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'Sola fidei' is no gospel - but a treacherous and scandalous counterfeit
Alas, alas, what treacherous substitution and scandalous usurpation!
Is it just semantics, vain argument over words?
Your faith in Christ, and the faith of Christ - are they just semantics, or do they touch the very heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Very many reformed men contemptuously dismiss them as just mere semantics, resorting to Greek, and theological juggling and somersaults.
And worst still, they start kicking KJV like they kick a can on the road because KJV distinctly distinguishes the two.
Let us consider the first passage, Rom 3:22. What is the passage saying in its context?
Rom 3 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. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 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: 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:
Lets lay down some basic and self evident truth:
1. Sin is transgression of the law
- Sins bring condemnation of death, Rom 5:12.- Righteousness brings justification of life, Rom 5:18.
2. Justification is the reversal of condemnation
- Justification in God's sight requires righteousness.- Righteousness requires perfect obedience to all the laws of God.
- This righteousness is either by a man's own perfect obedience to the whole law of God, OR by Christ's perfect obedience to the whole law of God.
- No man can obtain the needed righteousness through his own obedience to the law, for "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight."
- This righteousness of God's own provision is by the faithfulness/fidelity of Christ's obedience to the whole law.
- Righteousness is needed for the justification of a man in his native state of condemnation and death. Sins bring condemnation of death, Rom 5:12. Righteousness brings justification of life, Rom 5:18.
- This righteousness provided by God ALONE is by the faithfulness of Christ ALONE in keeping the whole law of God perfectly, Christ's work of redemption.
That is the exact meaning of: "EVEN the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ." It is the exact equivalent of "the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" said in the next verse.
Put the two side by side:
"... the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ..." - God's provision of righteousness for the justification of His people; and
"... Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus..." - the basis of God justifying freely those under the condemnation of death is based solely upon the righteousness of Christ, even the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.
Faith in Christ is NOT in the equation of a man's justification before God. Faith in Christ is an effect of a man's justification before God by His free grace alone based solely on the faith of Christ.
The righteousness of God's provision for the justification of a condemned dead man is NOT NOT NOT by man's faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ is NOT NOT NOT the righteousness that is needed in the justification of a condemned man before God.
It is Christ's faithfulness in rendering perfect obedience to the law that is needed, and this righteousness is of God's own provision, by the faith of Christ.
Therefore 'the faith of Christ' and 'your faith in Christ' are very different.
Biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology!
The former is the good news of God providing righteousness by Christ's faithfulness in rendering perfect obedience to the whole law for your justification by His free grace; the latter is your justification by your act of believing in Christ!
4. Two different gospels. No mere semantics!
Man's faith is NOT in the equation of his justification in the sight of God - " Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." It is FREELY... i.e. everything in man and by man are excluded.Man's faith MANIFESTS that God has FREELY justified him - "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."
"All have sinned..." and fell under the condemnation of death. Such has no possibility of believing UNTIL justification of life by the faith of Christ has been applied freely by God's grace.
"All them that believe" - all the believing ones DO SO because the righteousness of God's own provision by the faith(fulness) of Christ has been applied to them personally, freely by His grace alone; justification of life has been applied to them to remove the condemnation of death!
It is that elementary... but the wise and prudent in their own eyes are blinded to it.
It is a treacherous and scandalous usurpation - the mildest adjectives I can think of - to replace "the faith OF Christ" with "man's faith in Christ" as the ground or basis of justification in that Rom 3 passage!
Rom 3 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. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 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: 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:
