Sonship and Discipleship

I fathered him myself... please nurse and cherish him tenderly!

https://www.facebook.com/notes/10217727709799974/

 How does one become a child of God?
How does one become a Christian?

Do you know the difference? Please tell us.

The question: how does one become a child of God presuppose a new birth from above or brought into being or existence as a child of God.

And what did you do in the divine act of being brought into being as a child of God by God?
Dis any man aid God in His act of bringing you into being as a child of God?

What did you do in the process of being brought into being by your parents?

The question 'How does one become a Christian' presupposes the activities of hearing and understanding and believing the truths concerning the person and works of Jesus Christ, and the desire to follow and obey Him by identifying with him publicly through water baptism.

And who can perform and desire such SPIRITUAL activities? Is it those who are still in their native state of sins and death, or those whom God has made His children?

I firmly believe that you would agree that only a person with SPIRITUAL LIFE can perform those spiritual activities. I take it as a fundamental axiom that life must precede the activities of that life. Christ declared this fundamental truth in John 3:3,5... 'Except a man be born again he CANNOT see... CANNOT enter the kingdom of God.'

Any parent will tell you that they bring their children into BEING without them doing anything.... and it is a long while later that their children consciously know and acknowledge their parents.

Birth precedes conscious recognition of parents in the natural realm.

Regeneration precedes (logically and chronologically) conversion to Christ in the spiritual realm. Regeneration does not guarantee conversion because not every child of God has the opportunity or the ability to hear and believe the gospel of their salvation by God's free grace. Conversion to the truth of the gospel of Christ requires the gospel ministry.

May our Lord bless our study together. Good night.

Any questions are welcome.

Charles

all this appeals to reason...it makes sense it lacks the deeper spiritual, mystical elements - LOL

Sing F Lau

'Come now, and let us REASON together,' saith the LORD.

Ac 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days REASONed with them out of the scriptures.

Ac 18:4 And he REASONed in the synagogue every sabbath, and ...persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

Ac 18:19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and REASONed with the Jews.

Ac 24:25 And as he REASONed of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

The Lord made man rational creatures, and treats and deals with His people as rational creatures, not mindless and brainless idiots, and some preachers would!

Carl Jon Garanzo Joven

question brother sing, is the gospel effects only to the regenerated person? or spiritual man? is it useless if we preach the gospel to a person who is not spiritual?

Sing F Lau

Brother Carl Jon Garanzo Joven, thank you very much for your question. Understanding this issue is crucial to your understanding of the purpose of the gospel ministry.

The gospel ministry is appointed by God for the NOURISHMENT of His children, those that are born OF God, regenerated by His Spirit and given eternal life by Christ Jesus.

In all practical reality, we DO NOT know whether the person to whom we are preaching the gospel is a regenerated person or a person still dead in trespasses and sins. So, whenever God gives us the opportunity, we are to preach the gospel to whosoever will hear. If there are God's children (regenerated elect) among our hearers, they may hear and believe the gospel, the good news of their salvation by God's free grace in Jesus Christ.

But we don't need to know whether the person to whom we are preaching the gospel in order to conclude that the preaching of the gospel is of no use to one who is dead in trespasses and sins. The Scriptures already tell us in the plainest manner that the gospel is foolishness to such, that such cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, that such cannot discern spiritual things.

We know that food is useful to the living ONLY. We know that food is USELESS to the dead.

Do you remember Jesus' command to the apostle Peter?

"FEED my sheep... FEED lambs... FEED my sheep."

The gospel ministry is FEEDING God's children.

The gospel - the good news of God's work of salvation in Jesus Christ, and applied to individual sinners by the Spirit - is ONLY true of the regenerate, and they are called to believe the truth.

I hope you understand what I have said above.

Please feel free to ask. I'm very delighted that you are asking.

Preaching is never meant to regenerate those dead in trespasses and sins. That a doctrine of the devil that undermines the gospel of grace.

Jerry Chapin

Great Biblical answer, Bro. Sing...

Carl Jon Garanzo Joven

thanks, brother, another question....Jesus commanded the disciples not to go into the way of the Gentiles but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel(Matt. 10:5) and in Matthew 15:24 Jesus said I am not sent but unto the LOST SHEEP of the house of Israel... and He said it is not meet to take the children"s bread and to cast it to dogs. and the Canaanite woman(gentile) said Truth Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master"s table. we are not Jews, can we be called SHEEP or DOGS?

Sing F Lau

Carl Jon Garanzo Joven, that's another good question.

In the outworking of God's redemptive purpose, the gospel ministry was restricted to the lost sheep of Israel initially.

But after the Lord Jesus was glorified, the gospel was also sent to the Gentiles, especially after the appointment of Apostle Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles.

Apostle Paul said, "... to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile" in Rom 1:16, 2:9,10. Joh 4:22 "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews."

Jesus said, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." Joh 10:16.

Christ has other sheep that are OUTSIDE of the Jewish fold, he has His sheep among the Gentiles too.

Re 5:9 "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." NOT JUST THE JEWS!!! But also gentiles of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation!!! The Lord's sheep are found in every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation!!!

All the elect of God given to Jesus Christ are His sheep.

Though the Gentiles were looked upon as dogs, yet the same Master showed mercy.

Ga 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

Carl Jon Garanzo Joven

wow...thank you, brother, good answer with proof text.

