Justified by Grace

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it - the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Romans 3:21-25 ESV).

This is good news for bad people (see Romans 1:15; 3:12). For those of us who are humbled before God; knowing we are sinful, having a heart that goes astray, utterly worthless as far as doing any good, helpless, hopeless, spiritually lifeless; for such there is good news! "The righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law." This righteousness is God's righteousness. It is given to those who believe. I like the way the KJV says it, "unto all and upon all them that believe."

For those who are righteousness-less, there is a righteousness freely given unto and upon all who believe the gospel. It is a gift. The gift is a right standing before God, justification, forgiveness and peace with God. It is given "unto" those who believe, and it is given "upon" those who believe. We have received a righteousness from God by faith in Christ, and it is put upon us by Him.

It says this is all "by his grace as a gift." Justified by his grace. Not by our grace. Not by anything in us or done by us. It is a justification by His grace for all who believe. How is that possible? The answer is, "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." God made it possible to count a sinful, hell-deserving, unholy, wretch like me perfectly righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. It is possible, because Jesus suffered and died as a propitiatory sacrifice for those who believe.

Jesus is precious to me! Is He precious to you? Are you justified by His grace?

"Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible."

From my personal study notes - Romans 1:17

Rom 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." (ESV)

The revelation of the righteousness of God is important to note. God is righteous and just, yet because of all the injustice and evil in the world, some conclude that He is not. It is in the gospel that God's righeousness is being revealed from faith to faith. That is, His righteousness is revealed to those who believe, and it continues to be revealed to believers in the gospel.

Not only that, but believers live by faith through the righteousness of God. God's righteousness is received as a gift by faith (Romans 3:22,24;5:17). The believer also lives as a righteous person before God (Romans 5:19,21), because God's righteousness is imputed to him or her by their faith or trust in Him (Romans 4:5). The only way for a sinful person to be made righteous before God, Pual tells us, is by faith alone in this gospel for which there is no reason to be ashamed (Romans 1:16).

No Condemnation - Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 ESV

(Some manuscripts add the end of verse 4 after this: "who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.")

It literally says from Greek: "None therefore now sentence of condemnation them in Christ Jesus", which could be translated, 

"Therefore, there is now no sentence of condemnation* for those in Christ Jesus."

*The word for condemnation (katakrima G2631) is legal and means to be judicially sentenced to condemnation, to receive the death penalty.

The word "therefore" indicates a conclusion drawn from what has already been taught in all the chapters before this, specifically that one is justified by faith in Christ Jesus apart from works of the law (Rom 3:28).

A man or woman who is united to Christ by faith is freely forgiven of all sin (Rom. 4:7-8), freely granted the perfect righteousness of God as a gift (Rom. 3:22,24; 4:5-6,24), and therefore it must be concluded that there cannot be any condemnation for them.

It is impossible to condemn one whom God has justified (Rom 8:33), and all who are united to Christ Jesus by faith (resulting in obedience from the heart) are completley justified and totally free from all condemnation (see Acts 13:39).

Praise be to our wonderful God!

Picture by Lee Tomassetti, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Justified by Works or Faith?

"So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace." (Romans 11:5-6).

What part of the above verse leaves any room for adding works to our salvation?

However, a lot of people insist that because James 2:14-26 says "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24), that it means we are not justified by faith alone before God. Is that what James is actually saying?

On the surface it may appear that James is teaching something he is not. Context is always key. When James speaks of being justified, he could be using this term differently than when Paul uses it. Just check the Biblical uses in context of the word justified. You will see that there are many different ways that word is used in Scripture.

Some people see this as a contradiction. They claim that James and Paul contradict each other, as any unbeliever would be delighted to point out. But from the perspective of the Bible, this cannot be true, since there are valid explanations of this difference within the Bible itself.

We need to recognize the Bible teaches that the very same faith which works, as well as the power in the new birth in order to work, are both given by the Father of heavenly lights (James 1:17-18). The fact that faith, as well as every other "good gift" named in the Bible comes as a gift from God, is very plain in Scripture. It is stated also in Ephesians 2:8, where we are told that the faith by which we are saved, is the gift of God.

James seems to be proving from the examples of Abraham and Rahab that they were justified in their claim to have faith by the works they performed in faith. I draw this conclusion from the words James used in James 2:18, when he speaks of showing his faith by his works. In other words, "I will justify myself as having real and living faith, by my works." James is contrasting the dead faith without works with that which justifies.

