It Starts and Ends with Faith

It is through faith  that God pardons us of our sin. The bible tells of this wonderful truth in many words and expressions. One of these biblical expressions is "Justified by Faith". It means; God counts a person to be just and right before him through faith in Jesus Christ. The simple idea of faith alone saving anyone has confounded most and has been rejected by the rest. The purpose of this blog is for  Gospel Clarity and so we must be clear in knowing that justification by faith is the foundation by which the church stands and eternal life is received. 

Justification by faith apart from works of the law is one of the most devoted biblical doctrines of the Apostle Paul. This doctrine drips from his pen onto the pages of the bible.

 “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” Romans 3:27-30

Paul teaches we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone and not of any works. Paul explains it shall be alone by faith.

“What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 for if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works” Romans 4:4-6

Abraham was not justified by any work he did but by faith. The scripture says he believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. God has not changed his plan of salvation from one generation to the next. His plan of redemption has been the same since the foundation of the world. God redeems man to himself by Grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Consider Romans 4:16

“That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, Romans 4:16

Here Paul is saying that our justification must be according to grace and therefore it must be by faith and not works because a work is not according to grace but according to is owed to someone. Paul wrote these things for our benefit that we might know the glorious news of being reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

” fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also.24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, Romans 4:21-24

” Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2

Jonathan Edwards says: To be justified is to be approved by God as a proper subject of pardon, with a right to eternal life; and therefore, when it says that we are justified by faith, what else can be understood by it, than that it is faith  by which we are rendered approvable as proper subjects of this benefit?