Sing F Lau

Brother Carl Jon Garanzo Joven, how is your study with Brother Arnie. He said he is going through some material with you and Mark Ian. I hope you will learn well and be grounded firmly in the gospel of grace.

A lot of things that go on in the churches today are not of God. They are of the world. They have departed from the faith once delivered to the saints.

Apostle Paul warned Timothy:

1Tim 4:1 ¶ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron...

Again in 2Tim

4:1 ¶ I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Takes these words to heart. Don't go down the same way.

Be firmly grounded in the truth of the gospel of grace.

May our Lord bless you. Feel free to ask any further questions!

Thanks.

How does the gospel save?

Food is for the nourishment of the living; 
it's not a means to bring life to the dead!

How does the gospel, the good news of what the Triune God has done to save sinners, save those who believe?

Sing F Lau stated:
The gospel DOES NOT save in the way most people imagined. The gospel is the good news that God has accomplished eternal salvation for His people by Jesus Christ, and has applied it to the individual elect by His Spirit. The gospel INFORMS those that ARE ALREADY SAVED by God's free and sovereign grace, the good news of their eternal salvation by God's free and sovereign grace.

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us ARE SAVED it is the power of God." It is the good news of God's power in saving them. The gospel brings to those that ARE SAVED the good news of their salvation.

Salvation by God's free grace that enables a man to believe and the salvation by a man's believing in Jesus Christ are distinct and difference salvation. The former is eternal salvation; the latter is temporal salvation.

Michael G
AMEN!

Sing F Lau
News INFORMS and INSTRUCTS. News that informs and instructs SAVES us from falsehood and ignorance. News saves us in that we are brought to know the truth of God's sovereign work of saving us by His free grace. That's the way the gospel saves... but so many imagined that the gospel saves by bringing them to eternal salvation by God.

Adam
"Moreover, brothers, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand; By which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached to you, unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered to you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures..." 1 Cor 15:1-4

Stephen
It is Christ who saves, by grace, through faith. To him be the glory. But again we are called, by the gospel, we are told, believe in the gospel. Without faith, we are doomed and despite hearing the gospel it will not PROFIT us because it is lacking the ingredient it is to be MIXED with faith! the word is sugkeránnumi according to Word Study, this means, "To mix together, intermingle with. In the NT figuratively to join together, temper together so that one part counterbalances another."

Sing F Lau
You have no doubt read the epistle to the Romans many times before. Did you notice that apostle Paul addressed the epistles to the SAINTS, "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."

And these SAINTS BELOVED have not heard the gospel before... and Apostle Paul expressed his earnest desire to preach the gospel to these we are ALREADY addressed as "SAINTS" and "beloved of God."

Did you notice at all this basic and FUNDAMENTAL fact of the epistle?

15 "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
16 ¶ 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.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

The "saints" and "beloved of God" in Rome are already justified by God's free grace, and they needed to hear the gospel, the news of their eternal salvation by God's free grace, so that they may live by faith in Jesus Christ... and be saved from falsehood and ignorance, and may know the truth of their salvation by God's free grace.

Sing F Lau
"Moreover, brothers, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand; By which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached to you, unless you have believed in vain."

May I inquire, how does believing the gospel save those who believe?

And why does believing the gospel save ONLY CONDITIONALLY - "if you keep in memory what I preached to you". Is this CONDITIONAL salvation through gospel belief the same as the eternal salvation that is UNCONDITIONAL by God's free grace?

Please tell us!

'Revealed from faith to faith' - not revealed from faith to faithless. In the gospel message, the righteousness of God is reported and preached from faith (of a believing preacher) to faith (those whom the Spirit of God has worked the grace of faith, those ALREADY bestowed eternal salvation).

Time to go beyond shibboleth and platitudes!

Stephen
The elect have to be sinners first in order to be saved right? :)

Keith
All the poor Alzheimer's patients are in big trouble if their eternal salvation is conditioned on remembering!

Adam
Hi Sing... please note that my comment was purely scripture and not personal opinion... I simply wanted to check your response.

Sing F Lau
"The elect have to be sinners first in order to be saved right? :)"

What are you trying to say? Whatever, are they 'sinners' only?

The word 'sinner' is so cheapened, it is meaningless now!

Tell them how the God of heaven has diagnosed them:
- REBELS,
- CHILDREN OF WRATH,
- CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE
- SLAVES OF SINS
- DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS, utterly unable to do anything to commend themselves to God.
- IN ENMITY AGAINST GOD, actively in rebellion against God....etc.

The elect were in that condition when the free grace of God came crashing into them, effectually calling them out of their state of sin and death, to that of grace and eternal salvation - with justification APPLIED to remove condemnation, accompanied by regeneration to remove death, and adoption into the family of God to remove alienation, and the gift of the Spirit of adoption to dwell in their hearts to enable them to live a children of God.

These free grace acts of God made these SAINTS, beloved of God. ALL WITHOUT THE GOOD NEWS. These acts must happen first before there could be any good news to report.

The gospel ministry is appointed for such... to instruct and inform them of the glorious salvation that God has ACCOMPLISHED in Jesus Christ, and has APPLIED to them by His Spirit.

Time to go beyond shibboleth and platitudes!

