

An Assurance of Salvation
Jesus as humanity’s righteousness gives the greatest
assurance of salvation
For the purpose of this discussion, let’s quantity
righteousness and make 100% righteousness, the
greatest amount of righteousness there is in the
universe

How much righteousness would God and Jesus
possess?
Answer: 100%
Apart from God how much righteousness would you
and I possess?
Answer: 0%

Jesus: The Perfect Righteousness of
God
0% 100% 100%
S
e
p
a
r
a
t
e
d
Humanity Jesus God

However, whenever we accept Jesus, his righteousness
becomes our righteousness. It therefore means that we
now have 100% righteousness before God. Indeed, we
now possess the righteousness of Jesus (Rom 1:16,17).
Note: This 100% righteousness is righteousness in terms
of a status or standing before God. It is not 100%
righteousness in terms of our achievement or
performance.

Having accepted Jesus, his full righteousness is now
given to us, and that which he has to give is only 100%.
His righteousness cannot be segmented because it is
resident in his very person and Jesus cannot be divided.
Therefore, either you have his 100% righteousness or
none at all. However, once you accept him, the Bible
teaches his 100% becomes yours (Rom 5:1; Gal 2:15,16;
Eph 2:6-8)

Complete in Christ (Col 2:10)
 X
You
100 %
Jesus
100 %
God
100 %

Complete in Christ
Again, in terms of behaviour (law-keeping) you are not
perfect, or sinless; but because you accept Jesus, you are
reckoned as perfect or 100% righteous while you are
growing in your perfection.
Heb 10:14: By one offering, he has perfected for all
times, those who are being sanctified [i.e., growing in
grace]

Complete in Christ
The righteousness of Jesus which you possess cannot be
improved upon by your law-keeping. It is an immortal
constant. It is Jesus himself and our law-keeping cannot
make Jesus, more Jesus. Put another way, we cannot
improve on the blood of Jesus. It is for this reason why
Paul consistently affirmed that a person is justified by the
faithfulness of Jesus apart from [our] works of law. Note,
the words apart from [our] works of law (Gal 2:15,16;
Rom 3:20-28)

Purpose of Law-Keeping
Our keeping of the law is therefore only a grateful
response and an appreciation of the fact that God has
given to us the 100% righteousness of Jesus. Jesus’
(righteousness) within us will empower us to live a
life of obedience, but never a life of obedience (law-
keeping) in order to be later seen as righteous before
God. The righteousness that qualifies us before God
will always remain a gift - the very person of Jesus.
Nothing that we do in response to that gift can make
Jesus Jesus, and again, he is our righteousness.

Justification: Based on Grounds
Outside of Us
Thus, we are not justified by what God is doing in us,
through the work of the Holy Spirit. We are justified by
what God has done outside of us, and for us, in Jesus on
the cross 2,000 years ago.
Note: we must always make the distinction between what
God has done for us in Jesus and what God is doing in us
through the Spirit

What God is Doing in us vs. What God Has Done
Outside of us in Jesus
IN US IN JESUS
Is imperfect
 Is in process
Tainted by sin
Not the basis of salvation
Is perfect
Completed on the cross 2,000
years ago
 Not tainted by sin
Is the basis of salvation

What God is Doing in us vs. What God has Done Outside
of us in Jesus
IN US IN JESUS
Is the means of acceptance of
salvation (law-keeping)
Is called “our faith in Jesus”
 Is like the reflection of the sun
Glorifies God in an imperfect
manner
Our faith in Jesus
Is the basis of achieving salvation
– Jesus himself
Called the faith(fulness) of Jesus
Is the sun itself
Glorifies God in a perfect manner
Is the faithfulness of Jesus

What God is Doing in us vs. What God has Done
What God is doing in us through the work of the Holy Spirit is
always in process. As long as we are in this mortal body, such work
will be incomplete, imperfect , and lacking. (Remember our sinful
condition discussed earlier). The work of the Spirit’s sanctification in
us will continue for a lifetime and a lifetime is until we die or
whenever Jesus returns. The sanctifying process, while it glorifies
God, is also a testimony that we are still falling short of God’s
perfect ideal. We are still sinners, hence the work needs to continue
as long as we live. For this reason, God accepts Jesus’ perfect
righteousness as ours. He accepts Jesus’ perfect keeping of the law as
ours. So once we accept Jesus, automatically, we gain a perfect law-
keeping record before God. So perfect is this record that all our
subsequent keeping of the law, even by the help of God Himself
cannot measure up to it. Why? Because it is the perfect law-keeping
of God himself as manifested in Jesus (Rom 1:16-17)…

While with the help of God we can be like God or Jesus, we
cannot become Jesus/God, even with their help. God is not
accepting a righteousness like that of Jesus (our performance
by the help of the Spirit) he accepts only the righteousness
which is Jesus himself, the real 100% righteousness. That is
why Jesus died on the cross, only there could God’s
righteousness be fully and perfectly manifested. While the
Jesus in us is a reflection of Jesus, it is not Jesus. We reflect the
sunlight, but we are not the sun. God accepts, not the reflection
[in us] as our righteousness, but the Son himself as our
righteousness

Now, if God and Jesus qualify to be in heaven with 100%
righteousness, then it means that when we accept Jesus, we
also qualify to be in heaven. God cannot ask us for more than
100% righteousness. He cannot ask us to be more righteous
than Jesus. It therefore means that the person who is in a
relationship with Jesus is saved. He qualifies for heaven to an
extent that cannot be improved upon. He has the righteousness
of Jesus credited to his account, and that is all that God can ask
of us. In fact, that is God’s method of salvation, not ours.

We Qualify
x
- Heaven
100 %
You
100 %
Jesus
100 %
God
100 %

THE IMPORTANCE OF LAW-KEEPING
Law keeping is very important
Important as a means of accepting salvation, not
as a means of achieving salvation (Gal 3)
We do not keep the law in order to be saved, we
keep the law because we are saved (Eph 2:6-10)
Our faith receives, Jesus’ faithfulness achieves

THE IMPORTANCE OF LAW-KEEPING
Keep law because you are in the boat, not in order to
get in the boat



ON THE BUS
If you are on bus travelling from Mandeville to Kingston,
(approximately 60 miles) while you are on the bus, you are on the
bus. There is nothing you can do to be on the bus while you are
already sitting on the bus. The things you do while being on the bus,
will not get you on the bus, you are already there. You will act
appropriately (law-keeping) because certain behaviors depict
passengers (saved persons), but again, nothing you can do, can
qualify you to get on or remain on the bus after boarding. As long as
the bus keeps on moving, you will eventually reach Kingston.
Because you are so grateful that you are not walking to Kingston,
you will behave as a respectable passenger (law-keeping).
Interestingly, the only means of getting on to the bus was by
accepting a free pass, you could not pay your fare.

Law-Keeping Glorifies God
Matt 5: 16: Let your light so shine before men so that
they may see your good works and glorify your father
who is in heaven
Our keeping of the law is to glorify God. Not to
qualify us for salvation. God is glorified that a sinner
like you and me can boast of salvation, and be
endowed with the Spirit of God to live an obedient
glorified life (Eph. 2:8-9- having been saved, we are
now God’s workmanship created for good works)

Law-Keeping Glorifies God
We do not keep the law to be justified in the first
place, neither do we keep the law to maintain our
justification. Our justified status is maintained by
the free grace of God (Gal 2:14-16;5:4).
Jesus is our justification and we cannot maintain
Jesus as Jesus. (You do not sit in the sunlight in order
to keep the sun in the sky).

ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED?
Answer: NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!
Unless one remains in Jesus, then one would have let
go of the saved status
 One would then acquire a lost status

ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED?
While being on the bus you can stop the bus and get
off. However, the fact that you can stop the bus and
get off does not mean that you are not on the bus.
You should not doubt the fact that you are on the bus
while you are sitting on the bus. While you are in
Jesus you are saved.

Always Saved While Being in Jesus

 SAVED End

very end
Outside=Lost Inside = Saved

.
NO HOP-IN AND HOP-OUT OF SALVATION
WHILE BEING IN JESUS

NO HOP-IN AND HOP-OUT OF SALVATION
The idea of being saved today, lost tomorrow, then
saved the next day and again lost the next day, etc., is
not biblical
We are not saved on every act of repentance then lost
the next minute on an act of sin. This method is hinging
salvation on law-keeping
In the Biblical method, salvation based on PERSON
KEEPING not LAW-KEEPING, i.e., a relationship with a
person –Jesus Christ

While being on the bus to Kingston, you may attempt to walk
from the back of the bus to the front of the bus and may
stumble or even fall in the process. However, you would have
fallen inside the bus. The bus continues to move and you are
still on your way to Kingston (saved status). There is a big
difference between stumbling (sinning) while being in the bus
and falling while being outside of the bus. You do not lose your
passenger status because you stumble while being in the bus.
You can only lose it if you decide to stop the bus and get off.
The person who is in Jesus will make mistakes while being in
Jesus (Rom 7), however, “There is therefore now no
condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).”

You certainly do not lose your salvation on every act of sin
and regains it on every act of repentance. Such would be
salvation by works. It would be tantamount to a married
person divorcing each time there is a disagreement and
remarrying each time there is a make-up. The deeper
anchorage of the marriage is relationship with the other
person, not mistakes made while being in the relationship.
The trend of our lives is the bottom line.
Again, we do not hop-in-and out of salvation while being
in Jesus. There is no such thing as being saved today, lost
tomorrow, saved the next day, lost the next day, etc.

While the person who is in Christ is growing in
grace, such an individual is considered saved to
an extent that none of his/her growth in grace
can cause him/her to become more saved. Before
we begin to keep the law, Jesus kept it perfectly
for us (Rom 5:17-19). Thus, our keeping of the law
can only be a grateful response to salvation,
never a means of qualifying for salvation.

Heb 10:14: By one offering he has perfected for all times,
those who are being sanctified [i.e., growing in grace]

No Condemnation to Those Who are in Christ
Jesus (Rom 8:1)
Not sinless but still
tending toward Jesus

That Which is to Come is Already Present
It is for this reason that the New Testament affirms that
the key realities of salvation which are to be fully
consummated in heaven are already possessed in principle
by the person who has accepted Jesus - Jews and Gentile
alike. In other words, although upon earth, legally, the
Christian is already in heaven. S/he is already saved (Eph.
2:6)

That Which is to Come is Already Present
Salvation-now Eph 2:8
Justification-now Rom 5:1; 3:21-28
Redemption-now Col 1:14; Eph 1:7
Reconciliation-now Col 1:1-21; Rom 5:8-10

That Which is to Come Already Present
Sealed-now Eph 1:13,14;
Eph. 4:30
Adopted into Heaven’s family-now Eph 1:4,5
Glorified-now Rom 8:30
Citizenship in Heaven-now Phil
3:20
Eternal Life-now John 3:16-18;
3:36;
5:24

Rom 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Thank God through Jesus Christ I stand
saved, ready for eternity, I am not getting ready for
heaven, I am staying ready.

Justification by faith

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais procurados

Mais procurados (20)

Destaque

Destaque (15)

Semelhante a Justification by faith

Semelhante a Justification by faith (13)

Último

Último (20)

Justification by faith