So in the teaching of James, a man is justified as having living (not dead) faith by his works. He does not say that a man (or woman, as in Rahab) is justified as perfectly righteous before a Holy God by works. Rather, he seems to be reasoning that the person God justifies shows or proves it by their works. This is called being justified, since a person is justified as having faith by the works they perform. We see this same concept repeated in Hebrews 11, where many more examples are given.

I recently argued over this with someone, who still does not agree with me. However, I believe we can conclude confidently what Paul says in Romans chapter 3:

"Therefore, we conclude a man to be justified by faith without works of Law." (Romans 3:28).

No Condemnation! Study Note on Romans 8:1

(Note: in Romans chapter 8, verse 1 must be read in context with the rest of the chapter to get the best and fullest understanding of the great doctrine of the believer's assurance in Christ. We have assurance of salvation, only as long as we are both in Christ and walking in the Spirit. - see Romans 8:1-10)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 ESV).

It literally says in Greek something like this, "None therefore now sentence of condemnation those in Christ Jesus", which could be translated, "Therefore, there is now no sentence of condemnation* for those in Christ Jesus."

*The word for condemnation (katakrima G2631) is a legal term and means to be judicially sentenced to condemnation.

The word "therefore" indicates a conclusion drawn from what has already previously been explained, specifically, that one is justified by faith in Christ Jesus apart from works of the law (Rom 3:28). If a man or woman who is united to Christ by faith is freely forgiven of all sin (Rom 4:7-8), as well as freely granted the perfect righteousness of God as a gift (Rom 3:21,24), it must be concluded then that there cannot be any condemnation for them. It is not possible to condemn anyone whom God has justified (Rom 8:33), and all who are united to Christ Jesus by faith (trusting faith resulting in obedience from the heart) are completely justified and therefore free from condemnation. "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:39). Praise be to our wonderful God!

In Hope He Believed Against Hope

Abraham was a 'hopeless case.' He was almost 100 years old, and his wife was only ten years younger than he (Romans 4:19), and God had promised them a child who would generate the greatest nations on earth (4:17). Abraham's offspring was to be heir of the world (4:13). But Abraham and Sarah were "as good as dead" (4:19). He could not produce seed, and her womb was dead and barren. Sarah couldn't help but laugh at the thought of having a child (See Genesis 18:9-15). Yet God had said, "I have made you the father of many nations," and "So shall your offspring be." (Romans 4:17,18). So God promised, and that settled it for Abraham.

"He did not weaken in faith when he considered the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." (Romans 4:19-21 ESV, emphasis added).

Abraham believed in God's word. God said it, and so it was to be - 'amen' in Hebrew. "That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." (4:22). "In hope he believed against hope." He believed in God who raises the dead and calls things into existence out of nothing (4:16). (Yes, God does those things, just look at His creation and see all that came into being when there was nothing to start with). YAHWEH is a miraculous God, who makes impossibilities possible. "Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts." (Psalm 145:2-3).

"But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:23-25). What was counted to him? It was the righteousness that comes by faith apart from works of the law (Rom. 3:22,28). It is a free gift. "For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be garunteed to all his offspring." (Rom. 4:15-16a). Abraham was not a righteous man, he was a sinful man. But by faith in the promise of God (faith in Christ), he was counted to be righteous. We are guilty under the law, fully deserving the wrath that it brings. But by faith in him who raised Christ our Lord from the dead, we also will be counted righteous in Him! Wow! Amazing! Awesome! I can't find the right words to describe the joy that comes with this blessedness (4:6-8).

That is why it says, "To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (Revelation 1:5-6). Amen!

Justified by Grace

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it - the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Romans 3:21-25 ESV).

This is good news for bad people (see Romans 1:15; 3:12). For those of us who are humbled before God; knowing we are sinful, having a heart that goes astray, utterly worthless as far as doing any good, helpless, hopeless, spiritually lifeless; for such there is good news! "The righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law." This righteousness is God's righteousness. It is given to those who believe. I like the way the KJV says it, "unto all and upon all them that believe."

For those who are righteousness-less, there is a righteousness freely given unto and upon all who believe the gospel. It is a gift. The gift is a right standing before God, justification, forgiveness and peace with God. It is given "unto" those who believe, and it is given "upon" those who believe. We have received a righteousness from God by faith in Christ, and it is put upon us by Him.

It says this is all "by his grace as a gift." Justified by his grace. Not by our grace. Not by anything in us or done by us. It is a justification by His grace for all who believe. How is that possible? The answer is, "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." God made it possible to count a sinful, hell-deserving, unholy, wretch like me perfectly righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. It is possible, because Jesus suffered and died as a propitiatory sacrifice for those who believe.

Jesus is precious to me! Is He precious to you? Are you justified by His grace?

"Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible."