Genesis 15:1-6 & Romans 4:3-5
Some while ago, I ask the RBs of various continents a simple question about two passages of the Holy Scriptures in light of the 1689 CoF... but no one is willing to reply yet. Read it and pass it on to your RB friends and their pastors and teachers.
sing
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subject: Gen 15:1-6, Romans 4:3-5 and 1689.11.1
Genesis 15:
1 ¶ After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
2 ¶ And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he believed in the LORD; and he [the LORD] counted it [Abraham's act of believing] to him [Abraham] for righteousness.
Comments:
This passage speaks of the LORD imputing/accounting Abraham's faith to Abraham.
This passage speaks of the IMPUTATION OF FAITH, the act of believing.
This passage DOES NOT speak of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.
This is quite obvious. But would you agree?
Romans 4:
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith [act of believing] is counted for righteousness.
Comments:
This passage speaks of the LORD - that justifies the ungodly - imputing/accounting the believer's faith to the believer. This passage speaks of the IMPUTATION OF FAITH, the act of believing.
This passage DOES NOT speak of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the ungodly
This is quite obvious. But would you agree?
1689 Chapter 11 on Justification says,
Those whom God effectually calleth, He also freely justifieth,(1) not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous;(2) not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone;(3) NOT BY imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in His death for their whole and sole righteousness,(4) they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith, which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift of God.(5)
The Framers emphatically state that the Justification at effectual calling DOES NOT INVOLVE the imputation of faith, the act of believing.
IMPUTATION OF BELIEVER'S FAITH to a believer is very remotely justification.
IMPUTATION OF CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS to a condemned guilty ungodly man - by virtue of Christ's active and passive obedience - IS JUSTIFICATION.
The essence of Justification is declaring a guilty condemned criminal not guilty but righteous by the imputation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Genesis 15 and Romans 4 passages speak of the imputation of the believer's faith to the believer. They say nothing of the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the ungodly.
My questions:
Why do the Reformed folks (and the Arminian as well!) ALWAYS read those two passages as speaking of the justification of guilty condemned sinner before God?
If Gen 15 is speaking of Abraham's justification before God, then Abraham would necessarily be an UN-justified UNGODLY man in Gen 12-14. But was Abraham an unjustified ungodly man in Gen 12-14?
Is Gen 15 speaking of Abraham's justification by God?
God justifies the UNGODLY. How does God justify the UNGODLY?
Faith justifies the BELIEVER. How does faith justify the BELIEVER?
Tell me your consider judgment. No reformed shibboleth please ;-))
desiring to learn,
sing
singpenang@gmail.com
Things New and Old
Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.
Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.
Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.
There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.
Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.
Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.
There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.