Sing F Lau
"All the poor Alzheimer's patients are in big trouble if their eternal salvation is conditioned on remembering!"

Men's silly ideas will always inevitably exclude some of God's beloved children from God's heaven.

And what if the mentally alert ones are given to remember the wrong thing? Is that worse than not remembering the truth?.

They just can't distinguish eternal salvation by God's free grace, and temporal salvation through the gospel ministry.

So many conditioned the eternal salvation of God's elect by all sorts of things: eg. hearing and believing, persevering in a life of faith and holiness, the precision of the truth believed, even the translation of the Bible used, etc, etc.

Sing F Lau
Adam @ "my comment was purely scripture and not personal opinion..."

It is good to quote Scriptures... but if you could tell us what you intend to DRAW OUT of the Scripture quoted, it would be that much more helpful. Then we would all know why you are quoting that particular passage for.

Otherwise, you might be mistaken for READING INTO that passage! (When people quote Scriptures, they intend that Scriptures to say what they have in mind... and often what they want to say it to say is not what that Scripture say!)

Adam
Hi Sing... I think it is obvious... you said that the Gospel DOES NOT save. I simply quoted a scripture that appears to read otherwise. With scripture being truth, your statement then needs qualification, which I feel you stated your case on the first comment.

Sing F Lau
But that's where the problem lies. People connect believing the gospel as the condition to their eternal salvation. Go ask around if that's not the case. People keep reading their ideas into the Scriptures, even though their ideas are obviously contradictory to the other ideas of their own. Eg. on the one hand... they mutter that salvation is by God's free grace, then on the other, they say salvation is conditioned upon some action of men. And they are speaking of the SAME salvation!

That is why there is this injunction: "2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

They who entertained contradictory ideas should be greatly ashamed of themselves. Instead, they haughtily said they are just embracing the "blessed inconsistencies" of the Scriptures! What blasphemies! as though there are inconsistencies in God's word!

Daniel
Dear Brother Sing. Where people get lost is that all salvation is not eternal. We are saved each and every hour from danger and trouble. When Peter was sinking in the ocean he needed saving not from hell but from drowning. We are saved from eternal damnation once by the blood of Christ. We never need to be saved from that again. But the Gospel will save us as we travel through this life every day. But we must follow its directions. This is part of Jesus telling us to come unto Him. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me and you shall find rest for your soul. 

Sing F Lau
Well said!

Behold, A Unique Statement of Faith on Salvation

Picture of Sungai Dua Church and guests at the Bible Conference in Dec 2007.
front row: Tien Ern, Jo-Ezer, Ai Winn, Sue Ann, Winnie, Sue Lian, Rachel

This is the only place I have come across where the five distinct aspects of salvation are actually set out so clearly in a Church's Article of Faith! Quite incredible!

May the Lord of heaven open the eyes of many of His children to behold the truth of their glorious salvation by God's free and sovereign grace.

Below is Section 6 of the Article of Faith found here:
http://letgodbetrue.com/introduction/faq/articles-of-faith.htm#6

Salvation

We believe that the Scripture shows five distinct divisions, aspects or phases of the work of God in the salvation of His people, and they are as follows:

Eternal - Election

We believe that before the world was created, God elected (Ephesians 1:4) a certain and invariable number of people (Romans 8:29-30), out of Adam's fallen race (Romans 9:21), to be delivered from the condemnation which they justly deserved (Romans 6:23) and to be adopted as His own children (Ephesians 2:1-3), this choice not based on any conceivable or foreseen compliance of those chosen (Psalm 14:2-3; Romans 3:9-19), but simply upon the free grace and sovereign will of God (Ephesians 1:3-11).

We believe that in pursuance of this design, God the Father did determine and make a covenant with the Word and the Holy Spirit on behalf of those persons alone, wherein all the duties and necessary actions were appointed to the Godhead to perform, and all the spiritual blessings provided for the elect.

We believe that this salvation, being decreed by Him who calls those things which are not as though they were (Romans 4:17), was considered as accomplished and finished before the world began.
We believe the eternal redemption and salvation which Christ has obtained by the shedding of His blood is special and particular; it was intentionally designed exclusively for the elect of God (Romans 8:33), the sheep of Christ (John 10:26-29), and they only share the benefits and blessings of it, and that infallibly (Romans 8:31-39), the rest of fallen mankind left in the state of condemnation it received from Adam's transgression in the garden of Eden (Romans 5:12; 9:21-22).

Legal - Justification

We believe the legal sentence of death against the elect was executed upon the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross of Calvary, His pure and sinless life being the perfect and only substitute for the filthy rags of their righteousness, and His holy blood being the only acceptable propitiation for their sins (Romans 3:24-26; 2 Corinthian 5:21).

We believe that the Father received this offering of the Lamb of God (Hebrews 10:10, 14), and that He accordingly justifies the elect, seeing in them not their sins, but the spotless righteousness of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, their sins being forgotten and covered by His precious blood.

Vital - Regeneration, the New Birth

We believe that those elected by God and justified by Christ's blood are, in the course of this life, given a new and sinless nature, created in true holiness, and capable of receiving and acting upon the spiritual realities taught in the Scriptures.

We believe that the same powerful Spirit that moved upon the face of the deep in the creation of the world moves on the nature of the elect to create spiritual life where there was death and corruption, that Spirit following the spoken direction of the Son of God to give life to His child, His sheep, and that the soul of the child of God is totally passive in this process, just as a natural child is passive in his conception, gestation and birth.

Practical - Conversion

We believe that God provides the means for His elect, regenerate children to know Him and have fellowship with Him during this life through the preaching of and obedience to the Scripture, and that conversion is, accordingly, an educational process whereby the born again child of God learns of his helpless condition in Adam, of the wonderful salvation that His heavenly Father has provided through the life giving blood of Jesus Christ, and what His God requires of him to enjoy fellowship with Him in his pilgrimage of life.

We believe that God grants to the elect the opportunity to repent and acknowledge the truth, but that, repentance, having been granted, it is their responsibility to exercise their God given faith (Philippians 2:12) and repentance to obtain the blessings that He offers in this life, and that this aspect of salvation, if they harden their hearts, can be lost and replaced by God's severe chastisement.
We believe that, in general, those whom God has chosen to be His own will believe and obey the gospel call when they hear it, though we acknowledge that God, as the Sovereign Lord of the universe, can leave some individuals in ignorance of the glorious salvation that Christ secured for them, these being a small exception.

Final - Glorification

We believe that all of those chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and regenerated by the Spirit, shall be glorified together with Christ when He returns to judge the quick and the dead, their mortal forms clothed with immortality, and their sin wracked bodies resurrected or changed to be like the sinless body that our Lord Jesus Christ now inhabits.

We believe that God will preserve His elect unto this glorious day, and that Jesus Christ shall present them unto the Father pure and spotless, clothed in His own righteousness, regardless of their works of righteousness or lack thereof.

===========

Rightly dividing the doctrine of salvation into these distinct phases is absolutely necessary to an adequate and faithful understanding of the Holy Scriptures concerning salvation.

Here are two charts that clearly illustrate these distinct divisions, aspects or phases of the work of God in the salvation of His people. Download and print them, and study them!

Salvation Divided By the Scriptures

Chart #1: Definitions. Salvation Divided By the Scriptures. (2 Timothy 2:15). Eternal Phase. Legal Phase.

Vital Phase. Practical Phase. Final Phase .

Salvation Divided By the Scriptures

Chart #2: Components. Salvation Divided By the Scriptures

When was Paul Saved?

http://www.letgodbetrue.com/questions/paul-salvation.php

 

The word of truth, the gospel of your salvation

‘The word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.’

"In whom ye also trusted, 

after that ye heard the word of truth, 

the gospel of your salvation: 

in whom also after that ye believed, 

ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise..." 

Eph 1:13

Let us ponder on some of the truth stated in this Scriptures.

1. Believing and trusting in Christ come after hearing the word of truth

It is indisputable that the word of truth declares that which is already true, otherwise it can't possibly be the word of truth. The veracity or truthfulness of the word of truth is not dependent or conditioned upon the hearers believing it. Hearers are called to believe the word of truth, i.e. that which is already true of them. They are hearers that ARE saved, and there are hearers that are perishing (1Cor 1:18). To those that ARE SAVED, the word of truth is perceived as the good news of their salvation by God's free grace.

Hearers are not called to believe something which is untrue in order that their believing may make it become true. The word of truth are addressed, and heard by those that are saved - calling them to believe the good news of their salvation. Believing the word of truth does not make it one bit more true. Similarly, rejecting the word of truth does not make the word of truth one bit less true.

Where there is no hearing there is no believing or trusting because 'faith cometh by hearing.' "And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher" (Rom 10:14b). It needs to be emphasized that it is 'faith cometh by hearing.' Too many glibly think the text say, 'eternal life comes by hearing.' Preaching is very necessary to the conversion of God's children to the truth of their salvation by God's free grace in Jesus Christ. Only God's children, those already regenerated by the sovereign activity of God's Spirit, can be converted through the gospel ministry. Those still dead in trespasses and sins are absolutely incapable of being converted, since the word of truth is perceived as foolishness by all such.


2. The word of truth is the gospel of our salvation

The gospel of our salvation is the good news of what is already true. The good news of our salvation is the news of what the Triune God has done (perfect tense, completed actions of the Triune God) to save us. The gospel of our salvation is good news that:

- God has purposed that eternal salvation for the elect before the foundation of the world,

- Christ has accomplished and secured that eternal salvation for the elect on the cross, and

- The Holy Spirit has applied that same eternal salvation to each individual elect personally in God's appointed time.

Only those in whom the Holy Spirit has applied that eternal salvation through regeneration are capable of being called to believe the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation. All others are dead in sin, and are remotely related to the 'word of truth' and 'the gospel of our salvation.'

Eph 1:3-12 describe these divine and gracious acts most wonderfully in its manifold richness. Without these sovereign and gracious acts of the Triune God, there would be NO word of truth; there would be NO gospel of our salvation. There would be no gospel of our salvation to be preached to any one in the whole wide world! There would be NO word of truth to be heard and believed by any one in the world!


3. The gospel of Jesus Christ is to be preached to all creatures

In preaching the gospel, the summon to believe the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, must be addressed to the hearers indiscriminately. Among the hearers are found those whom the Spirit has regenerated, already God's children, born of His Spirit. Only such will hear and receive the gospel as the word of truth because the truth of salvation by God's free grace is already true of them. Only such will receive the gospel preached as the good news of their salvation because salvation is already true of them... the Spirit has applied salvation to them personally. The rest will perceive the gospel as foolishness, and reject it.

To them that ARE saved, the gospel of their salvation is already a reality by God's free grace, before it is ever preached to them and before they ever believe it. They are called to believe the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation because it is already true of them EVEN before they believe. "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." ONLY those that ARE SAVED perceive and receive the message as the gospel of their salvation, the word of truth.


4. This good news of our salvation is the word of truth

The truthfulness of the good news is based solely on what has actually and truly happened to us, and in us personally by God's gracious acts.. It is based on what the Triune God has done for us and in us, and NOT what we do - believing and trusting. Believing and trusting evidence and make manifest what the Triune God has already done for us and in us by His free and sovereign grace. What God has done for us and in us forms the foundation and basis of the word of truth, make available the good news of our salvation to be proclaimed to us.

The good news is NOT an offer; instead it is a declaration of what God has done by His free grace to save us. What God has done for us constitutes the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation. Because of what God has done for us, there is the word of truth in which we are called upon to believe. Those whom God has made alive are called to believe. Salvation is bestowed by God's free grace. It is not offered to be accepted... spiritually dead sinner can't possibly accept the offer, even if there is one!

Through the preaching of the gospel of our salvation, God calls us, His children (justified, regenerated and adopted) to believe WHAT IS ALREADY TRUE of us, i.e. the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation.

Calling men to believe what is untrue with the promise that believing may make it become true is NOT only wicked and evil, but it is also deceiving the hearers. It is no longer preaching the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation. It is preaching word of lies, an offer of salvation conditioned upon something the lost, condemned and dead sinner must do before God will act to save them. That's hardly any truth or good news in any sense. It is like making a great offer to a dead man, "if you would just whisper 'yes, I believe' then I will make you alive." That amounts to a most wicked mockery at the dead man. It is no word of truth or good news in any sense.

Calling men to believe the word of truth in order that God's gracious work of saving His elect by His free grace may be made manifest SO THAT His children may be gathered in NT churches is the true function of the ministry of preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission is to make disciples of God's regenerated elect; disciples can only be made out of God's children. The Triune God produces His own children without any human aid whatsoever. He does so sovereignly and freely by His grace. And He appointed the preaching of the gospel to gather His children into NT churches.


5. Christ is already our Saviour

We who trusted Christ after hearing the word of truth do so ONLY because Christ is ALREADY our Saviour, the word of truth, the gospel of salvation is ALREADY true of us. We are called to believe what is already true. Our believing does not make what is untrue to become true. Faith, receiving and resting in Christ for righteousness and salvation, is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and an evidence of the Spirit of Christ already dwelling in them that exercise faith. The indwelling Spirit of God is found in those God has already justified, regenerated and adopted... for the Spirit of God is called the Spirit of adoption.


6. Believing and trusting bring life and immortality to light

"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." 2Tim 1:10

The gospel brings life and immortality TO LIGHT. The gospel DOES NOT bring life and immortality.

The gospel is the means God ordained to bring to light, to make manifest, to evidence life and immortality. The gospel is NOT THE MEANS God ordained to bring life and immortality. The gospel is the good news that God has brought life and immortality to His elect by His free and sovereign grace.

You can only bring to light the life and immortality that are ALREADY there. Life and immortality are ALREADY in the person by God free and sovereign grace BEFORE it can ever be brought to light by the gospel. Biblical example bear witness to this - Abraham, the Jews converted on the day of Pentecost, the eunuch, Cornelius, Lydia. No amount of gospel preaching can bring to light life and immortality that is not already there by God's free and sovereign grace.

It's time to believe the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation.
Cast away various form of lies!

What the new school 'reformed' people believe is quite different from what the Old School Baptists of the 17th and 18th century particular baptists did believe. Their stepchildren have departed from the faith.

A subtle slant, but a serious subversion

A subtle slant, but a serious subversion

If you wish to comment, go to this link:

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/sing.f.lau/posts/108332202560546

"You receive that free grace justification (done and completed by God alone) by faith," by a slight slant is subtly subverted into a damnable error of "you are justified before God by faith."

In the former, your justification is completed by God freely by His grace, and prior to your faith. Your faith manifests your justified state.
In the latter, your faith is prior and instrumental to your justification before God.
See the VAST difference! The former is the truth, but the latter is a LIE.

And multitudes of deformed and reformed folks embrace and defend the latter.

Here it is. How could so many elitist Calvinists get it so wrong?

1689.11.1 - all stated here so plainly

1. 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)
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1. Who are the object of God's free grace justification?
- "Those whom God effectually calleth" See what is effectual calling here.

2. What is justification?
- "He also FREELY justifieth... by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous...

3. What is the basis of this FREE GRACE justification?
a. Negatively
- "not by infusing righteousness into them"
- "not for anything wrought in them, or done by them"
- "not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing." (Faith is excluded!)
- Not by imputing "any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness."

b. Affirmatively:
- "but for Christ's sake alone"
- "but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in His death for their WHOLE and SOLE righteousness.

So, justification is a DONE and ACCOMPLISHED act of God, FREELY, i.e. apart from any thing in, or done, by the justified. In the nature of the case, that is obvious - a man under the condemnation of death can't possibly do any spiritual activity toward his justification before God!)

