Things New and Old: Righteousness of Christ + Nothing = Justification by God's grace alone

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.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Righteousness of Christ + Nothing = Justification by God's grace alone

This picture presents the fable of
"Justification = Faith + Nothing"

The above picture is edited to reflect the statement
Justification = Faith + nothing

The original picture is below.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/justification-faith-plus-nothing

Justification = Faith + Nothing
makes a travesty of the
"Jesus Saves" sign.

This monumental theological confusion of such a fundamental doctrine is a tragic reflection of the solemn warning Apostle Paul gave to Timothy. It is a feature of the perilous days we are in, "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2Ti 3:7. You can be sure such tragedy is not restricted to Apostle Paul's days.

I plead with you, my dear reader, give me a hearing and learn the truth of your justification before God.

Mat 11:15 "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

I. Let me put the matter simply:

1. Sin + nothing = condemnation and death

EVEN SO, Righteousness + nothing = justification and life

2. Acts of sin, the transgression of the law of God, are evidence of that state of condemnation and death. You didn't sin to fall into the state of condemnation and death. You were conceived in sin and born in sin; your sinful actions evidence that native state of condemnation and death.

3. Even so, acts of righteousness, like believing the truth of the gospel, are evidence of that state of justification and life. You did not do something, like hearing, understanding and believing the gospel, to be justified by God. You have been freely justified by God based on the righteousness of Christ alone, and your believing is evidence of that gracious and sovereign act of God.

4. The righteousness necessary for your justification before God is either:

- by your own righteousness, i.e. your own obedience to the law of God; this you have none, zilch.

- by the righteousness of God's provision, i.e. by Christ's obedience to the law of God; this is the only righteousness acceptable to God the Judge and Justifier.

5. The justification of a sinner under the condemnation of sin and death is:

- by the righteousness of Christ alone; that's the BASIS of justification.

- by the free and sovereign grace of God alone; that's the MANNER of justification, how the righteousness of Christ is accounted as the righteousness of the condemned, without him meeting any condition because he can't meet any.

6. How does a man, already freely justified by God based on the righteousness of Christ, EXPERIENCE the blessedness of his justified state?

- It is by faith in Jesus Christ alone, it is not through observing ceremonial laws (as with the Jews), or the works of righteousness (as Luther discovered for himself), BUT simply believing in Christ. That is the alone instrument to experience the blessedness of one's justified stated by the free grace of God alone based on the righteousness of Christ alone.

- And faith is a spiritual grace worked in the justified by the indwelling Spirit of God, thus enabling him to believe the truth of his justification by God based solely upon the righteousness of Christ.

II. Now, some historical context:

1. The Mother Harlot teaches:

Legal justification before God is by BOTH faith in Christ AND works of righteousness.

(Her daughters thought their mother church is partly correct - legal justification before God is by faith!) Therefore the,

2. Mother Harlot's daughters:

(amputated one of the two gangrenous limbs) declare:

Legal justification before God is by faith ALONE in Christ.

3 Scriptures say, and the old school baptists believed rightly:

- Legal justification before God is by the righteousness/blood/faithfulness of Christ alone;

- This legal justification by Christ alone is freely and sovereignly applied to the elect personally by the Spirit of God when an elect was in his native state of condemnation and death, incapable of believing.

- And the blessedness of this justification by God's free and sovereign grace is to be experienced through faith in Christ alone, and it is evidenced by BOTH faith in Christ and works of righteousness.

The devil has hijacked the biblical doctrine of justification by free grace!

Many children of God have sincerely swallowed hook, line, and sinker of this "sola fidei" lie of the devil, and are completely oblivious of the lie and falsehood.

=========

Let me know which part is not in conformity with the Scriptures, or which part you don't understand, and I will be happy to respond. Thanks.

May the Lord Jesus open your eyes to see the multi-faceted truth of your justification before God, freely by His grace alone and based on the righteousness of Christ alone, and your faith in Christ is an evidence of that.

Your breath is an effect and evidence of life; breath is not the means a lifeless man used to get the life! Can the matter be put any simpler?