JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
The doctrine of justification by
faith is the central doctrine in the gospel of grace and it is worth being
discussed alone. The magnificence of the grace of God in redeeming humanity is
the fact that it portrays the sovereign works of God in redemption. When God
made the heaven and the earth, the book of Genesis does not record anywhere
that any other person helped Him. Even when man fell, God was the one who took
the initiative to restore man by prophesying of man’s future redemption (Genesis
3:15) and then even took steps to paint a picture of this redemption by killing
an animal and clothing Adam and Eve(Genesis 3:21). In the same way, when God
shall redeem fallen man through Jesus Christ, He shall be doing it in spite of
anyone’s effort. All that will be required to partake of this blessing is
faith. Justification, in lay man’s parlance, is the process of being made just
before God, and we would be discussing how this comes about by faith alone in
this essay.
The Righteousness of God and the Sinfulness of Man
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein
is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith –
Romans 1:16-17
The book of Romans, chapters one to
eleven, is the central biblical text that teaches justification by faith. The
scripture above shows us that there is a concept called the righteousness of
God. From other biblical texts we understand this better as God being
absolutely holy, perfect, good, upright, unblemished, and full of love. The
bible reveals this righteous attributes of God and shows us that for human
beings to relate with God and live with Him for all of eternity, we must be
holy as God is holy: we must be like God (Leviticus 20:26; 1Peter 1:16).
Therein lays the trouble because the same book of Romans describes man to us:
As it is written, There
is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth,
there is none that seeketh after God. They
are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there
is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their
tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the
way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes
– Romans 3:10 -18
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| The State of a Sinner |
To suggest that this is the same man
who would live with a holy God for all eternity is to state the unthinkable.
Man is simply doomed and condemned to eternal damnation. But …
Justification without the Deeds of the Law (Expose on Romans 3: 19-31)
19 Now we know
that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the
law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
This is the truth: whichever way we
slice it, all the world lays guilty before a holy God. God gave the laws to the
Jews but showed them that it was bound to be broken when Moses shattered the
tablet of stones on which the ten commandments had been written with the finger
of God, on his way to presenting it to Israel. So, the Jews, who considered
themselves the holy people of God in Paul’s days, were as sinful before God as
the “lawless” gentiles (Romans 2:23). This logic applies to Christians also who,
sometimes, flaunt their self righteousness, thinking that as long as “we are
serving God” or “ doing good” or “living holy” or “living right”, we have God’s
approval. This is not so. The verdict of scriptures is that whatever standard
of right that comes through human effort still condemns man to guilt before an
absolutely holy God (Isaiah 64:6).
20 Therefore by
the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for
by the law is the knowledge of
sin.
Adherence to the law, obeying the
precepts of the law, legalism, or obedience to divine precepts will not make
anyone just before God. This is where Christianity departs from every religion
of the world. While other religions seek divine favor by obeying prescribed
laws in some holy books, the bible here shows us that no one will be made right
in God’s sight by obeying laws: either God’s own laws given through Moses or
other so called divine laws that men have made up to appease some gods.
The reason why the law was given was
not for men to be right with God but for men to see their utter depravity and
their need for deliverance from sin. The law came to show us what sin is and
our inability to be saved from it. Scripture declares that the law was not made
for the righteous but for sinners (1Timothy 1:9).
21 But now the
righteousness of God without the law
is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Halleluyah!!!
We began this discuss by putting the
righteousness of God in contrast to the sinfulness of man. We saw that God is
absolutely holy, perfect, good, just and love; while man is the opposite. We
then saw that God’s laws even made man’s situation worse by showing man his
utter depravity but God does not leave man in his despair. The above verse
shows us that the righteousness of God has been manifested to men and that this
righteousness does not come by the way of adhering to laws. In fact it could
not come by that way because man has shown from the time of Moses that he could
not keep those laws. This righteousness of God is without the law (KJV); this righteousness is apart from the law (NIV); this righteousness is independent of the law (Amplified). Thus
we have it in black and white: God’s own righteousness is manifested to the
whole world and it is not depending on the laws of Moses or any law for that
matter. Praise the Lord!
And this righteousness is not the
making of Paul the apostle; the Old Testament – the law and the prophets –
spoke of its coming.
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
The wonderful righteousness of God
that had been described above, albeit with finite and inadequate words, is here
presented to all men if they will only dare to believe. John 3:16 tells us that
whosoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life – the very words of Jesus
Christ Himself. The greatest blessing of God to sinful humanity is revealed
little by little in these scriptures: that man can partake of the righteousness
of God, not by keeping laws or doing works, including laws that God Himself
gave the nation of Israel through Moses, but simply by placing faith in His son
Jesus Christ. It sounds too simple to be true!