4. How is this DONE and ACCOMPLISHED free grace justification manifested by and evidenced in the justified?
- "they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith.
- "which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift of God." A gift of God in the sense that it is worked within their heart by the indwelling Spirit.

That is why the Old School Baptists declared this:
"The reason why any are justified IS NOT because they have faith; but the reason why they have faith IS because they are justified." PBA.

Supposing a Benefactor FREELY credited a $1b into your personal account, in addition to clearing ALL your debts, all while you were condemned and declared a bankrupt.

He then sent someone to bring the good news to you. (Good news is news of what has happened; the good news is not a conditional offer that if you meet the condition, something good will happen to you!).

And you believed the good news of the benefactor's FREE and gracious act, and believing, i.e. by faith, you went to the bank to draw on the money.

Wouldn't it be SCANDALOUS and TREACHEROUS and CRIMINAL of you to claim and insist that it was your accepting the offer and going to the bank THAT CAUSED the gift to be credited to your account and all your debts settled? (That would, of course, have perverted the good news of what has been done FREELY into a conditional offer, that if you believe and go to the bank, the gift would be credited into your account.)

Even so, sola fidei, the popular Protestant doctrine that a man's justification before God is by faith alone is the same - SCANDALOUS and TREACHEROUS and CRIMINAL.

Yet so many insist that they are justified before God by or through their faith! Their act of believing is the instrument to secure that justification before God!

Do you begin to understand the great issue involved?

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Page
Yes, yes, yes

McCool
AMEN, Brother! As my precious pastor has so plainly put it, "Faith doesn't put away a single sin - Christ's sacrifice did that. Faith is given to us through the Spirit so that we might KNOW what Christ did to put away our sins." We don't believe our redemption into existence; Christ redeemed us at the cross, finally and forever. And for that, I am eternally grateful! If it were up to me, I would be saved one day and lost the next, unfortunately.

Dyess
Faith is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians).. if it is a fruit of the Spirit..That implys that faith is secondary to the Spirit and the Spirit was there first. If you want a piece of fruit.. the fruit does not magically materialize in your waiting hand... It came from a tree

Jim Deal
Amen

Constanzia
In order to have faith you must believe in God. John 6:9- Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. Phil 1:29- For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake

Dyess
‎"Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 1 Corinthians 12:3. You have to have the Spirit to believe too :...)

Hart
For most seminarians, the subtle subversion is the familiar way to go.

Lanier
The Bible doesn't say you are justified by faith. It says you are saved by grace through faith, all a gift from God.

Andrews @David. No? "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 5:1) KJV :-|

Sing F Lau
‎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:
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David, there is a justification by your faith: your faith declares something about you.

There is a justification by God's free grace, wherein God makes a declaration concerning one who is under the condemnation of death.

Nicholas, there is a justification by the free grace of God through the redemption of Christ - WITHOUT FAITH WHATSOEVER - "being justified FREELY by His grace" - 'freely means WITHOUT ANY CONDITION.

Please don't confuse the practical/experiential justification by faith, and legal justification by free grace based on the righteousness of Jesus Christ ALONE... plus nothing.

Andrews
Sorry Sing. You're way off on this one! Nowhere in scripture is grace the avenue to salvation apart from faith. Again, Romans 5:1...

Grace as example is what Noah received in Gen. 6:8; and preceded faith. But he was granted... grace not wit...hout the condition of trusting in God. Which he demonstrated in verse 9: "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God."

You say; freely means without conditions. No, it means that you cannot earn the grace it is not a self- generated virtue or attribute. You cannot deny the scriptures and use them to extract your own pathetic theological agenda; whatever that may be?

The word used in Romans 3:24 is Dorean. (Gr.) Def. it does NOT mean without conditions as I said. Rather; without a cause, in vain, for naught. Strong's Number: 1432

Maybe your intention is more honorable than that which I stated, but in any case I hope this settles your incorrect assumption of grace being without the need of faith? :0

Sing F Lau
Nicholas, may I inquire?
What does God do when He justify you freely by His grace?
And how does your faith, i.e. your act of believing, justify you?
......
Please tell us.

Is the justification by God's free grace, and the justification by your faith one and the same justification?

I suggest if you can't give simple answers to these simple question, please hold your peace.

'Without a cause' - yes, without any cause in the justified, is it not? You would insist that it is with a cause, your act of believing! You would insist that it is NOT for naught, but for something, even your act of believing. Not impressed with your Greek at all!

Sir, your own pathetic delusion that justification before God is by your faith, first of all, EXCLUDES all of God's children who are incapable of exercising faith... second, excludes all those of God's children who have no opportunity to be called out by the gospel ministry.

Now, of course, you will object that there are no such people. Just how do you know?

But what if there are such people... since they can't exercise faith, they will remain unjustified and continue in their state of condemnation of death and end up in eternal hell? Don't bury your head in the sand! Deal with the issue. How many way of justification are there? One by faith, and one without faith?

Sing F Lau
‎"Grace as example is what Noah received in Gen. 6:8; and preceded faith. But he was granted grace not without the condition of trusting in God. Which he demonstrated in verse 9: "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." "
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Do you intend to say that Noah's experience is the experience of EVERY child of God?

If you do, you have only proven that faith is an EFFECT of salvation by God's free grace in the life of Noah.

You have NOT disproved that eternal salvation, of which justification of life (i.e. the removal of the condemnation of death, and the application of righteousness) is the chief and foremost element, is WITHOUT FAITH.

Faith, a product of that eternal salvation CAN POSSIBLY be an instrument to secure that salvation. If you understand this statement, then start disagreeing and disputing.

Please get the point of what I am saying. Don't be so quick to disagree. Know what I am saying first before you start disagreeing and disputing.

Hath Given, and Giveth; Shall Come, and Cometh

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me...
yes, as many as the Father has given.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/sing-f-lau/hath-given-and-giveth-shall-come-and-cometh/10150205110218484

John 6
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

Please note a few things:
1. "All that the Father GIVETH me SHALL COME to me..."
2. "... of all which He HATH GIVEN me I should lose nothing..."
3. "... him that COMETH to me..."

The first giving is in the present tense - it speaks of the effectual calling that God does at all present times. At every effectual call of an elect, an elect is PERSONALLY, and effectually brought to come to Christ, united to Him in His death and resurrection. This is the immediate and direct work of God for every elect at His appointed and approved time.

The second giving is in a perfect tense - it speaks of that one giving of the whole number of the elect to Christ in the covenant of redemption in eternity, and remains given to Christ.

There is a coming to Christ that is true of ALL the elect without exception. That coming is by the free, sovereign and divine work of the effectual calling of an elect in his native state of sin and death to that grace and salvation in Christ Jesus. An elect dead in trespasses and sins is quickened and brought to everlasting life in Christ - i.e. he is brought to come to Christ and united with Christ. This coming to Christ is the direct effect of God effectually calling an elect. This coming to Christ happens to EVERY elect, in their appointed and approved time. In this coming to Christ, an elect is completely passive, in that he does nothing. In reality, in his natural state, he is in enmity and rebellion again God, BUT sovereign and divine grace triumphed over such enmity and rebellion.

There is a coming to Christ when a child of God is called by the gospel ministry. Upon hearing, understanding and believing - all these being the spiritual activities of a child of God -  he CONSCIOUSLY comes to Jesus Christ, receiving and resting in Him as Lord and Saviour. This coming is conditioned upon the availability of, as well as the positive response to, the gospel call.

However, not ALL the called of God will be called by the gospel ministry. They are God's children that are incapable of being outwardly called by the gospel ministry. Many reject this simple fact and reality because they fail to distinguish the effectual call to grace and salvation that embraces EVERY elect, and the gospel call unto conversion to the gospel truth that involved NOT every child of God. The latter involves everyone who consciously comes to Christ through the gospel call - "and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

The first coming is entirely by the free sovereign divine activity, with the elect entirely passive, being dead in trespasses and sins when this coming was effected entirely by divine power! Divine power draws the dead and makes them alive through the redemption already accomplished by Christ for His people.

The second coming (please note in the simple present tense - "him that COMETH" - is through the instrument of the gospel ministry. The gospel ministry calls upon God's children to believe on the truth of their salvation by God's free grace in Jesus Christ. In this coming, man is active. His intellect is involved, his heart is involved, and his will is involved. He hears, he understands, and he believes, I.E. he comes to Christ, believes the truth of the gospel. This coming to Christ, receiving and resting in Him is not a one-off event, it is the ever-present reality of coming to Him.

Paul reasoned:
 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Christ gives a glorious assurance to every one who comes to Him, however unworthy or wretched he may feel... "I will in no wise cast out." This applies to the experiential coming to Christ in response to the gospel call. "I will in no wise cast out" DOES NOT apply to the coming as the result of God's effectual call. That would be unthinkable, as well as impossible. The Father and the Son work in perfect harmony; whom the Father gives to Christ are united to Christ in salvation.

A biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology. Failing to do so has caused many to end up believing the lies that every child of God will also hear, understand and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ and COMES to Him.

Porky calling Betsy Swine!

Porky calling Betsy 'swine'! How ridiculous!

If you wish to leave comments, please go to this link:
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In any discussion between the Calvinists and the Arminians, the former would inevitably slam the latter concerning their illogical position. The Calvinists will kindly remind their Arminian cousins condescendingly that regeneration or the new birth must precede faith, i.e. that the gift of eternal life must precede the ability to believe. And of course, that is perfectly correct. Nothing could be more basic and logical and obvious than that - life must precede the activities of that life.

However, the Calvinists, in the pride of their prowess of logic, fail to see that some of their own ideas are NO LESS inconsistent and illogical. Given the fact that the Calvinists claim themselves to be logical, and their haughty inclination to mock and ridicule the Arminians as being illogical, they are more culpable and blameworthy for their illogical ideas.

In conversing with a confident Calvinist, I [who is neither a Calvinist nor an Arminian] wrote thus: "Faith EVIDENCES the justification that has ALREADY taken place by God's free and sovereign grace. That is the truth the Bible teaches, and the Old School Baptists (like the framers of the 1689 CoF) did believe. New School Baptists are confused about the issue, failed to rightly divide the word of truth, and have rejected the truth of justification by God's free grace, WITHOUT and PRIOR to faith."