23 For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Let us take note of some words in the
above verse. This justification cannot be purchased; it cannot be bought; it
cannot be worked for; it is free – free of charge. It reminds one of a song in
the 90’s “The best things in life are free…” Indeed the best thing in
this life – the salvation of our souls – is free. But truth is, nothing is free
in life; everything that appears free has been paid for. Jesus Christ paid for
our salvation by redeeming us from what some call “the slave market of sin”.
This justification we are speaking about is actually by grace; that is, it is
given to us. The means of receiving it is however by faith.
25 Whom God hath
set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his
blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God;
Propitiation is translated “sacrifice
of atonement” in the New International Version (NIV) bible. We understand this
better when we look up the Levithical order’s set up to atone for the sins of
the Israelites by sacrificing a lamb or some other animal for the remission of
the sins of the people.
We see here that Jesus’ blood and sacrifice on the
cross is God judging the sins of the whole world, and putting them on Jesus,
and our Lord paid for the penalty of all men’s sins (1John 2:2). The full
benefit of this propitiation, however, will come to a man only as he puts faith
in what Jesus did on the cross and trusting in that blood to cleanse him from
all his sins. Now we understand better the words of the angel in Matthew 1:21
when he said to Joseph that Jesus’ mission on earth was to save men from their
sins.
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| Jesus' death on a Roman Cross to secure salvation for all Men |
26 To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which
believeth in Jesus.
God is just and he is a justifier.
God is just means he is fair. His justice will not overlook sin and thus he
must punish it. He however sent his son to pay the full penalty for sin by His
sufferings on a Roman cross and with this done, He can be fair to justify
anyone who places active faith in the done work of the cross. This way God can
be both just and be a justifier.
27 Where is
boasting then? It is excluded. By
what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith
Any man who earns his right standing by
keeping the laws of Moses or by adhering to some system of works that bestows a
form of goodness on him has every right to boast. He may say he is doing all of
it by the grace of God but his boast is still indirectly in his efforts. But
the one who is simply forgiven and did nothing to earn this forgiveness, but
simply believed in Christ cannot boast of anything. His boast will rest on what
Jesus has done on the cross. This was clearly exemplified in the ministry of
Jesus when he told his followers that he that is forgiven much loves much but
he that is forgiven little loves little (Luke 7:47). This is the difference
between the prodigal son and his elder brother. While the former felt he should
be treated as a servant at best but ended up being treated as a precious son;
the latter felt he should be treated as a royal son but felt despised. The
prodigal son definitely understood the grace of God that saves sinners and could
not boast of anything.
What religion does in the hearts of
men is to give them a reason to boast in their accomplishments. What the grace
of God does is that it makes us appreciate our continual indebtedness to God’s
mercies. That feeling of inadequacy, inability to boast and deep indebtedness
is not something that is meant to come and go at the time of conversion. No. It
is the way God wants us to live all of our lives till we meet Him in heaven.
For example, there are those who think they can make heaven. As long as there
is something in an individual that makes him feel he can make heaven, he would never
appreciate this grace we are discussing about here. He would always have a
reason to boast. If however, you understand that heaven is made for you, and
you cannot make it but rely wholly and solely on the cross of Jesus to make it,
you would have no course to boast but to glory in Jesus’ cross both now and in
eternity.
28 Therefore we
conclude that a man is justified by
faith without the deeds of the law.
This is the conclusion of the matter:
justification by faith.
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| Jesus gives true Freedom |
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles
also: 30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith,
and uncircumcision through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through
faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law
I understand
that many people make a great deal out of verse 31; they justify the position
of works making men right before God by saying that even Paul said we are to establish
the law. They also go further by quoting Jesus in Matthew 5: 17: Think
not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least
commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the
kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great
in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I
say unto you, That except your
righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter
into the kingdom of heaven.
When Paul spoke about establishing the
law, he was only re-echoing Jesus’ words about fulfilling the law. Jesus came
to fulfill the law and he fulfilled it perfectly. Our Lord’s sacrifice on the
cross was accepted by God because He was sinless in his thirty-three year
sojourn on earth and thus could present Himself as a perfect offering to God.
Jesus obeyed and fulfilled the law and thus there is no need to keep the law
anymore: it is null and void (Hebrew 8:13). The righteousness that Jesus spoke
about that must exceed that of the Pharisees is the righteousness Paul spoke
about in Romans 3: The Righteousness of God, which is bequeathed to anyone who
believes in Jesus. The Pharisee obtained their righteousness by keeping the
law, however imperfectly. We obtain our righteousness by believing in Jesus only.
Paul could not have argued against
the law extensively in Romans 3 – stating that our righteousness must now be
obtained by faith and then backtrack to say that we must keep the law to obtain
righteousness. That will be doing injustice to basic logic. God had a reason
for given the law. He wanted a holy people (1Peter 2:9). Today God has his holy
people, who have come to place faith in Jesus. This people are holy by the
grace of God and thus have established the laws of God.
To be continued…