He replied: "It's one thing to make such emphatic statements, but it is quite another thing to support them. Neither you nor the article you reference demonstrate the truthfulness of these statements from Scripture. The article that you quote from seems to be afraid that if faith is an instrumental cause of justification then it will give man some credit and rob God of His glory, but that is not necessary if faith itself is a gift and regeneration logically precedes faith. Further, the article seems contradictory. It says that faith is not an instrumental cause, but then goes on to describe faith as an instrument of receiving this righteousness."

In his statement he rightly states that "regeneration logically precedes faith." That's a perfectly logical, and a truthful statement. (As an aside, his statement that 'faith is a gift' is simply illogical - because a gift is something that comes to us from WITHOUT. The act of believing and resting in Christ is by the grace of faith worked by the Spirit of Christ from WITHIN a child of God. I assume this is a given, and that there is no dispute about this basic point.

The pot calling kettle black!
No less illogical Calvinists calling Arminians illogical

Now, let us turn to his confident point of logic. I reply thus:

You are perfectly right - regeneration logically precedes faith. Amen. I am always thankful when men insist on logic, because God's word truly is a logical, consistent harmonious whole. A renewed mind ought to be a sound mind, to rightly divide the word of truth.

Ask yourself these questions to check the soundness of your logic:

Is it logical that the bestowal of life (regeneration by the Spirit) PRECEDES the removal of the condemnation of death (justification by God)?

Is it logical that justification by God's free grace (I didn't say justification by believer's faith) FOLLOWS regeneration (since faith follows regeneration)?

Is it logical, or even possible, that a man UN-justified by God  the Father could ever be regenerated by God the Spirit?

You would agree that by nature a man is under the condemnation of death. And only the justification by God's free grace is that condemnation of death removed, and righteousness of life imputed.
(Read a short article on Romans 5:18 "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; EVEN SO by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life" here: http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2009/09/therefore-as-arminians-reject-doctrine.html)

Equally logical, one cannot possibly be regenerated when he is still unjustified, i.e. while still under the condemnation of sin and death. The removal of condemnation of death by God in justification is PREREQUISITE to being quickened to life by the Holy Spirit in regeneration. That is plain and sound logic!

Equally logical, one who is regenerated is ALREADY justified by God's free grace, i.e. the condemnation of death has been removed, and righteousness unto life is already applied personally, and eternal life bestowed. To claim that life is bestowed BEFORE the removal of the condemnation of death is just perverse and twisted logic!

It is crooked logic to say that an unjustified person, i.e. still under the condemnation of death and sin, is regenerated, and is able to believe in order that he may be justified by God. That is very irrational... no less irrational as those who teach that one who is dead in trespasses and sins must believe in order to have eternal life. Activity of life cannot precedes the life itself!

It is twisted logic to say that a regenerated person is still under the condemnation of sin and death, and that his act of believing is the instrumental means to remove that condemnation!

Equally illogical is the teaching that the Holy Spirit regenerated a sinner still under the condemnation of death whom the Father has not justified, has not removed the condemnation of death nor applied the righteousness of life.

All this sick, perverse and twisted logic would be set right if only these 'logicians' humble themselves, and recognize their failure to rightly divide the word of truth.

God justifies the ungodly. Faith justifies the believing. Note the biblical distinction. God justifies forensically; faith justifies experientially!

God justifies the ungodly - those under the condemnation of death - by His free and sovereign grace, wherein He pardons all their sins, and accept them as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness imputed to them. God justifies the ungodly REDEMPTIVELY - freely and sovereignly saving them from their just condemnation, and bestowing to them eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.

SURELY, God's acts of justifying the UNGODLY, must precede any possibility of faith, the act of believing by the justified ones.

Faith justifies the believing - God's children who are indwelt by the Spirit of God, who works in them the many graces, faith being one of them - faith certifies, demonstrates and evidences that the believing ones are indeed the children of God. Faith justifies the believing EXPERIENTIALLY.

Many cannot see the obvious distinction, and end up with the nonsensical idea that faith precedes justification by God. They are blind to the simple and obvious truth that it is only an elect who is already justified by God's free grace, regenerated and adopted, and bestowed with the Spirit of adoption, that is able to believe to demonstrate his justified state by grace.

Is it not logical, as well as biblical, that one who is born again has been justified by God? How could a person be regenerated if he is still under condemnation, i.e unjustified by God? That portrays the Holy Spirit as acting amorally and lawlessly, regenerating someone who is still under the condemnation of death! It is like a Prison Officer setting a criminal free before he has been acquitted by the Criminal Court!

ALSO, the Scriptures declares, "God justifies the UNGODLY," but many illogically read that as God justifies the BELIEVING. The ungodly whom God justifies is necessarily in an unjustified state, in the state of condemnation and death. A believing one must necessarily be a regenerated person... and a regenerated person CAN'T possibly be at the same time still under the state of sin and death, needing to be justified by God in the same sense.

Sometimes I am amazed how the Calvinists who ridicule the irrationalism of the Arminians fail to see their own irrationalism!

That's a classic case of the porky calling the cattle beast!

Notwithstanding all the great differences there are between Calvinists and the Arminians, they are united in one most crucial doctrine: justification by faith. Both insist that justification before God is by faith, their act of believing. They are close cousins!!!

A treacherous and scandalous usurpation

Just because it has a coat and bow tie doesn't make it a penguin!
It's still a ban-queen!

  

'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."

3. God provided the righteousness that is needed for the justification of His people 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: